Schechter's celebration

Well-known woman about town and former Observer columnist Molly Schechter celebrated her 80th birthday on April 27, surrounded by family and friends.

The party was Schechter's first big shindig since the pandemic, marking the beginning of a return to the social butterfly's stacked calendar. It was the first time she'd seen many of her friends in months and Schechter provided custom, bright green masks that said, "I masked up for Molly's 80th!"

A "mad, passionate gardener," in her own words, Schechter's birthday bash was naturally held at the Sarasota Garden Club, and guests' meals were stamped with the phrase, "Friends are flowers in the garden of life."