Party of Lights

Yesterday afternoon, my dear friend Arlene Travnik phoned me up to say her son Josh was planning an impromptu birthday party for her which would begin at 9 p.m. Could we come?

Although 9 p.m. is pretty much past our bedtime (just kidding), and the Travnik's live a half hour down the highway, my boys and I decided to head down to join in on the festivities.

Josh strung up some white twinkle lights in the backyard and lit numerous tea lights all over the garden creating a beautiful luminescent effect.

Of course, if you are going to a such a festivity, you must have a gift to take for the dear one having a birthday. Being those who always think ahead (not always, I'm afraid), we were a little unprepared for the occasion. However, Zach had received a gift from his wise older brother, David. It was a Thomas Kinkade Paint-by-Number painting set. (Read a New Yorker article on Thomas Kinkade here)
Now you must understand that Thomas Kinkade is not a favourite of Zach's ~ to state it mildly, so he was over-joyed by the opportunity to re-gift the Paint-by-Number to Arlene.

Arlene is not a Kinkade enthusiast either, so she was amused by the gag gift (her son Nialle was rolling with laughter as he saw what was in the pretty pink wrapping paper.

For all of Kinkade's glow-y,
homey, "charm", he has a darker side ~ dark clouds have gathered over him which has been coming to the surface in recent years.

By 11 p.m. the rowdy neighbours had started up a fire of their own; (the marijuana was wafting over the fence our way), and by midnight I was starting to yawn. Knowing that we had to drive home yet, we said our thanks yous and good byes.

A good time was had by all at the Party of Lights!