HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN >>>

Some people send out Evites, Facebook messages or launch a phone tree to orchestrate their own big birthday bash. Others, such as Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, simply hang out at a neighbor's house in socks. Ironic, since Di Nino has been responsible for some of the biggest bashes in this town.

To Di Nino's surprise, her friends would have other plans for her. Last night, the Tacoma arts community barged in on Di Nino at Sue Pivetta's house with food, gifts and hugs - especially the hugs as Di Nino just returned from Uganda where she and other Puget Sound artists taught members of the Batwa pygmy tribe to explore their creative minds in the midst of their terrible nomadic living conditions.

Sure enough, the partying included an impromptu geo-economic lecture by Di Nino on her experiences in Uganda.

"They (Batwa pygmy tribe) live in the current tense," she told her friends. "They have no tense for the future, and there is no way of even saying how to save for a rainy day."

Di Nino and the other artists taught the villages to express their culture in the art they create rather than simply make trinket baskets that are void of personality. The crew came up with necklace designs made from bottle caps, woven mats and paper mache puppets.

Di Nino is editing photos and organizing a show of the work the group created as a way to promote the cause. Stay tuned. Until then, happy birthday Lynn.