Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Birthday Blog

It's officially my birthday!  I have always loved my birthday.  Since I was a kid I remember how fantastic I thought my birthday was, June 1st.  It's really a great month.  June would mean the start of teachers letting us go outside during class time.  Like Mr. Doug Nja who had our class go out to the baseball diamond and hold hands and run in circles to show us something about an atom and how hard the protons on the outside had to work compared to the ones on the inside.  I may not remember a single thing from the entire textbook but I do remember that.

I remember getting my driver's licence on my 16th birthday and returning to school to join an already in progress baseball game in Phys Ed.  That is a birthday moment frozen forever in my mind.  Along with the one when I was 5 and my mom had a T-shirt made that was yellow and had my name written on it!  I remember the excitement opening my present and seeing the shiny metallic letters "CORLA".  I also remember 15 minutes later when my cousin's dog jumped up and ripped it.  The very first thing I had ever owned with my name on it and it was destroyed.  I wasn't like Susan or Stephanie or Michelle that could go anywhere and at will pick up a pencil or mug with my name on it!

The town pool always opened on my birthday.  I was a lifeguard for 9 years so I spent a lot of time at the pool.  We used to have tanning contests to see who could get the brownest the fastest.  By the end of summer I had to buy liquid foundation that was the colour of a brown leather purse that I hope my skin will never eventually resemble. But it went so well with the "Sun In" bleached blonde hair that I had and my wicked 90s bangs.

I did have a birthday I would like to erase where I was dumped by a boyfriend of a year over the phone.  Really who does that?  Dump someone on their birthday.  (Turned out to be the best present I could have ever got because I met Pat four months later.).  Pat spent a memorable 30th birthday with me driving from Davidson to Watrous to do a wedding, then leaving from there to drive to Kenaston to do another wedding.  The reason Pat came with me was that Olivia was 5 months old and still nursing so no champagne to celebrate leaving the 20s behind just a Scoobie Doo Ice Cream Cake.  But it is really one I will never forget.

I did get to have a drink with my mom on my 19th birthday at the Davidson Bar.  We went about this time 20 years to the minute because I wanted to go at midnight the minute I turned 19.  My mom has only had about 5 drinks in her life so for her to go to the bar with her teenage daughter was quite the community scandal.

I remember the last birthday with my Dad.  I just finished third year University and was ready to start my internship in Craik in September.  My brother was in grade 12 and he would be off to University in the fall so we knew it could be the last time we would live together as a family before we all were old, graduated and married.  Little did we know that we would lose my Dad and mere 2 weeks later just days before my brother's 19th birthday and Graduation.  So this time of year I always look back with many happy memories and a few sad.

One tradition that my mom has kept up is that she makes me the same special birthday cake that her mom made for her and my aunt.  It is called "Feather Cake".  I used to think it is because it was made of feathers but it is just because it is so light and airy.  And the icing is like a creamy white pecan fudge.  She is coming here this weekend and I have already put in my order.  I am sure it will arrive on cue kept safe inside her metal stew pot that for some reason perfectly fits the plate the cake goes on and make a "TWANG" sound that my Mom could hear from a mile away and she knew that meant I was sneaking another piece.  To which she would yell, "Get outta that cake!"

I will post pictures when it arrives.  Forget Cake Boss, you have never tasted anything like this and if you do come to my party and I offer you a piece of the amazing once a year cake and you have a piece just to be polite.  Please do me a favour and leave it all for me unless you really love the taste of it because it will be a long 365 days until I get another and chances are there will be no Tin Foil wrapped money in the cake.  (Yes Patrick I know it is Aluminum foil).  I might as well put in my order for birthday supper. I think the usual Chicken Frances-se.

The more I write the more I feel guilty for my little girl Olivia who has a birthday near Christmas and never seems to get a proper birthday party.  We are going to have to try and celebrate her turning 9 and a half in the next few weeks.

My Mom always says, " I don't want anything for my birthday!"  I guess it's a Mom thing that I should learn so instead of my usual wish list of wine, sushi, coffee, bath products, and chocolate I will say I don't want anything.

I don't want anything to: wake me up at 5 am, put another hole in the wall, to make me mad or sad, go wrong.  You get the idea. I am sure this my 39th birthday will be as memorable as all the rest.  If you are a reader of the Circus House and would like to give me a Birthday Gift just leave a comment that would the internet equivalent of sushi and red wine.

3 comments:

LMWIEBE said...

Happy Birthday Corla and many more! If Kimbi get ambitious you may even get a Lazy Daisy Cake but don't hold your breath! Have a great day!

LMWIEBE said...

Happy 39th Birthday Corla! If you are luncky you may even get a Lazy Daisy Cake from Kimbi but don't hold your breath. Have a great day!

Vic & The Wearmouths said...

Well my dear, what a great post! I think I will update mine now on my birthday too...you're quite the inspiration! Hope you enjoy your cake, I'll enjoy my cherry chip this weekend too!