We always say it with balloons ... among other ways
Spring has arrived in the midlands of South Carolina (actually it's old hat by now; we've practically moved on to summer), and along with it our annual parade of family birthdays.
Erica has put a quote on the letter board which hangs in her living room: Never yet was a springtime when the buds forgot to bloom.
In January we had Crock Pot Baked Ziti for TG's birthday
It is attributed to Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, an American author who, as it happens, shared a recent birthday with our little Andrew.
In researching a few things about Margaret Sangster, I found another quote which I found so fitting:
Let every birthday be a festival, a time when the gladness of the house finds expression in flowers, in gifts, in a little fête. Never should a birthday be passed over without note, or as if it were a common day. Never should it cease to be a garlanded milestone in the road of life.
Along with it, we had Mari's Bruschetta recipe
Our first birthday of the year is always TG's, which takes place in late January. Yes! We had a party.
I made Crock Pot Baked Ziti (with penne pasta). With it we served one of Mari's Bruschetta recipes which was so amazing.
For dessert I made Nanny's Black Midnight Cake with Foolproof German Chocolate Frosting.
I made this cake from scratch
In late February each year we celebrate the aforementioned little Andrew ... not so little anymore, as he just turned eleven.
He was born on Two Twenty-Two Twenty-Twelve at Two Thirteen in the afternoon. You may recall that I begged the doctor to put down that he emerged at Two Twelve -- just liking the symmetry of that -- and she refused.
On February twenty-fourth, it was Andrew's turn for a party
Ever since then I think of her as Doctor Killjoy.
So then in early March -- the seventh, to be precise -- it's my turn. You just missed it.
On the twenty-second we celebrate Audrey's birthday, and a week later, on the twenty-ninth, our Andrew's.
Cousins: Allissa with Dagny and Rhett
We'll be headed to Asheville for a big family meetup on March twenty-fifth, to make the most of both of those at the same time.
But on this past February twenty-fourth, we all (minus Andrew and Brittany and Ember) met at the Cracker Barrel on the South Carolina/North Carolina line, for little Andrew's birthday bash.
Our Stephanie, his mother, was mildly frustrated because Andrew does not get excited or enthusiastic about the usual trappings of his birthday. As in, he doesn't really care about a theme the way the girls do.
He seemed pleased with his baseball cleats
He did specify a few things about his cupcake flavors, so she brought an assortment along.
We had a delicious meal and got all caught up on news -- the girls at one end of the table and the guys at the other, youngest children in the middle.
Generally after the meal is cleared by our server (alas Essie no longer works on Friday evenings but there was an equally wonderful server in her place), we light candles and sing and then watch as the birthday person opens their presents.
Second, third, fourth, and fifth grandchildren ... Melanie (first) not pictured
But this time, before we could do it that way, our server brought Andrew a piece of chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream beside it, and started the strains of Happy Birthday for us.
We were all so surprised and delighted, and Andrew seemed truly pleased with the attention.
Not to mention the cake and ice cream.
Melly keeps to herself ... I always bring her a cookies 'n' creme chocolate bar
But then the party sort of fizzled and people began wandering away from the table to pay their bill and look around in the general store. He had not opened his gifts yet.
So as it was a nice night weather-wise, we opted to go outside for the presents. Andrew sat in a rocking chair and seemed to enjoy opening each gift.
Before we know it each year, it's March again
Cherica gave him batting gloves and a new baseball. TG and I gave him baseball cleats.
He plays in a youth league each summer.
Then as usual, we talked and talked and talked and were reluctant to leave, but eventually we did.
Erica put this charming quote on her letterboard
It had begun to rain by that time, and had turned substantially cooler. It took us ninety minutes to get home, and by then it was eleven o'clock and pouring rain.
Audrey and Dagny had ridden with us and I convinced them to stay the night rather than drive the fifteen minutes to their house in the rain, tired as they were.
My friend Marsha came by to see me after work
I was surprised when they accepted, and soon everyone was tucked up in bed preparing for a cozy night of sleep.
