IT'S a SurPIES!

If you could see me now, there is a little spring in my step. That's because on the official first day of spring, my dear friend Teresa pulled off a Herculean feat by throwing a 50th birthday surprise party for me. My birthday is actually April 8th, but she planned and plotted for months, choosing the Sunday afternoon of March 20th to secretly gather a big group of my friends and family. My daughter sneaked away from college to attend, my husband formulated a rock solid alibi, two pals fabricated a cover story to get me to the party destination. When I walked through the doorway of the Whitefish Bohemian Grange Hall, there stood a large contingent of folks looking anything but Bohemian. Dressed in dapper suits and glamorous little black dresses, in unison they yelled "SurPIES!" I was flabbergasted!

The care Teresa took to attend to each detail was mind-boggling and heart-warming. I walked around in a daze, marveling at all the decorative touches. The color theme was red, black and white, my favorite combination. Red atomic fireball candies (my vice) were paired with white pillar candles. Billowing garlands of red tulle embellished the room. Red, black and white balloons dotted each corner. Red tablecloths sported red tapered candles, red forks and red cups, a perfect backdrop to the guests' formal black attire. Because of my new year's resolution to bake 50 pies, Teresa incorporated this into the overall plan and cleverly called the event a 50th SurPIES Party. Everyone contributed a favorite pie recipe enclosed in a red photo album with a retro cover photo of me at age five. Many guests baked pies which were put on grand display in the hall entryway alongside a stunning centerpiece of white lilies in a red crystal vase. My harp teacher was there to play her exquisite gilded instrument. My lovely friend Tina danced a beautiful hula to my favorite Hawaiian song. My talented friend Brenda chronicled the event with her camera.

I was overwhelmed with the most thoughtful gifts. A large black basket held dozens of cards, some of them sassy, some of them sentimental, all of them dear. Presents to aid my pie quest were popular: a large black recipe box, a white porcelain pie pedestal, a cookbook featuring spring pies, a charming cross-stitched pie sampler, a set of spritely dessert plates. Some gifts were luxurious: tickets to the symphony, a manicure/pedicure certificate, a fine bottle of Chardonnay, chocolate covered macadamia nuts. But truly the best gift of all was the gathering of friends and family far and wide, near and dear who carved time out of their busy lives to bless mine.

So even though the first day of Spring in Montana rarely looks the part and nearly never feels the part, this spring was clearly an exception. The day shone bright with sunny friends that warmed the room and gave me the promise that God bestows upon us: the gift of hope and new beginnings, even to those of us teetering on the precipice of age fifty!