VIVIAN

We were having a "folding party" at our house--a group get-together to fold, address, and stamp flyers--to mail for one of our political events. As I was walking to the door with one participant, my friend Vivian had already gone out the door and I saw her on the street, in an animated conversation with a neighbor of ours who was sitting on his golf cart.

Their conversation was lengthy and I saw Vivian wagging her finger at him on occasion. My other friend and I wondered what the conversation was about, but did not want to intrude. After Vivian left, my curiosity got the better of me (OK, I'm just nosy, but how I love euphemisms!) and I called her later to ask what the "tete-a-tete" was all about.

Vivian laughed and said, "He asked me why we didn't join the Country Club as he had heard we played golf and heard that my son was a good golfer." Knowing her feelings and my feelings about the history of the Club I asked, "WHAT did you say?"

She said, "I told him that they didn't want us in the 60's and that they didn't want us in the 70's and that they didn't want us in the 80's and that they didn't want us in the 90's, so why would I want to be a part of them NOW!"

I asked, "WHAT could he say?" She laughed and said, "He actually told me how cheap the memberships are now!" I asked what she had answered and she said, "I told him that where we played the only color that mattered was GREEN!" I screamed with delight, "Oh, Viv, you know how I love puns: green for money and green for golf!" Sometimes a person does have the perfect rejoinder! PERFECT rejoinder, Viv!