Saturday, January 12, 2013, was my mother’s 90th birthday. We had planned to take her out for dinner at one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook right at the table, but she didn’t feel up to it. So we took her last Saturday.

Most of the Paris family at the birthday dinner

This is all but one of the existing Paris family. Henry, my brother, is on the left. Terry, his wife, comes next. Then Thomas, his son. That’s my mother, Doris Lynette (Kennedy) Paris there, finishing up her dinner. Next to her is Leah. The only one missing was Russell, Thomas’s brother, who lives up the East Coast way too far away.

The chef did the usual things with knives and fire. Rice was grilled. Chicken, steak and scallops were eaten. Fun was had.

Apparently it’s a popular place for birthdays, because the staff gave drum and gong performances for several tables. But not ours. It was probably just as well. It was a long, strenuous night for my mother, and I don’t think she was really up for the traditional Japanese restaurant birthday song.