HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAKA!

     Are any of you 58 years old or near that age? Today was Taka's 58th Birthday. I told him: "Happy Birthday!" - as we woke up this morning. He replied: "Thank you, how old am I now? Fifty eight, really? Well, let this be the end of it! I want this birthday business done and gone!"
     My answer to him was: "Don't count on it! We'll have to go celebrate!" - but I understand, what he means. He's been saying it for the last twenty-something years: "For my birthday I just want to forget about it!"
     I can't help but think that, deep inside he wants us to make fuss over him. So I consulted with Sonny, our official baker. He agreed to make a cake. Usually, we would've bought it, but this week we are short on cash (credit card is maxed out too). And making an effort for Taka's special day also seemed appropriate!
     I found a cute picture and made a card out of it. Being me, I managed to send it to my Russian friend instead of Taka first. To my embarrassed e-mailed explanation she replied: "Nice card! Happy Birthday to your husband!" At least, I am consistent in my scatter-braininess!
     In the afternoon, I picked Sonny up after college, and we went to get the ingredients for the cake. It took him a couple of trips to the store, but finally everything necessary for baking of the cake was assembled: eight eggs (for batter and frosting), lots of butter, flour, sugar and

strawberries. Sonny took special pains to make the cake white, with strawberries in

between the layers and on top, and it came out really well. Judge for yourself!

Sonny says that these
cookies should be just a footnote
in a tale about
is cake!

     After separating eight eggs and using the egg whites, we were left with eight yolks. Something in me rebelled at the thought of throwing away so much good products. I could've frozen them, but, from the past experience, I know that we never use this kind of stuff later. I looked up a recipe that would require eight yolks and, plus to the cake, we made cookies! at the end of the evening, we were so tired of baking and eating sweets that, Sonny and I both couldn't finish our portions of cake! We talked a little bit together, then everybody went their

Taka is opening his present: an Amazon.com card

own ways to spend this evening in our usual pursuits.

    I feel that, it was totally worth it to go to all that trouble! Usually, we would've waited for the weekend and gone to a restaurant to    

Sonny is eating the cake, sitting in Roberta's wheelchair

celebrate. I hope, we can still do it: after all, for me it will be a last "Hurrah!" before I have to forswear all normal food for the next year and a half. But there was a really good feeling between us today, despite Taka's glib denials. Perhaps, this is the beginning of a better life!

                                                                     

                                                                                          Chickie dos mot approve of this food that has no meat in it!