Birthday Weekending.

Friday was my birthday, and there's not a much better way to kick-off a weekend.

Except with a sunrise walk.

Followed by lunch out with Katie at one of my favorite places.

Snacks for dinner (and enough leftovers that we didn't cook Saturday either).

Knitting with a girlfriend and a Holiday Spice Flat White.

And a glorious Sunday morning run. 

Loved all the comments here and on Instagram, plus text messages, emails, and a huge stack of snail mail. Feeling truly blessed. Thank you!

and Happy Monday! (yikes, it's almost dark ... I hope the rest of this week doesn't fly by quite so quickly!)

Weekending.

I have two big stories to share from the weekend. First - we found fall!

at the park, Friday afternoon

Friday was a glorious fall day. Holly and I enjoyed an afternoon walk in the park, soaking up sunshine and marveling at the colors. Well, I did ... Holly chased after and barked at squirrels.

The main event, though, was Sam's first birthday party. He turned one on Wednesday (can you believe it's been a year already?!) and we celebrated with family and friends on Saturday afternoon. I had the privilege of baking the cakes (a roasted apple spice cake from Smitten Kitchen). The baking took much of Friday (and nearly all my pans) and I finished them Saturday morning. Happy to report - they turned out beautifully!

I made a two-layer 7x11 cake for the guests and a two-layer 5" round for the birthday boy. (I made the full cake recipe and there was also enough batter for a short loaf cake ... which I am still enjoying.)  It took Sam a few minutes to get the whole "smash cake" thing

but he did figure it out eventually

with a little help from his brother. Of all the photos I took, this one is my favorite.

But this one, from my sister, is my new lock screen photo.

selfie session photo bombed!

and here's the best of what Charlie captured when he pushed the camera button.

It was a good thing all that fun happened Saturday; we needed yesterday to rest!

I saw snow pop up in my Instagram feed yesterday. Yikes - it's still October! But not, I guess, for much longer. Still, here's to a wonderful FALL week!

Weekending.

Yes, we still have power! and before I quickly share a few of the highlights from the weekend, thank you for all your care and concern about my mom and others in Florida. I am happy to say that they are safe, but without power or cell service. Mother's land line does work ... at least until her handset dies. I haven't called yet; figure I should help save those phone batteries for something important. Please continue to send those good thoughts. and for a smile, here's the photo Betty shared on Instagram Saturday evening. I hope they still have those smiles!

weathering the storm - Polly & Betty - September 9, 2017

Meanwhile, things here are rainy and windy. This is the first time Atlanta has faced a Tropical Storm warning. Metro area schools and government are closed along with many businesses; most "optional" activities have been cancelled.  I've lived here nearly 40 years and I've rarely seen wind like we have now. I have a hard time imagining what this evening - when it's supposed to be the worst (gusts of 60+ mph) - will bring.

and now some happier things. I did get Thursday's to-do list completed (checked off that last luncheon item over my coffee yesterday morning - whew!). 

Socks.

Cupcakes.

high five, Marmie!

The birthday party was a lot of fun - Katie does a great job (invitations, decorations, food, activities) with boy birthdays and you can tell she enjoys it all. Planning for Sam's first birthday is already well underway. How has it been more than ten months already?

I have no photos from yesterday's luncheon, but hopefully another one of our women has some good ones. She graciously agreed to be the photographer so I could focus on other things. I did get to welcome a special guest. Our friend Charlie, evacuated from South Carolina's barrier islands, was there. Then he came over for drinks and snacks yesterday evening and we had a nice long catch up. We shared this quick selfie with Mother.

Back to the Weather Channel. and wishing y'all a good and safe week. with one more happy smile!

photo from Katie's instagram feed 💙

Karen's Fiftieth.

We celebrated my sister (I guess we can still call her the baby of the family even now that she's 50?!) Saturday evening with a fun group of family and friends.

Karen and Lydia

And of course cocktails and party food. The highlight of the bar was champagne punch (I followed the recipe exactly, except I made an ice ring instead of cubes - highly recommend - easy and delicious!)

For the food, I went with a throwback theme - potato chips and onion dip, pigs in blankets, cocktail meatballs. you get the idea.

