TONIGHT, I FEEL BLESSED

Today is my summer birthday. I am 47 and a half, and I am over the hill. I spent the weekend getting ready for a second annual high tea to celebrate. I bought 2 teapots second hand and doubled my cutlery to improve on last year. I wanted to say thank you to my friends, and insisted that they don't trouble themselves to bring anything, and I provided three types of tea, and scones and so many snacks that they prevented us from even putting the lasagne in the oven, or touching the fabulous verrines for dessert!

The scones were so-so but generously received and still very popular,

Plain and currants

the spreads way too numerous but spectacular (homemade rhubarb ginger compote, Saskatoon berry jam hand carried from Saskatchewan, haskap berry jam, and home made dulce de leche made from sweetened condensed milk over a double boiler), but the day was the pinnacle of one of my favorite weeks to date.

 

I worked in the SSU, a place that pays me less money for more hours, but I have relearned to be human and enjoy the rhythm that is a little more flexible.

I left my daughter at home for 3 days in a row. I thought she might clean her room, but it got worse and worse over the week. She bought candy and lunch at the canteen. I was never so proud! While I was gone, she took rainbow belt candy that she had bought at the canteen, mixed them with sugar and water, and melted them in a microwave safe container to set them in heart shaped molds in preparation to my party. I did come home to a kitchen counter and floor covered in sprinkled sugar, but they were beautiful creations that were a hit at the party today. She also took the gingerbread energy balls  and chocolate covered almonds I had left her and made them into these creations, even serving them in some muffin liners she found (I know because all the sprinkles had chocolate fingerprints all over them, and somehow what is taken out is never quite all put back the way it was!)



My favourite parts of this week though, was finding out that she went to the store herself for the first time and bought something (yes, candy). She also went to the library, TALKED to someone, found out the book she wanted wasn't in, and found something else to read in the meantime. When I was discouraged that I wouldn't have time to mow the lawn and fix some details I had hoped to have time to do before the party, she reassured me the truth that my friends won't care, and reminded me that I did cut back lots of brush and replant trees and bushes in a better place and fix the door and paint the cabana!

This morning she brought me breakfast in bed with a tray, and had made a card with a trail of glitter and a gift bag with a precious stuffie she was ready to give to me, I was overwhelmed. The day was busy making scones and ruining macaron,

Macaron fail! I think instead of overbeating after added the sugar to the eggs whites, I actually underbeat.

and prepping bruschetta



and potato salad, but there was a lot of unexpected rain, and the house had to be prepared in case of an indoor party. So when the rain seemed to have passed by 2:30 pm, and we put things outside for the tea, she greeted the guests in her finest outfit (and dressed me from head to toe, even doing my hair!),





handed them personalized Union Jacks she had drawn and glued onto toothpicks. My friends were interesting, funny, intelligent, and generous, and it was an amazing afternoon that ended a dusk.

My heart is full, and I feel very blessed.