Birthday celebrations

Tags

birthday, celebration, Olive Garden 1630, Sicilian cheesecake

I have a friend who annually celebrates his wife her entire birth month, with special presents and little goodies daily.  His kids don’t really understand the emphasis on daily gifts, but she does — and that’s the important part.

This was Day #2 of my own month of birthdays; Georgia had to work yesterday, so I decided to wait until tonight to celebrate my big day.  However, some of my friends had other plans.

We had our usual wonderful Bible study group this morning, and I ordered my favorite breakfast:  raisin toast with apricot jam.  One little corner of my brain was wondering why it was taking so long, but it didn’t really register.  Then our server arrived with a huge cinnamon roll covered in cream cheese icing and sporting a lit candle.  Everyone sang “Happy Birthday”, and I managed to bravely eat half of the roll before giving up.

I had picked up a day shift at Olive Garden, so after I finished work and Georgia colored my hair (I can’t avoid being 66, but I most definitely don’t have to have grey roots), we went back to Olive Garden for dinner.  Our favorite servers kept dropping by with birthday wishes for me as we ate, and then I followed my own usual recommendation to guests and ordered the Sicilian cheesecake.  Of course, it also arrived complete with lit candle, escorted by a phalanx of enthusiastic servers.  After a second “Happy Birthday” serenade, we passed my cheesecake around the table and everyone shared bites.  It was truly a lovely dinner.

All that really shows is my big grin, but there is a slice of Sicilian cheesecake on the plate in front of me.

I hope next week Vickie Baldini Mendez and I will be able to continue our shared birthday tradition and have dinner together…continuing the celebration even more.

Lily

Tags

birthday, granddaughters, grandmothers, Lily

We had a wonderful day today, celebrating Lily on her ninth birthday.  We are so proud of this bright and compassionate girl who is rapidly becoming a young lady.  I have said this before and will say it again, “They told me being a grandmother would be wonderful, but I had no idea what that really meant until Lily was born.”

Lily with Great Grammy Pender

My favorite picture ever…Grammy, Lily, and Great Grammy at Pismo Beach.

Lily

Lily and her birthday dolcini at Olive Garden

Tea and company

Tags

birthday, cupcakes, friends, party girls, tea parties

Well, the birthday party was a roaring success, even though the reality was not what the fertile imagination of the party planner had envisioned.  Nine little girls joined the two honorees, and one mother so sweetly stayed and helped with moral support, smiles, and clean-up.  Blessings on you, Keena!

For awhile it seemed that everything that could go wrong did — from the 18 hard-boiled eggs (destined to be deviled) that were left in the sink all night long, and had to be thrown away, to the carefully-crafted ring of flowers that refused to be hung from the ceiling.  But the girls were oblivious to all that.  They loved walking around the table and choosing their very own teacup and saucer (and taking it home afterward).  They all dressed up, even though the thermometer was flirting with 100 degrees and we only had a small fan to help the ceiling fan keep the air moving.

They ate a zillion small peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches (with the crusts cut off), all sorts of tea cookies, crackers, strawberries, blueberries, grapes…and tea, of course.  They loved dropping sugar cubes into their cups and watching the sugar dissolve in the hot tea.  They played a rousing game of musical chairs, and after going outside for a time, everyone gulped down glasses of pink lemonade.  Then there were the cupcakes!

These beautiful (and tasty) cupcakes were made by our OG co-worker and friend, Danae.

Instead of a cake, we had exquisite cupcakes in flower-petal wrappers, that were as delicious as they were lovely.  When it was time to sing “Happy Birthday”, Lily and Olivia each had a cupcake with a candle to blow out.

The ceiling fan kept blowing out the candles, but we persevered until the girls could do it themselves.

I’m voting for a trip to the ice rink next year, or a bowling alley, or somewhere else where it is nice and cool.  (Two years ago it was 107 during their party at Plaza Park.)  They had a marvelous day, though, and it was delightful to watch them have such fun with their friends.

All the lovely young ladies in their tea party best.

Gratitude

Tags

birthday, celebration, friends, gratitude

Once again I am grateful for the generosity of friends. (I started to say “church friends”, but realized they are friends in all areas of my life these days.) Today the first little guy born into our congregation (to the first couple married by our priest) celebrated his first birthday. This grand occasion occurred during coffee hour after the service, and was our chance to acknowledge that the adorable tiny baby has become a small person who babbles and plays and makes us all smile. My granddaughters have been looking forward to it for weeks.

Unfortunately, I was scheduled to work this morning, as was my daughter and my husband-who-lives-across-town. But here is where the gratitude steps in. As I was contemplating disappointing the girls because I couldn’t take them to church and they would miss the party, dear friends volunteered to play “substitute grandparents” for the day. So I was able to take them to church and leave early to get to work, content knowing that they would be able to celebrate with our young friend and his family, and then be safely returned home.

Thank you, Sharon and Walter…your friendship is a blessing to us all.

August 13

Tags

back to school eve, birthday, Granddad, jitters

This has been a busy day. First of all, it is “Back to School Eve” for my oldest granddaughter, who starts third grade in the morning and is only a bit jittery. Our lovely, lazy summer has come to an end far too soon. We didn’t have as many adventures as I would have liked, but spent a lot of time simply hanging out together.

And it was my husband-who-lives-across-town’s birthday (he who is also known as Granddad and Dad). After a bit of cajoling yesterday we convinced him to come for dinner today. The whole family pitched in, with my son-in-law playing chef (spaghetti — yum!) and my granddaughters helping me make the German chocolate cake. They even had a quickie lesson in using my Close To My Heart MyAcrylix stamps and inks while creating a card for him.

I think he had an okay time…sometimes it is hard to tell…we even got a picture of him smiling!

And now the day is done. Sweet dreams.

Today

Tags

Bible study, birthday, Delightful Dolls

Today ran the gamut. Watching the little one wake up and discover all the 4th birthday decorations that appeared during the night. Bible study with good friends first thing. A trip to Fresno to present my lingerie program to the Delightful Dolls club, hanging out with Aunt Betty and Uncle Phil. Home to celebrate with said four year old, watching her joy in the new dollies that found their way into her heart. I’m done in.

To Lois (1984)

Tags

birthday, death, memories, mother-in-law

A year has passed, and more

Once again your birthday has come, but you are not here.

I long to phone you to say, “Happy day, Mom”.

But no phones ring ‘neath the grassy slope where you sleep.

I didn’t think it would be like this — you were his mother, not mine.

You didn’t even want to meet me.

But when you did, there was warmth and love.

Two kindred spirits linked by one man.

With your stories you gave me his childhood,

Your memories brought me his infant gurgles,

His adolescent struggles, teenage frustrations,

Special stories only a mother can tell.

Long before the wedding I became your daughter, eagerly filling the spot you had saved for her.

Memorizing your childhood as no son would,

Learning of your parents, your sister and brothers,

Not dreaming you would go before I knew them all.

Now this world you filled is empty;

Bereft of your love, your caring, I feel cheated.

If only we had spent more time, made more memories, shared more birthdays.

I miss you.