Saturday night at my birthday dinner, Meagan and I were telling Sarah how wonderful it is that the man she married is so great with children. I mean, look at these photos! These boys adore their Uncle Gage!
Steve found matching decor for dinner and it was half price, which made me happy.
Gage made one of his usual wonderful cards, using an old camera of Ken’s for a model. (He and Sarah inheirted the camera.)
It was wonderful to be surrounded by all the family to celebrate. We never take for granted the blessing of living close to our kids and grands.
As we were getting ready to serve the dessert that Sarah made for me (my favorite chocolate eclair torte), I was looking for a serving utensil. I grabbed this ancient workhorse that Vernie has used for as long as I have known her. It is the perfect small size, and the flat edge is ideal for many kinds of desserts.
Meagan has told me more than once how much she loves that utensil (its usefulness, along with its connection to Vernie), and I’ve promised she could have it once I was done with the cooking chapter of life.
A few weeks ago, I got to thinking, “Well, if Meagan likes the spatula that much, I should try to find a similar one for her that she can enjoy without having to wait so long. I knew it was an old piece and I wasn’t going to find a new one, so I looked at several used sites and finally found a close match on eBay. I was so excited to have tracked one down and placed the order with great anticipation.
Until the day it actually arrived, that is. Then my excitement sputtered right on down to whatever the opposte of excitement is.
Turns out, I am not super good at eyeballing dimensions, nor is paying attention to measurements one of my superpowers.
This is the spatula that showed up in the mail.
I got it pretty close, right?
When I told Meagan after dinner what I had tried to do and what I had actually ended up with, she just howled with laughter. Looks like she’s going to have to wait a few years for a small white spatula of her own.
Another topic of the evening was the Daddy Daughter Dance that is coming up this weekend. Madi and Meagan went out shopping and found a dress Madi loved. It’s so funny that Madi does not want Nathan even to know the color of the dress; it is very hush-hush, top secret, high level information and Nathan does not have security clearance. After dinner on Saturday, Madi and Meagan went back to our room with Steve and looked through his collection of ties to find one that would coordinate well with the dress. Nathan was, of course, barred from the area.
Madi is so excited about the upcoming event, talking to me about how she will be doing her hair and what jewelry she would be wearing. It’s such a big deal.
After they left, Steve and I discussed that Nathan is helping to model for Madi what she should look for in a date and eventual husband. He is showing her that she is a treasure and should be treated as such.
Maybe part of that is because he saw his sister being treated the same way by Steve. (Steve had just told a dad joke: hence the eye roll.)
The princess descends!
Hard to believe that these two (incredibly young and clueless) people have turned into ten people–a family gathered at a long dinner table, enjoying each other’s company, celebrating a birthday, and looking ahead to many more together times to come.
How about you?
Do you have a kitchen utensil you truly treasure? What is its story?
Do you remember any special dances/occasions as a child or teen?
What is your favorite birthday dessert?
What is your weather like today? I know there’s a lot of weather news across the country, right now.
My grandmother had a cheese slicer that was purchased at Hickory Farms in the local mall in the 1970’s. We discovered that its was even better for peeling vegetables. My chosen sister (best friend) lived in my grandmother’s condo for a short in the mid-1980’s after my grandmother passed. Many years later I discovered the cheese slicer in her kitchen drawer. I told her I was taking it back and she begged me not to. About 10 years later my father found out she had his mother’s cheese slicer and thought it was hilarious. I’m at her house right now and that cheese slicer is still in her kitchen.
Lea,
How interesting to use a cheese slicer as a vegetable peeler. Since I hate most vegetable peelers, I will have to try that!
Sounds like your family’s cheese slicer is well-loved by everyone–fifty years’ worth. Love it!
Ahhh I love this post! I love that your family has so much fun together! 💜
I still have my Granddaddy’s 2 pots. I don’t use them a ton but I can’t get rid of them.
I also have my MIL’s amazing sewing machine that is around the same age as me. Maybe a smidge younger. She used to make all her family’s clothes, blankets, curtains, everything! She is the one we all go to for seamstress things. I can do simple sewing things. I still cannot believe she gave me her expensive Bernina and ended up buying herself a new cheapo machine to use. She must love me or something! 🥰
Lizz,
I am amazed that your MIL knows how to make clothes, blankets, and curtains! I can barely sew on a button and am in awe of people who are great at sewing. And it’s also lovely that you have such a sweet relationship with your MIL.
Oh I love the picture of Sarah coming down the stairs for her date with Steve. I remember that post!
I still use my mom’s aluminum measuring spoons. The teaspoon has broken off but I still use the rest of them. Gosh, they have to be from the 1950’s I would guess!
My favorite birthday dessert would have to be strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. Mom always made homemade shortcakes and they were out of this world! I can’t eat them anymore but I still remember what they taste like!
We’ve been having extremely up and down weather. Very hot last Friday and Saturday. Almost 100 degrees. Red flag warnings for wildfires. It is so, so dry here. We are in a drought. And windy on Sunday and cold. It seems like Mother Nature just can’t make up her mind quite yet! 🙂
LeeAnne,
How special to have your mom’s measuring spoons–over 70 years old! Love hearing about that.
I’ve never made homemade shortcakes but I can imagine how good they would be with fresh strawberries and real cream. Isn’t it interesting how we are all drawn to different favorite desserts.
