March 18, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. A Birthday Party.

Virginia Mills celebrated her 9th birthday today.  Molly was invited along with three cousins, Isabelle Sutherland, and Charlotte and Mary Greaves, so 5 little girls aged 8 or 9 were present.  In addition, Greta Barbour invited the Mothers to stay for coffee.  I was invited which pleased me.  The Mills grandparents were there too along with Aunt Kate from Memphis,  who is John's sister.   The event was all very civilized and pleasant.

Kate had decorated the birthday cake which was made by Greta Barbour.  The cake looked like a cat with long whiskers.  And the adults were served cup cakes with a candle along with lemon curd, which is a favorite of mine.  The little girls played outside or at the kitchen table while the 6 ladies sat in the dining table enjoying our coffee and cupcakes and talking.  Both Eleanor and Kate are artists so one of the things we discussed was creativity and how it comes and goes.  For me, I have no idea because I do not have a creative brain.  On the other hand, I can organize everything and everyone but if you asked me to paint on an empty canvas I would have nightmares.  

Mrs. Mills lives in Louisiana on a farm.   But it is not an anti-intellectual farming area.  Their book club, which has been in operation for 40 years,  reads interesting challenging books.  One of our topics of conversation was the position of women today.  Several books unknown to me were describing the achievement of women in the past.  I suggested "The Angle of Repose", a wonderful book by Wallace Stegner.  One theme in the book describes the woman artist of the 19th century who settled in the west.  The novel may be the best book I have ever read.  Only Mrs. Mills had read the book or knew of it.  The book is dense and wonderful.

John, Mr. Mills and son Payton were off playing a game so just the ladies talked, until Virginia opened her gifts in the living room when we all adjourned to the living room to watch the fun.  Then the little girls disappeared and left the adults alone.  My afternoon was delightful and I felt fortunate to have been invited.   I have observed a different level of conversations in Mississippi.  Today was a perfect example.  I loved the whole afternoon.  Hats off to Greta Barbour.