Last night I attended a benefit for the Susan B. Anthony Project. It was held at the home of Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn.

When I arrived, I saw that Moses and Cynthia had decorated their porch with many of his sunflowers:

I decided to try out one of the rocking chairs. Remind me to put on some makeup the next time I go out.

There were sunflowers everywhere, and even though it was a gray and drizzly evening, the whole porch was bright with the flowers’ yellow brilliance:

Moses carefully selected each one from his giant sunflower crop. At first glance, this just appeared to be a sunflower in a vase. Then Moses showed me how he had found it just as it was starting to open its petals. It appeared to be winking, which delighted him (and me too):

There was a small bonfire down in the lower garden:

I noticed that the women at the party, young and old, seemed to be drawn to the flames like moths. I guess it was just the heat they were drawn to. Or, possibly, the gorgeous Momix dancers who were fanning the flames:

The rows of dead plants behind the dancers are part of the marigold garden that usually looks like the suns rays. This is how it looked last year:

But this year, it was hit by what Moses desribed as a “perfect storm” of doom – damp, cold and some sort of fungus, which killed the light of the rays, but not Moses’ determination. He has a plan to combat the fungus blight with … well, I better not say, lest the local fire marshall happens upon my blog.
Here’s Cynthia, the hostess, looking like a sunny flower herself:

And another flowery friend:

The guests all gathered on the porch and the stairs to watch the Momix dancers perform:

And the show began:



I was afraid the flash from my camera was bothering those around me so I stopped taking photos. Maybe Moses will send me some. I somehow didn’t get a photo of Moses, but here’s one I took on another visit:

Well, it was a great night and for a great cause. The Susan B. Anthony house provides shelter and support for battered women, and their director, last evening told me that Moses and Cynthia have been longtime supporters of their wonderful program. Send Susan B. Anthony a donation, if you feel so inclined, or send a donation to a program for victims of domestic violence near you.