THERE was Saludos paella, Champagne on ice and cake fit for a 70th birthday celebration.
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Yet all of the guests stayed home.
In a sign of the times, this social distance yard party in Albury on Wednesday played by the new rules in line with COVID-19 public health orders.
West Albury grandmother Heather McVean marked her birthday milestone under clear skies at lunchtime with her neighbours across the road; two couples she counted as her dear friends.
Mrs McVean said everyone's best-laid plans had changed as coronavirus hit home but the world kept turning.
"I would have gone to Melbourne and stayed in a nice hotel and gone out to dinner with my family," she said.
"I'd usually go somewhere nice with my neighbours too like Jones Winery Restaurant.
"We'd been to Saludos before for their tapas and I knew they did paella, which they were able to deliver to me at home.
"So we were still able to push on."
IN OTHER CORONAVIRUS NEWS:
Mrs McVean's spoodle Teddy was even groomed for the party while his owner was staying put.
"He's off being groomed for my birthday!" she said during a phone interview on Tuesday.
Having lost her husband to cancer three years ago, Mrs McVean's three children and three grandchildren live in Melbourne.
"We're not able to visit at the moment," Mrs McVean said.
"I do FaceTime nearly every day with the children and grandchildren.
"I've got a one-year-old granddaughter who is really enjoying it; I love seeing her grow and crawling around everywhere.
"Thank goodness, we have these modern ways to stay in touch."
A retiree, Mrs McVean worked at Albury Wodonga Private Hospital for 30 years until three years ago.
She wasn't tempted to return to the workforce.
"I was a theatre nurse and I'm not qualified to work in the wards," she said.
She said she was blessed to live in Florence Crescent.
"We've got a great neighbourhood here," she said.
"We're social distancing but we're still socially-drinking," she quipped.
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