I share a birthday with Marie Antoinette – November 2 – and in my younger years I took this to mean I was destined for cake and royalty, only to eventually learn that it just might mean the chopping block. Early November always puts my birthday somewhere between Halloween and Election Day, and never more so than this year, when the weekend began with candy and ended with cocktails, politicians and blintzes.
Friday, 4:30 pm: In a blinding show of supermarket strength, I improbably stick to my own advice – “never buy candy you like.”
I hate Milk Duds.
Friday, 4:45 pm: making pom-poms for Josie’s “Undead Zombie Cheerleader.” First, be sure to make a frantic, yelling stop at the grocery store about two hours before said costume is necessary.
At the store, pick up one black plastic tablecloth for $1.26. At home, rip it in half (Death’s not neat), then roll up each half tightly and secure the top with rubber bands. Use a scissors to slash up each pom-pom below the rubber band, then tie with orange ribbon and pull out all the strips to “fluff” them out.
And you’re ready to go! The Undead Pep Squad never looked so good.
Saturday: baking for the annual Blintz Brunch & Bake Sale on Sunday.
But what’s this? Early birthday present! Greg & Josie thoughtfully give me a new camera, which allows me to taken even closer close-ups of coffee cake, cherry filling and wet dog noses.
Saturday evening: off with friends to see Waitiki, a live South-Seas retro cocktail music spectacular at Lawrence’s historic Liberty Hall, complete with tiki bar drinks and not one but two onstage gongs. Amazing.
A show that managed to somehow be both mellow and wild, and all broadcast live on NPR. I ordered a “Shrunken Skull” cocktail, and given the large amount of rum vs. the dangerously small size of my brain, one was enough. Rock on, forty-one year old.
Sunday morning: Josie waits tables at the Lawrence Jewish Community Center’s annual Blintz Brunch, an enormous community-wide event, a blintz-lover’s paradise and a politician’s hand-shaking dream. There were were plenty of them on hand, too – congressmen and state senators and school board members, all there to buy chocolate babkas, kiss a few babies and eat thousands of cheese blintzes. Greg and I took our traditional posts at the Bake Sale table.
Anything look familiar?
Monday morning: Bleary-eyed and full of sugar. Look, it’s like we shared the whole weekend – and if we had, you’d also have my cold, and be hacking your lungs out right now over hot tea and roses and birthday cards. I think what I’d really like is a gift-wrapped pot of chicken soup.
I leave you with the cool sounds of Waitiki – have a great week, don’t eat too much leftover candy and don’t forget to vote!
Evening update: Just look what Fedex brought from my dear pal Jean today, a veritable hodgepodge of gifty delight -
Now here’s a girl who knows me: stickers for the Anglophile, “M” cards for the paper freak and a vintage pear painting, for, you know, the pear-lover that I am. Nothing like a birthday that keeps on giving!
Very crafty pom-poms! Sounds like you had a great weekend, despite the cold. Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday! I do the same thing — buy Halloween candy I don’t like (for me, it’s Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups). They could sit here for a lifetime and I’d never touch them. Hershey Bars, on the other hand….
Candy that I DON’T like? There is no such thing. And thus begins the annual weight gain….
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a full, fun weekend – a whirlwind weekend.
I’m really enjoying the Carole Walter’s cookbook. If I can find the skill to whip up some tasty recipes, I’ll be sure to post at The Greasy Skillet.
take care,
mike
Happy Birthday!
I didn’t know about that Waitiki going on! That would have totally been my thing. But driving back to KC after drinking tiki drinks probably wouldn’t have been the best thing anyway.
Happy birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Cleo! Awesome, I needed a new pic for the wallpaper on my puter.
Josie’s costume is hysterical. Love it!
Sorry to hear about your cold, feel better…and of course…
Happy Birthday!!
Hope you had a great Birthday…What a fun and busy weekend.
I have been trying for years it seems to get a good nose picture of puppy at that angle. He moves his head always right before the shutter clicks.
happy birthday, sounds like you were very busy having fun! those pompoms looked awesome, and the plastic must have made a good swishy sound too. the rain really came down on halloween so we had a meager 10 kids show up for candy, we were trying to dump it all in at the end, but those meddling parents said no!
Happy Belated Birthday!
Happy birthday! I hope you feel better soon. You know my patented cold cure: flannel jammies, bedrest, some sort of animal at your feet to keep them warm and alternating hot tea/chilled wine.
Happy Birthday Marilyn! We are only one year and two days apart. I knew there was a link!
fun, fun, fun! happy belated birthday, marilyn!
Happy Birthday! I actually saw Josie at the coffee shop – definitely the cutest dead cheerleader I’ve ever seen! I also saw Waitiki and was similarly impressed by the alcohol ratio (and I’m 25 so it’s not just you)! Did you see the part when the flautist dressed up like a sumo wrestler? That was very funny but it might have been in the third set and most of the audience had left by then.
Hope you enjoyed your birthday and wild weekend. With any luck you’ll have another exciting birthday gift/news on Wednesday morning…
Happy happy late birthday!! (Sorry I didn’t read the blog for the last few days or I would’ve been reminded and congratulated you in time)It looked like fun, though less so when you’re sick – hope that cold is now making a fast retreat. And a marvelous birthday present on Tuesday!!
Your anniversary is this week too, right?