A significant birthday

 

Tulips is a lovely delicate pink shading,
a gift from friends that
brightens my desk

This was to be posted last night. Somehow, that didn't get done. So sorry.

No, it wasn’t my birthday. I will grow another year older soon enough. But yesterday was Jacob Burton’s sixteenth birthday. My bad that I didn’t get this posted last night, but I think he had a full and happy day. It began with that ritual for teenagers, the driving license test. Jacob passed with a score of ninety (parallel parking a suburban cost him a bit), but the way things work these days he has to wait until tomorrow for an appointment at the DPS to get his license. I’m not sure how the rest of his day went—I was home buried in my computer screen—but apparently, he and his parents went to lunch and then he “hung out” with some buddies.

But last night the four of us had dinner at Joe T.’s. Yes, it was hot, but pleasant enough on the patio with a slight breeze. Dinner was as always huge and a big heavy meal for hot weather. Joe T.’s was Jacob’s choice, and I am always glad to go sit on the patio. We sat right near the large fountain which if it didn’t actually cool us, was a source of cooling thoughts.

Then it was back to the cottage for cake and my presents—a check of course. For years I ranted that I did not want to give the grands money or gift cards—I wanted something they could hold in their hands and say, “My grandmother gave me this.” I have given up that battle and, gosh!, does it make Christmas easier with seven grands. But I did give Jacob two books. It’s a joke in the family that I always give books, and by some, like son-in-law Brandon, books are a welcome gift, even the old and unusual ones I find for him. Jacob is not a reader, never has been, but I gave him two books on golf, and he actually seemed interested. One was Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book of Golf, co-authored by the late Bud Shrake, which I understand is a classic that every serious golfer should have and read, and the other was a book on the business of golf. We had that wonderful chocolate mousse cake from Central Market, but I was the only one who ate any. And I’ll eat it again tonight!

Tonight Mary came for happy hour, and I actually put out food—hummus, carrots, snap peas, and crackers. That’s mostly because my friends who were here for the Van Cliburn Competition stayed in an Air BnB and brought me their leftovers which included hummus and a ton of carrots. Leftover chicken queso casserole and a fresh green salad for supper—so good.

I am still finalizing details for the Juy 5^th launch of Finding Florence, and every day I think I will clear my desk and be able to get to the Helen Corbitt digital files that I now have and the start I have on a manuscript. A stack of Helen Corbitt cookbooks stares at me from my coffee table—I haven’t gotten to straightening up the bookcase so that I can fit them in where I can conveniently get to them as I write, but I figure the cookbook section is a ways off. I think once I can focus on that project, it will go easily (am I feeling myself?) and will be lots of fun (I know that will be true).

I admit that politics distracts me these days. With regret, I missed today’s January 6 Committee hearing, though I hear it was pretty damning for trump. A doctor’s appointment kept me from it, but tonight I’ll internet prowl and see what I can find about it. It’s scary times we live in with extremists ready to threaten citizens and take up arms for their cause. But I have a great deal of faith that democracy will triumph. I just hope it’s in my lifespan.

So, goodnight, sweet dreams, keep up with the news, and pray for our country.