A much anticipated reunion of friends from our old neighborhood sent me to the closet to pick an appropriate tablecloth and kick start a summer setting. I pulled out quite a pile of cloth without feeling inspired when suddenly a filmy rayon scarf printed with little birds fell into my hands. I remembered the last time I went with these same friends to visit a local botanical garden (something we used to do very regularly) and in the gift shop found this simple summer scarf. I liked the color combination and the calligraphic drawings of the little birds and so I bought it as my sole souvenir of our trip. I think it cost twenty dollars. It came home and disappeared into my pile, never to be seen until now. Holding it reminded me so strongly of good times past that I decided it would be the design dictator for the table. Orange, olive green, black and cream....the undercloth was obvious, and so were the cream colored napkins, although I have matching green ones as well. Ditto my favorite green glasses from the sixties and the motley green votive holders for the centerpiece. The terra cotta dishes are rarely used, but were by far the most compatible in my dish collection. Flowers were a puzzle. I actually have some osteospermum (African daisies) that come very close to the dullish yellow and red-brown colors in the scarf, but it turned out that the more vibrant true yellow and orange nasturtiums sparked much more life on the table. I am always drawn to the viney swoops and round foliage of nasturtium stems. They introduce an exuberant note that is perfect for a summer gathering of fairly exuberant friends. Our number was increased by the last minute appearance of my brother and his partner, who fit in perfectly and helped create a memorable evening. Viva la summer!