The next morning -- Saturday -- we had coffee and breakfast together and laughed ourselves silly at old episodes of The Addams Family on YouTube, before they left to continue their day.
As is also usual at the end of February, I begin thinking about what I want to do for my own birthday.
Rhett was more excited for my birthday party than he looks
Last year we were in Oklahoma the first week in March, to see Andrew graduate from pilot training.
This year, since we just took a trip a few weeks ago, we had no long trip planned.
But as last weekend loomed, I cooked up a plan to take a weekend day trip.
Once more it has rolled around
I asked everyone if they were in, and they all agreed that they most definitely were.
Our destination was Walterboro, South Carolina -- site of Colleton County Courthouse, where the trial of Alex Murdaugh had just concluded with his conviction of double murder.
Audrey had brought a tiny birthday cake
I won't go into this any further right now because I want to tell you about it in my next post, but I will say that we were all fairly obsessed with the trial.
I'll also divulge that our trip was a disappointment, but that'll have to do you for now.
And then it was my birthday -- this past Tuesday.
We had Erica's excellent white chicken chili
The girls wondered whether I wanted to go out to eat, or have a party at home.
I said I'd like for us to gather at Erica's house, and for her to make her famous White Chicken Chili.
(I don't know that that's the exact recipe she follows, but it sounds exactly as she described it to me, as the way she makes it.)
I brought homemade no-knead peasant bread
That way, baby Rhett would be at home when it was his bedtime, making it a little easier on Erica.
She was more than happy to do that, and I offered to bring fresh-baked bread and corn muffins. Audrey said she would contribute the cake.
And I made these corn muffins from Jiffy Mix ... with buttermilk and an extra egg
It was hot that day -- like summer. In fact I wore a summer dress and went shopping. We are getting ready to remodel our last of three bathrooms, and I was hunting for new towels.
I found them at TJ Maxx and also scored a few items at Hobby Lobby.
I wanted a big cookie so the guys went and got us one
Before we left for Cherica's house, my friend Marsha dropped by after work and brought me some balloons and several thoughtful gifts.
(I don't know what I did to deserve my wonderful true friends. You know who you are.)
At Erica's the crock pot was humming with the White Chicken Chili and it smelled so good, and everything had been prepared for a birthday party.
Dagny wanted to pose with me on my birthday
The meal was delicious. It was not technically soup weather but it didn't matter. The bread and rolls were perfect with it, and everyone was satisfied.
The cake was tiny because we don't like to have leftovers, but I wanted a big cookie with frosting so TG and Chad buzzed around the corner to the Food Lion and got me one.
I got so much cool stuff ... including a Queen Elizabeth pillow
Then I opened my gifts and was a trifle overwhelmed with everyone's generosity. It was a good birthday.
The next day, I made TG a vanilla pound cake using this recipe and the Nordic Ware Wildflowers cake pan he bought me as one of my birthday gifts. He was most appreciative.
Now the cooler, more normal weather has settled in and although everything is blooming -- including the dogwoods and wisteria and azaleas -- it's a tad bit chilly. I like it, for as long as it lasts.
Dagny gave me a card with this sentiment written on the envelope
Which -- as the dog said as he sat with his tail on the railroad track -- won't be long now.
After the March birthdays we have Allissa turning fifteen on Tax Day in April -- her golden birthday.
TG gave me a Nordic Ware Wildflowers loaf pan ... so I made him a pound cake
At the beginning of May we celebrate Joel's birthday, and at the end of May, it's Erica's turn.
In June we have Dagny and Chad. In July, baby Rhett will turn two. In late August, Andrew and Brittany are expecting a son.
Erica's front door, garlanded for the season
And on and on and on it goes. And as long as I am on the green side of grass, we will observe each such occasion with the appropriate amount of fuss. We will garland every milestone. We will let every birthday be a festival, never to passed over without note.
And that is all for now.
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Happy Friday :: Happy Weekend
