Belgium 1806: 21 francs Begonia (issued 4-15-2000)

21st Anniversary Cake on 21 years of 1st meeting

21-petalled Chamomile 9th Fibonacci number

Happy 21st Anniversary                                for Cathy "Happy 5th anniversary to us" she emailed me to celebrate our first meeting at Foothill Middlefield Lab on May 8, 2000— It was V-E Day, her Dad's birthday as well as Truman and Gary Snyder. Since then, I've kept up the tradition with May 8 postmarks and covers. Found a 21st anniversary cake, flower with 21 petals, 21 francs stamps from Belgium, and a poem from A.E. Housman— When I was one-and-twenty I heard a wise man say Give pearls away and rubies But not your heart away. She knew both my physical and spiritual mentors at Cornell— Harold Scheraga & Anthony Damiani. Wrote her a "Mango Mystery" poem. Just realized her email has a "5", mine has an "8" linking to May 8. I'll celebrate with her favorite writer, Taoist sage Lao Tzu— Verse 21 of Tao Te Ching: The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao that's what gives her radiance.     — Peter Y. Chou         Mountain View, 5-8-2021