My mom couldn't attend the party, so she sent gifts. Karen had a great time opening them (a mix of funny, thoughtful and beautiful); it was perfect party entertainment!

Of course the cake was the main event. Completely inspired by Karen's 14th birthday cake (my mom baked that one) and a vintage copy of Bon Appetit (that's also where I found the meatball recipe - chili sauce and grape jelly ftw!)

Of the 50 or so photos that were on my phone from the party, easily half were of me, Karen and Steve, trying for a decent sibling photo. Hands down, these two were my favorite.

Clearly we don't know how to have fun together!

p.s. Congratulations to the Patriots and all their fans - it was a good game ... we just enjoyed the first half more than the second 😉

Happy Birthday.

...to Katie! Her arrival ... way back in 1987 ... changed us from a couple to a family.

February, 1987

And since I last shared birthday wishes to her on this blog (for her 25th), she's gotten married and made a family of her own.

photo credit Rylie Hitchner

Best wishes, Katie for a beautiful day and a wonderful year. We love you!

Scenes from Yesterday.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! The day was full of family, fun, laughter ... and of course cake!

I can't remember the last time I had the pleasure of making two wishes.

salted caramel cheesecake for lunch

fruit tart for dinner

Love all the greetings that came via text, email and phone, but real mail is still the best

as are real flowers

and squirmy toddler photos.

I think that lower left one is my favorite - Charlie discovered that the cushion at the back of the chair let him go "boing" 😉... and of course little Sam slept soundly through the entire thing.

It was a wonderful day and for once, I have the photos to prove it!

Throwback Thursday | Fifty!

I turned 50 four years ago and I had a most wonderful party to celebrate. Obviously four years ago I was not playing along with NaBloPoMo, because I never shared much about it here.

The party was November 16, the Friday before Thanksgiving back in 2012. My folks were already here for Thanksgiving - and everyone else in my family lived here then. Karen hosted, Katie helped and I know the rest of the girls pitched in with flowers and food. It was a completely lovely party and I had a ball.

Katie coordinated the decorations, which included birthday photos from years (and years!) ago. I think she and Karen coordinated the cocktails together - of course they did a fabulous job! (I have the best memories of gin, a spiced simple syrup, maybe a little lemon, and a little seltzer... and I still ask Katie to recreate it for me every November.)

Karen baked my cake - by request a brown sugar pound cake. It was delicious.

Here I am - much later - when I realized that the candles in the cake were the kind you couldn't blow out. (don't you love the looks on everyone's faces?!)

And my mom - just last night!! - admitted they'd been her idea ... Karen has taken the blame all these years :-)

...and a little later with the five of us "just family".

Katie and Rob were still planning their wedding (for May of the following year). And Sara was still in college ... in a city where it rarely snows :-) Who knew what changes our little family would see in the next four years?!

I feel very blessed to be spending my 54th birthday with many of these same people. My mom arrived yesterday and we'll be meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law for lunch. Then Katie has invited Mother and me for "birthday cocktails" - I cannot wait for my mom to meet little Sam and see how much Charlie has grown up since she last saw him (Memorial Day!)

Happy Birthday to me! and thank you for sharing in the celebration!

Happy Twenty-fifth.

...to Sara!

I've been thinking a lot about siblings this past week. Twenty five years ago you became the little sister and of course Katie became the big sister (and our family was complete :-)

I guess it's no surprise that many of my favorite photos of you include Katie as well. These are a few of the ones scattered around the house.

November, 1991

our Christmas card photo for 1994 - I wanted matching outfits... can you tell you're wearing the same blouse?

our Christmas card  photo for 2007 - no longer worried about the matching outfits!

We were visiting Katie in NYC ... and it snowed! - 2009

at Katie's wedding - May, 2013

But while you'll happily stand beside Katie and smile, you're your own person... and always have been. (I don't suppose you'd end up in Wisconsin otherwise, right?!)

You're never afraid to try new things... like being the first one in our family to try ballet!

1995 (almost 4 years old)

and you have an infectious joy for life.

2007

Happiest of wishes, dear Sara!

xxoo - M.