It's an art, finding the perfect card. My mother is really good at it. I don't know that she was always good at it, but for the last few years she's chosen my cards very well.
She has, of course, noticed that I have been so busy taking care of business that I have often forgotten to pay attention to the actual people in my life. So the card she gave me today made me grin…
The card plays the limbo song when you open it. If you can't find it in your head, click here.
This is a great card – especially for me. It is now prominently displayed above my computer. I may move it around so that I see it often. I've even added it to my desktop pics. I want to remember to let go of the list more often.
In other news, I did turn 57 on January 11th. I notice more wrinkles and have chosen to embrace them rather than obsessing about them. Age/wrinkles = Wisdom, right?
I was in Grand Junction for my birthday so last night we had a birthday celebration here with a little cake. Steve is making my favorite dish tonight (home-made chicken nuggets, gluten-free!) and that feels like an extension of the celebration. This morning we went with mom and Chris and Jack out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Mom loves eating out at breakfast so we are going to do that more on sunday mornings. (I'm trying to let go of the to-do list.)
Speaking of birthday cake, Jack and I have decided that we need to make a bear cake to celebrate Bear's birthday. Mostly because I want to eat a cake and Jack likes the making of cakes! He watches cake-making videos and he's pretty opinionated about cake in general but I think this is the cake we will try to make. We are going to make a yellow, gluten-free sheet cake (or two) and frost it in chocolate. In my world that makes the very best birthday cake, no matter the shape.
Bear can't eat his first birthday cake but we don't care. It's a cake in celebration of his actual birth. Perhaps this is a tradition that needs to become widespread. Doesn't every new baby deserve a celebration cake?
Piece O Cake Blog 
Do you make your gluten free cake from scratch or use a mix? If a mix which brand do you like? I cook occasionally for GF family members and would like to know good recipes.
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Happy Birthday! 57 isn’t old and I, too, have embraced the wrinkles – just not gray hair. I’m doing my best to keep Loreal in business! I agree that cake is good no matter whose birthday it is. Let’s face it, someone was born on each day of the year – so birthday cake is possible every day!
Meanwhile – who is Bear????
And your mom did choose a wonderful card. We all need to let go of the to-do list every once in a while – and enjoy each other.
Again, happy birthday!
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Yes! Every new baby does deserve a cake! The last one we made said “Welcome to Earth, baby Tristan!” I just love the tradition.
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Bear is the nickname for our next grandson who should be born soon. Ive already found books about Bear and Ill bet I find a whole lot of other bear-related things for the boy.
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The best gluten free cakes Ive made are from recipes from the cookbook that I show in this blog post:
http://pieceocake.typepad.com/piece-o-cake-blog/2010/11/gf-cookies.html
Ive tried some GF flours and the best is the superfine brown rice flour from Authentic Foods, the same one that Annalise Roberts recommends. The lemon cake on the cover of the cookbook is perhaps my favorite cake of all time, with or without gluten.
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Happy birthday Becky. You almost caught up with me…but I manage to keep one year ahead. Your mother’s card is so full of wisdom. As much as we like all the “work” you produce, I still must encourage you to to foster your relationships, as that is what remains. Have a great year!
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Happy belated birthday, Becky! Mine was on the 8th, and I turned the big six O. 60! Dang…I agree with Mary Ellen; I’ll embrace the wrinkles, but I’m keeping Revlon in business.
I think a cake in celebration of a life is a wonderful thing, even though I really prefer pie. Hey, we Capricorns have to stick together, right?
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We did a birthday cake for the birth of our younger 2 kids (I guess we don’t need to do that for the 1st, since no other child is being displaced). Then the presents were from the baby to the older sibling(s). I baked the cake ahead & had it in the freezer, ready to get out & frost when the new baby made an appearance.
We just returned from a birthday celebration in Tucson for my mother, who just had her 90th birthday on the 10th. I will need to tell her about your earlier posts on balance & the importance of being able to get up off the floor. She is doing amazingly well–lives on her own in her own house, & does all her house work & yard work herself. Sometimes in the summer time, I can’t believe it when she tells me that she mowed her grass that day. Staying active is obviously key.
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Thank you! Will check out the book and websit and pass it on.
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Im sure you are very proud of your mom – and so happy that she is still doing so well. We should all be so lucky – and maybe if we work at it, we will be!
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