A Happy Birthday
A Happy Birthday
Well, I promised to share about my birthday and so here is the belated official account of my wonderful day. It began with a special breakfast of blueberry streusel muffins, complete with lit candles and an entire chorus singing “Happy birthday, to you.” It is always a delight to watch their faces, happy and loving and also very red with the effort to be the loudest.
Since I was exempt from all household chores I decided to spend my morning piecing patchwork. Like most seamstresses, we have an astonishing quantity of fabric, bits and pieces from past projects or bequeathed us by our grandmother. I finally made up my mind to cut and sew a scrap quilt. (Thank the Lord for rotary cutters and sewing machines!) I hope our fabric stores will diminish greatly. I am really beginning to feel the overabundance.
After several hours of working at the sewing machine. (It went very well though the bobbins gave me no little trouble at the start.) My sisters called me to the tree house for a delightful lunch of egg salad on toasted bagels with fresh-squeezed lemonade. We had a wonderful time up there at the top of the world, laughing, chatting, and eating.
Here is Biggest Brother, whom I had to bribe with the last of my lemonade before he would allow me to take his photograph.
This is Next Brother, the resident monkey.
Here is pretty Littlest Sister who was so sweet and serving all the day. (Thank you for patiently holding up the broken foot of my sewing machine each time I filled the bobbin!)
This is Brother #3. What can I say? He is our little ball of fire.
“Food glorious food! We’re anxious to try it!...
“...Three banquets a day...
“...Our favorite diet!”
A beautiful blue sky just for me!
I went inside after lunch to sew some more. The work was a bit tedious now, but I was encouraged to see how much I had already accomplished. I was also strengthened by lemonade and warm Italian lemon cookies fresh from the oven. (I love lemons, by the by!)
We were having lasagna for dinner per my request. As it came closer to dinnertime I began to clear of the dining room table which was covered with all manner of fabric, pins, and threads. I was packing up the last things in the closet when Erica came to say that everyone was seated at the table and awaiting my presence. “Wow,” I reflected as I went out, “they must have set the table very quickly.” Imagine my consternation when I came out and found the table empty. It was so quiet, in fact, that I wondered fleetingly if we were eating outside again. I called out for my sister and I heard giggles from the formal dining room. Papa called out and told me to come in. I was so surprised! The dining room table was beautifully appointed, complete with candles and fine china. About the table and room they had scattered my favorite things—books of course, and even a sprig of acacia.
Imagine, they had been decorating the formal dining room without my discovering it! Don’t I have a clever family?
After dinner I was surprised by a beautiful gift Papa has chosen for me: the loveliest bookmark.
After everyone had cleaned up we went out to the pool patio and had great fun dancing the Pat-a-cake Polka, the Virginia Reel, the Corner Reel, the Circassian Circle, and a fun session of impromptu dance. We also attempted the Quadrille with music (I love Die Fledermaus!), but we still need lots of practice. We learned the Syvspring, too—a Danish children’s dance depicting the career of a politician who couldn’t make up his mind. It ends with a somersault which, to say the least, was not overly successful. I am sorry that I have no photographs because we had the greatest time.
I was wonderfully tired when I finally climbed into bed to read and also to speak on the telephone with my grandfather and grandmother. It was a wholly lovely day.
(The next day a box arrived from Wild West Mercantile. Mama and Papa had bought me the long-desired denim split skirt!—which I am wearing now as I type. It is immensely comfortable and practical, especially for cycling.)
Photographs: Various. © Handmaidens of the Shepherd, September 2008.
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STEPHANIE said...
I’m glad you had such a lovely birthday! Your family is really thoughtful. Those were all nice ideas to celebrate your special day.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 06:23 PM
Tuesday, September 16, 2008