Play In The Dirt

He Who turned 65 was very happy with his birthday dinner. I managed to survive ...... it occurs to me that I am not as young as I used to be. I cooked all day long. If I wasn't shoving something in the oven, I was pulling something out and wondering why I thought I could coordinate all the dishes to come out at the same time.

I found some nice Brussel Sprouts at the grocery, making that the spot of green in a colorless menu. I baked the cake first, then got the chicken going. The problem with the time factor was that the cake needed 350*, the chicken, 300*, the Brussel Sprouts coated in oil, garlic , and parmesan cheese  were to cook at 425*, and the biscuits wanted to be at 450*. I cooked the chicken and let it sit atop the stove to stay warm while the sprouts, then the biscuits cooked. That worked out great, except that it left a 20 minute gap before serving.

I was inspired to serve a veggie platter to keep the hungry people happy and in a fit of insanity decided to make a batch of coconut chicken nuggets. From scratch. All the while worrying that I might not have enough food. I can honestly say that I have NEVER run out of food when feeding a crowd. I always prepare too much. The result of all this thinking and doing meant that I was exhausted by the time I put the food on the table.

When asked if they could bring anything, I said no. When Cheryl asked the birthday boy, he told her to make sure Craig brought his dentures. HeWho can be rather indelicate, but our friends already know that. They brought an apple pie instead. Sharon showed up with a meat and cheese tray. Plenty of food. Everybody got leftovers, including me. I was so happy for the apple pie, since I had absolutely no intention of eating the chocolate cake.

When we moved to Minnesota we learned about "golden " birthdays. That would be your birthday that coincided with the day of the month you were born on. I had never heard of that particular milestone birthday, but it is celebrated there ..... much to the dismay of my youngest. She was born on the first day of the month. I was already older that 31, so I was left out, as well.

Yesterday I rested. The skies were gray and it rained and hailed all day long. An instant replay today. There is water standing everywhere. I see mosquito larvae multiplying in my minds eye. I want to go out and play in the dirt, I really do.