Whew. Almost a 100 degrees? We were 85 yesterday and I thought that was hot. March is definitely not a month you can figure out, weather-wise. Crazy!
Hmm, birthday sweet, probably chocolate cake or something with cream cheese. This will probably be controversial, but I was not born into a Christian home, my dad was a country singer, sang on the radio in Fargo, ND, would go into bars and mom would go along and sing and dance. When my parents gave their lives to the Lord, no more bars and no more dancing. So, I would probably have 2 left feet.
Our weather today is quite opposite of last Sat. and Sunday. All total we got about 13 inches of snow (no church). Today the temp was in the middle 40’s and Sat. it will be almost 70. Our patio and patio table are now free of all the snow.
Those pictures of Gage and the kids are so precious. Think he is a kid at heart!! And the picture of Steve and Sara – priceless!
Sharyn,
Cream cheese bars using crescent rolls are marvelous. If you’ve never had them, look up the recipe and give them at ry!
I definitely have two left feet, as well. It fact, it is hilarious to even watch me even attempt to dance just around the house. I am always good for a laugh!
I love those photos of Gage, as well. The grands absolutely adored him. Like you said, “He is a kid at heart!”
No special kitchen utensils I can think of…In junior high we had a dance in the gym at school, but I can’t remember the occasion and there weren’t really any decorations and we didn’t really dress up. Our homecoming dances were at the school after the football game so no real dressing up there either. Prom was also at the school and while I didn’t go either year, they did dress up for that. Our community now does daddy/daughter and mother/son dances and I love seeing all the pictures (but they didn’t start having them until our children were grown)….I don’t have a favorite birthday dessert, but growing up my Grandma always made the world’s best fried oyesters for me…We had a couple of nights below freezing at the beginning of the week and by Friday we are supposed to be near 90… I’m glad you had a nice birthday dinner…I hope you’re having a wonderful week.
SueEllen,
I’ve never had a fried oyster. So nice your grandma knew one of your favorite foods and made it for you. I did have one steamed oyster once and that was enough oyster for me for a lifetime!
Isn’t it crazy how the weather can go from so cold to so hot in just a matter of days? More than ready for spring!
Yes, the pictures from dances are fun to look at; those are (usually) happy memories!
Fried oysters are totally different than steams…the texture and taste are so much better when properly fried. I like broiled oysters, but not nearly as much a fried; and I don’t think I could ever try a raw one.
SueEllen,
I’ll have to give a fried one a try!
Becky nothing makes me happier he being surrounded by all my family. Like you 2 young clueless people have now turned into 12 precious priceless people which now includes 2 beautiful great granddaughters that are 2 and 9 months. I am not fortunate enough to have a dining room table where we can all sit together so we are spread out in my living room on the furniture and in the floor. I am surrounded by my most precious gifts from God, the most precious one being the husband I am blessed to call mine.
We didn’t have daddy daughter dances but my daddy did plumbing jobs in the evenings after he left his day job at the plant where he worked and took me with him a lot. Does that count 😀😀. I knew how I was supposed to be treated daddy made sure of that. When my husband asked me to marry him I told him i couldn’t say yes until he asked my Daddy My Daddy found out he wanted to talk to him and it took my husband three weeks to get him to be still long enough to ask him. My daugter made her husband ask her Dad. A tradition followed.
I haven’t ever heard of a contra dance but you can be sure I am going to google it. My experience is sock hops at my high school
Thanks for sharing about your birthday my favorite birthday dessert is a from scratch chocolate cake with no icing. I cut a corner, spread butter on it and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. My precious mother in law made that for me every birthday. Since she has gone to heaven my sweet daughter in law AKA my bonus daughter has perfected it.
Have a good week and hopefully spring is coming soon to East Tennessee and To you In Charlotte.
Gail,
What great memories you must have made accompanying your dad on plumbing trips. I imagine you might have even picked up a thing or two, watching him work! I love his mindset. Instead of saying, “I work so much, I don’t have time for my daughter,” he made a creative way to combine family and work and you still think back on it all these decades later. Kudos to him!
I think it’s funny it took three weeks for the Big Conversation to take place. The important thing is that it did!
A cake with no icing is beyond my comprehension. 🙂 I love some good icing! Also, now that you mention it, I seem to remember my mom spreading butter on cake. If I’m wrong, maybe one of my sisters will correct me. I am in wholehearted agreement with heating cake up first. Yum.
Uncles are very special and I treasure my memories of my uncles.
My mom had a flour scoop that my brother made in school. It was tin and had a flat edge that was perfect for leveling off cups. My parents started giving family items as Christmas and birthday gifts. The year she gave my brother the flour scoop I moaned, “how will I bake now?”. My next birthday my brother gave it to me, which my mom didn’t think he should have. I still use it and don’t imagine baking without it.
I never went to a dance as a child or teen. Learned Contra dancing later in life and that was fun.
My favorite birthday dessert is Chocolate Cherry Cake. Super easy to make and the fudge frosting is soooo good.
Our weather is very very windy today with snow predicted. Spring snow never lasts though.
Patti,
How nice of your brother to give you the special flour scoop he made. I love that you’re still using it! Every time you pick it up, you can probably feel all the memories associated with it.
I’d never heard of Contra dancing, so I had to go look it up. It looks like a lot of fun!
Glad your snow is not going to last; I’m sure you guys are ready for a “for real” spring! It was 30 here this morning but it is supposed to be in the 80s on Sunday. We’re making progess!