The Big One, The Big Three Hundred

On Sunday Chuck and I were invited, as the only non-family, to the first birthday party of a little gal who has been pictured here before--the Halloween kitty-cat. She and her mom and dad are in our church small group. We had a lovely time watching her careen from person to person, enjoying all the attention and the gentle "rough housing" her uncles gave her. She obliged her audience by smearing icing all over her face from her individual birthday cake. It was a privilege to share that time with the happy family.

The next day the math department held a celebration of Leonhard Euler's 300th birthday with an extremely funny video called the Great Number Debate: Which is better e or pi? (or something like that...from Williams College). Many folks got their quota of laughter in for a while watching that. Then they dismissed for a pizza and cake party. And who should make an appearance by the honored one himself. (Now, if I can just make the picture uploading function work...I'll try.) He actually made a dress rehearsal appearance at our house the night before (C being the person organizing the festivities and gathering up costumes from the theater department). Then because the college's president was delayed in a meeting--he was to have surprised the crowd--the emeritus prof played the Euler role. Then the pres. showed up, so we had three Eulers total, one for each century. One of the younger profs looked at the pres, the retiree and C together and said, "A group of elderly math professors." Oh, dear. "Wise" is a better adjective, wouldn't you agree?