Birthday Party

"Happy birthday, dear Irving." The sounds of singing--some recognizably good voices mingling with a few that couldn't carry the tune but were full of genuine enthusiasm anyway--rose to the high, white painted beams in the huge living room of Ginny and Henry Mancini's home. Berlin, the 97-year-old Irving in the birthday wishes, was at home in New York.

The Woman's Building, founded on the anger and righteousness of 1970s feminists, today celebrates its 15th anniversary with an open house, a birthday party and a display of pure, delicious playfulness. "Birthday cakes," made by artists in myriad non-edible media, are on exhibit at the woman's art and culture center.

It's Mother's Day, which I hope means half the parents today are reading from the comfort of their unmade bed, with an appetizing side of burnt toast, lukewarm coffee and eggs over not so easy. I try and sometimes fail to remember that no matter what my children offer me today, it's the thought that counts. I use Mother's Day as sort of a personal "State of the Union" to reflect on our family life, congratulate myself for what's worked in our household, and to reevaluate things.

Fans of George S. McGovern held a celebration for his 75th birthday here recently, but two uninvited guests almost spoiled the party. Even in absentia, the memories of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon defined the nature of the gathering-cum-symposium almost as much as recollections of McGovern himself. Linking all three men was the prolonged national tragedy that still casts a dark spell over U.S. politics--the Vietnam War.

A manhunt for a gunman who allegedly killed five people at a birthday party hosted by his estranged girlfriend ended in Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, when the suspect apparently shot himself. The apparent suicide came after he dropped off his two young children, whom he had abducted from the shooting scene in Lake Havasu City in Arizona, according to authorities. One of the victims, identified as the mother of the children, had obtained a restraining order against the alleged gunman, Brian Diez, earlier this year, according to Sgt. Joe Harrold of the Lake Havasu City Police.

The parents of a 4-year-old boy who drowned last year in a swimming pool at the house of former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee sued the musician for wrongful death and negligence, it was announced Thursday. Daniel Karven-Veres, the son of actress Ursula Karven and television producer James Veres, died June 16 after being pulled from the swimming pool at Lee's Mulholland Highway home in Malibu. The child was attending a birthday party for Lee's son.

"This recipe is only 40 years old," Evelyn Berg writes. "A friend gave me the macaroons at a birthday party; I fell in love with them." CHOCOLATE MACAROONS 1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate pieces 1 (7-ounce) package shredded coconut 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar Melt chocolate pieces (in microwave or in top of double boiler over hot water). Mix in coconut, salt and vanilla. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

The Santa Ana Zoo will celebrate its 42nd birthday with a party complete with clowns, music and ice cream today, a spokeswoman said. Each visitor will receive a free ice cream and activities will include face painting, children's crafts and a scavenger hunt. Each child who brings a birthday card will receive a free party favor. The party, which is free with zoo admission, will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., spokeswoman Leslie Perovich said. The zoo, at 1801 E. Chestnut Ave.

A birthday party turned violent Saturday night as a teenager with a handgun shot two men celebrating a friend's 21st birthday at a house in Ventura, authorities said. The shootings occurred about 9:10 p.m. in the 3900 block of Dean Drive, said Ventura Police Sgt. Larry White. Two men suffered gunshot wounds to the chest. Both were taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center. One of the men was in very serious condition, White said. Authorities did not release the names of the victims.

A shooting that left one man dead and five other people injured during a birthday party at the Masonic Temple in West Los Angeles last weekend was part of an ongoing feud between rival gangs, police said Monday. About 11 p.m.