the three day birthday

I was happy to turn 70. It meant I was alive.

Usually I don't pay much attention to birthdays, but decided this year to throw myself a party.

Sunday night there was a knock on the door. I opened it. In the tiny hallway was a black bag. Could it be for my neighbours?

Then a hand came around the corner followed by my Geneva housemate who decided I wasn't to celebrate my birthday without her along. The bag? Champagne, shrimp and Season two of The Good Wife. The party began.

Monday, I was slated to take a friend of more than three decades to the eye doctor. We seldom use the car (it has  taken since Feb. to use less than a half tank of gas) so the question was, "Where did we leave it?" seem totally normally.

As we walked by Barteveille, our favourite local restaurant my friend said, "Oh there's your housemate." She opened the door and my housemate was there and two other good friends. No choice for my surprise lunch...no problem...

• tapanade
• amuse bouche of gaspacho
• foix gras and salad
• fish on a bed of roasted vegetables
• Chocolate cake, icecream with happy birthday Donna written in chocolate frosting around the edge of the plate. I wish I could write as beautiful in ink
• Coffee

Then morning of my birthday a breakfast with a candle at the local hotel where my housemate was hiding out.

A trip to the beach to the see the photo exhibition but the most exciting was seeing the water planes land and pick up water for the fires in Port Bou and across the border in Spain. Our wishes went with them.

Then my party at La Noisette with about 30 friends.

Patricia the cook had put out a buffet that included gambas, salmon, chicken, cole claw, tabuli and mozarella and tomatoes. This went with sangria, a soft watermelon punch.

She'd done a beautiful cake and we added champagne.

The room has a divider and when I changed to the other side my Swiss friend and my long-time friend were sitting with their cellos. The music stand had a Swiss flag on it. They had arranged to play a combination of the Swiss national anthem along with happy birthday.

The nationalities present were

• Trinidian
• Canadian
• American
• Swiss 
• French
• Italian
• English
• German
• Danish
• Swedish

I have one more present coming in September. My daughter for eight days.

Those there were people I've known for decades, for years and recently. As I said in my toast to those present La richesse dans ma vie est les copains, les copines, life amis. The richness of my life is my friends.

Turning 70 is fun.