Celebrating Birthday and Graduation -- Photos Galore!

Last Saturday night we threw a party to celebrate my birthday and also my graduation, since I had not been able to do that earlier because we traveled to Brazil soon after commencement. I decided to do it only last week so I didn't really plan too much, which was good. A good friend helped me by preparing sandwiches and I made salsa, a cake and other desserts. I had bought graduation decorations and we used those too. It was lots of fun and I'm sharing (thanks to another friend and her camera because we haven't decided yet which camera we want -- we're returning the one I got for my b-day) a bunch of photos. Enjoy!

We held the party outside in out back patio (we don't have central air conditioner and the house was hot as an oven, except for a window unite working full force in the dining room and helping cool the kitchen and living room). We moved the futon there, folding chairs, and our two folding tables. The weather was wonderful, cool, breezy and there were no mosquitoes!!

Here's a picture of half (OK, more than half) of the folks who were there:

The other half:(we had almost 40 people!)

Some of the food:

The cake:(I bought the pan months ago for 3.99 -- I figured it was worth spending that even if I was going

to use it only once. I'm keeping it for Kelvin and Linton's graduations, though! :-)

Oh, and that's my actual tassel!

Getting ready to blow the candle:

Being silly with two of my gifts:

(both given by a dear friend who is shoe obsessed -- the shoe is not my style at all, BTW, but don't go tell her, OK? I'll wear it a few times so she'll see it, I'm OK with that [wearing things that I don't much like]):

And here you can see some of the desserts better...... and the happy 37 year old who finally holds a Ph.D. (and a colorful candle whose wax she clumsily just sprinkled all over the cake)
It was lots of fun!