Yesterday dawned clear, blue and warm. It was just that kind of early spring day that promises a long, beautiful season ahead.
I was having my coffee when my son Tyler called from Texas. They are preparing to close on the sale of their home down there and are busy packing up everything they own. Babalouie, as toddlers will do, disappeared for a second and a half. When his dad caught up to him, he looked like Carrie at the prom.
He’d managed to cut his thumb. It didn’t hurt enough for him to cry or stop playing but thumbs do tend to bleed. At first glance, Ty didn’t know he’d cut his thumb, all he saw was a baby covered in blood.
The grin on Babalouie’s face didn’t reassure his dad as much as you’d think and a brief panic ensued.
I remember when Ty, at the same age, banged his face on the bathroom counter and bit his tongue…
It looked like a blood bomb had gone off in my bathroom. That happened while I was standing next to him. He’d been jumping up and down, trying to see himself in the mirror and came down chin first on the vanity.
You can’t protect them from everything and sometimes there's blood.
A short while later, Ty sent me a picture of Babalouie, cleaned of blood, bandage on his hand, smile having never left his tough little cowboy face.
I spoke to Josie on the phone, she was on her way to a farmer’s market and it was a glorious day to do so. Zack brought me flowers and a Cadbury dark chocolate bar with raspberry filling. He knows what I like.
Then my daughter Katie picked me up and we headed off to my mom’s house. The three of us hit an estate sale out by Lake Minnetonka.
There was a lot of beautiful furniture but not exactly what Katie or I were looking for. I did buy two small pieces; a short plant stand and an end table. Both have just enough interesting detail that I think I can do some fun stuff with them.
We stopped for lunch at a place my Mom knew. We ate outside and each ordered a different sandwich, which we all split. The chicken, BLT and crispy walleye sandwiches were all delicious. It was my first outside meal of the season.
We ducked into the shop on our way back to my house and I bought some threads for Babalouie’s Christmas stocking, which I’d painted the night before.
After Katie headed home, I primed both my new acquisitions in the garage, then showered up and dashed off to Pam and Steve’s house to celebrate our birthday dinner. As usual, the food was only surpassed by the company. Three of the grandkids were there, two of them babies. Food, wine, company, babies…what more could a person want?
ON the way home, we swung by my sister’s house where my niece Meg had baked me a batch of Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes. She’d made some during Lent, when I couldn’t eat them and was thoughtful enough to make me some more! They were so beautiful that despite it being nearly nine when I got home, I ate one even though chocolate at that hour interferes with a good night’s sleep. It was totally worth it; they taste as good as they look. Maybe the Bailey’s in them counteracts the chocolate, sleep-wise because I fell asleep with no problems.
So the day began with bloody baby and ended with Irish car bombs; a perfect way to celebrate my 55th birthday!