As readers may recall, Robert Stinson’s mother Marilyn Stinson died recently in Tulsa. One of her wishes was that instead of a traditional wake or funeral, those close to her should have a party, which they did Saturday night. I would guess that 75 or more people attended at one point or another during the evening, including some people I was certain i would never see again. I ended up hanging out with someone who I hadn’t actually laid eyes on since about 1995, Gibson Grapevine bloggist Steph Gibson, her husband Geoff, and their beautiful children, Aspen, Andyn, Asher, and Ainsley. I’d never met Geoff or the kids before, and they were all very happy to see me.

Robert made sure I had a veggie burger, even though there was a multitude of vegetarian fare. He was equally happy I could attend, and I spent much of the time trying to convince him to move home to Tulsa from his current residence in Boston, if for no other reason than we could hang out and make images together more.

There was swimming, trampolining, croquet, dining, a bar, and two tables full of family photos so everyone could remember the years. Everyone had a terrific time. As I drove home to Byng, I thought that Marilyn would have been pleased that we all had such a great time at her party.