preparation on earth (take two)

July 25, 2006 | Filed Under ordinary 

i’m not exactly sure what happened, but the last time i posted this entry there were all kinds of issues and problems and disasters. i’m trying again. if you commented, your comments have disappeared, too. feel free to re-post . . . )

saturday i turned 31, no turning back at this point, dead set in the thirties. jude and i celebrated by rising early and sorting through miscellaneous wadded up pattern pieces in shopping bags in the basement. shortly after we went to the farmers market to buy zucchini and plums, summer staples in this kitchen. after our saturday morning students left, the boys took naps in preparation for a trip to peoria for birthday dinner. we ate at the longhorn steakhouse and i very much wish i’d brought my camera to photograph the garlic buttery deliciousness of the skewered shrimp, the earthy wonderfulness of the button mushrooms, the creamed and butteredness of the mashed potatoes, and the square of steak and its melt-in-the-mouthedness. not to mention the bread and its crustiness that came first.

“i want to eat dinner and then get a coffee for the ride home,” i said as we looked for a parking spot. it’s my birthday, good coffee must be a part of the day. but after we ate rich food until we could eat no more, coffee sounded terrible so we saved it for the next day, for the ride home from church.

we went home and opened various requested presents as well as a few unrequested surprises, including money to spend as i wish from great grandma who, observing the pink wrapping paper around the packages from my family, engaged me in the following conversation:

grandma: is pink your favorite color?

mollie: no.

grandma: it’s not! what is it then?

mollie: green(e).

grandma: IT’S NOT PINK!?

mollie: what’s your favorite color?

grandma: blue.

mollie: IT’S NOT PINK!?

grandma: well, no, it’s NOT. i like blue.

ernie: my favorite color is clear.

on sunday ernie and i, along with the enthusiastic francisco from church played handel for all three services. it was inspiring and exciting to play the piano again. most of my personal encounters with the piano these days, sadly, involve loud protests from the preschool critics in the house and i eventually end up performing dissonant trios with a half naked child on either side of the bench. sigh.

we did get coffee for the ride back.

after eating grilled food, corn on the cob, and tomatoes we ate the enormous chocolate cake that my mother (who is back to blogging again, the memory of my birth and scream being too much for her to bear without writing. tell her you’re glad she’s back in the blogosphere again!) made for me. the thing was tall and beautiful. i don’t know how she does it. there were a few more presents from the blues band goers of the day before who missed the original opening ceremonies.

the birthday weekend ended with henry and i playing in the dirt with tori. henry played more than i did, filling his yellow boots and pirate hat with dirt until darkness sent us indoors for bed.

excitingly, one more mystery gift is arriving today. the thing, being late, is now the most curious. when jude wakes from his nap we head to my mother’s house to watch with anticipation for her mailwoman to thunk up the steps in her black shoes.

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