Happy Birthday, Mom!

June 27, 2016 - Monday

61 degrees/cloudy/light rain/breezy

Pentoga Road

We had a good celebration for Mom on Sunday.

 We talked, ate, took a ride, ate some more, sang, laughed, and had a good time. 

It was a wonderful day.

Sargie and I made Mom's cake first thing. It went well until we had to find a bottle on which to balance the angel food pan upside down until it cooled. Since neither of us drink, we had no beer bottle. Most soda only comes in plastic bottles anymore. 

I remembered an empty wine bottle that was in the rafters in the garage, something the previous owners left. The lip was too big.

Sargie began searching the basement shelves for the right-sized bottle and came up with one containing red cooking wine, another left over from the previous owners. I emptied the contents and used the bottle. It was later washed and will be saved for future angel food cakes.

No 89th birthday would be complete without a ride to town, first for fried chicken, then to purchase a Coke for the road. We later enjoyed an afternoon cruise around the countryside.

Someone has a lot of fun naming and dressing this dummy each season. This one's name is, appropriately, Midsummer Sam. He's alongside one of the rural roads heading to a lake just north of here.

The highpoint of our ride was spotting a mama bear and her two cubs just feet from the car. 

Mama and one one cub took off into the woods, but this little guy climbed a tree next to the car. Sargie took some wonderful photos.

It wasn't long before he shimmied back down the tree, dropped to the ground, and was off to join the rest of his family.

Once home, we ate chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and of course, sang Happy Birthday and presented Mom with her cake. 

She wanted a plain angel food cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries. 

She got her wish.

After supper, at Mom's request, I brought the slide projector up from the basement along with many of our old family slides from long ago. We were just ready to begin when the light bulb exploded in the projector. There was nothing to do but put everything away. I immediately ordered three new ones from eBay and we're hoping they arrive before Mom heads home a week from Tuesday.

The evening was pleasant and cool and I decided to get a head start on this morning's chore of picking strawberries. In the end, I picked the patch clean of ripe ones. 

Mom has, once again, volunteered to wash and stem them. I didn't hesitate to take her up on her offer!

Sunday was picture day from the sons and we received many, all of which were shared with Mom. Most will be printed off and hung on her refrigerator.

Matt and Emerson

Emerson and baby brother, Bennet

Cody

Ellie

Ivy, in her pink Packer's jersey

Little Lukie with a nice bluegill caught from a kayak

Cowgirl Emerson

My oldest granddaughter, Abigail, giving my youngest, Ivy, a bath. Once again, Ivy has succeeded in making her Grandpa laugh.

Sargie's back to work today, but has Tuesday off and will be arriving home tonight with Grady. He'll be spending tonight and tomorrow with us.

I was hoping Mom would haul wood today, but I guess I'll have to be content with letting her merely stem and wash bowls and bowls of strawberries. Ah, it's hard to find good help anymore. I guess I'm going to have to go ahead and prepare for next winter all by myself.

Are we surprised? Heck no, because we all know that a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...