B-day cake, get well card

Current COVID related deaths: 626,713

COVID deaths 2 days ago: 626,179

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! First on the agenda was getting my birthday cake into the oven while Michael was out walking with Cookie. Thank goodness my friend Linda M gave me a half gallon of buttermilk awhile ago….I always forget that this cake takes buttermilk and I had just enough left :~).

When Michael came home, he gave me my gift:

and helped me to get the cakes OUT of the oven:

The smell was INCREDIBLE!!! By then it was after 10 AM and I headed downstairs to get my blog out and finish up my emails.

I started basting the newest customer quilt and was finally done by 1 PM:

I headed upstairs after that to work on the frosting for my birthday cake…I finally settled on Italian Buttercream….something that I first made during the BAKING WITH INEZ 2019 TOUR! This buttercream tastes AWESOME, but there is not early enough to frost a 9’’ layer cake. Michael and I both like a lot of frosting, and I had hoped there would be enough for a bit of piping work….but no such luck (I did however get to add in my layer of raspberry jam):

Paula came down (with a cute new haircut):

to wish me a happy birthday and we discussed ways to expand the amount of frosting for next time.

I also had another visitor in the afternoon. A woman posted on FB that she was looking for plants for her new house, so I wrote back to tell her I had gladiola bulbs and sage, lavendar and oxalis plants she could have. She came by to dig them up, bringing her 1 month old daughter along:

I spent some wonderful time, rocking on the glider on the front porch, holding and eventually feeding her....she was a gem!

A friend had asked Michael if they could get in 9 holes late in the afternoon, and Friday turned out to be the best day, so we decided we would celebrate my birthday on Saturday. He left at 5 and I settled in with my legs up, and a drink and new library book in hand….heaven! We both read a bit after he got home from golf, just after 7 PM.

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I should NEVER pick up new library books when I have 3 full days with nothing scheduled and I plan to get lots done!!! So what did I do on Saturday (7/24)? After Michael left for golf, I settled in and read and read and read!!!! Yes, I felt guilty a time or 2, but decided TOO BAD…..and I continued reading….it was wonderful! My honey came home in the afternoon with an 85 and was basically happy with that, and we had champagne and puffy things for dinner. Our movie pick for Saturday night was pre-ordained after Michael came back from walking the dog on Friday and turned up his IPOD which was playing A KISS AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW…so it was A MIGHTY WIND for the win…I LOVE that movie. We managed to watch all of the special features as well before heading to bed.

PS - a friend of mine had surgery last week and I asked Michael to draw a 'get well' card for her....as usual it was wonderful:

*** Me in 2019: If only I had a solid week with nothing to do and nowhere to go, I could get this house cleaned and organized.

Me Now: Nope, that wasn't the problem.... ***