Party, Party, Party

Friday was the school Halloween carnival.

I was a goth witch.

I had a minion.

The party was fun, especially the Hall of Horrors, wherein I was the Swamp Witch and made kids cry. But my favorite part of the evening was when I went outside to yell at all the kids who were too cool to be inside at the carnival. I adore yelling at other people's kids. I really do.

Saturday was all about The Spouse's 50th birthday party, which was a Rat Pack theme. The food was plates full of retro yumminess like Chex mix, relish tray (huzzah for baby gherkins), mixed nuts (which could also apply to the guests), and the things I took pictures of:

Cheese Ball with Triscuits

Stuffed Mushrooms

Devilled Ham Pinwheels (the Neighbor made these).

Pigs in a BlanketRumaki (the kind with water chestnuts because I'm not a fan of the chicken liver unless someone else has reduced it to a nice little pate with good mouth feel). Credit where credit is due, this was The Child's contribution.We had apple pie because The Spouse is not a huge fan of the cake and he does love him some apple pie.I made 3 pies. What a shame. There was 1 1/2 left over. Shame, shame. Or as I like to call it, "breakfast".

Because it was a Rat Pack-y theme, The Neighbor and I wore lacquered do's:

Sometimes I think we are just the cutest things on God's green earth.

Also, as history has long borne out, an upswept do is the perfect perch for a tiara.

There were gifts. Mostly single malt scotch, because when in doubt with The Spouse, that's the way to go. The key exception to this gift-giving theme came from The Boys, who are now The Spouse's favorite people in the world EVER. They gave him an iPod nano. He almost cried.

You know what stinks? Aside from the fact that he is now using possession of same to torture The Child? The stinkiest part of the stench is that I had been desperately casting about from some grand gesture, like the one he'd pulled off for my birthday, and I couldn't come up with anything. So when The Boys asked me if he'd like an iPod I should have said, "Oh, darn, I'm already giving him one. Get him some scotch" and stolen the idea but I am apparently not that devious as I only figured this out last night. Dammit.

I gave him scotch.

Anyway, a pleasant time was had by all. There was the requisite blowing out of candles

and midnight toasting

and now I'm just very thankful that we don't have to have 2 big back-to-back blow out celebrations for another 10 years.

An Embarrassment of Riches

I'm just going to have to do this in bits. So let's start with the presents, shall we?

They had been trickling in throughout the week as it was, even earlier actually. The Hat had given me the first printing of my business cards as an early birthday present.

Then came a Venetian glass pen and an antique ink well from ChouChou and John, because she knew that I coveted The Child's. Mine is red and black. It's beautiful.

This was followed by a concertina from Rosie. You see, she plays the accordion and was going to come to my fete and play "La vie en rose" for me. But then she couldn't come. So she did, I suppose, the next best thing and sent me a Hohner concertina, complete with a book for "absolute beginners", which is a dem fine thing because I know absolutely nothing about squeeze boxes. But it is a gorgeous instrument with a lovely tone and when I opened it The Child squealed with delight, "Oh, mama! Now you can be a street musician!"

I do think that mastering, or at least making a running attempt at a new skill in my new decade is a fine goal.

JP blew me away with a vinyl copy of Tracy Ullman's "You Broke My Heart in 17 Places" and a DVD of "Rattle and Hum". Which considering his meh-ness over U2 in the '80's was quite something. He also gave me a CD of "High School Musical II" but that was just to mess with The Child. Who wasn't fooled.

When The Neighbor and I were planning my party we originally thought of doing something very progressive, like having people write a toast or give money to charity or something non-material like that. Then it didn't happen. Which meant people brought presents. And you know what? I don't need a thing but presents are superfantastic. I'd forgotten. Although, I felt a little silly sitting there, surrounded by my friends, opening gift after gift. Really, I did. And such nice gifts too: spa treatments and lotions and soaps and such (Kina, Payson, Jim & Kelly). Jewelry (tiara earrings from The Neighbor and a charm bracelet from Stina and Dave) and pretty boxes to keep jewelry in (Julie and Leroy). Pretty things for the sake of pretty (Bertie & Roger and Lorene & James).

Cheryl and Pat did a clever thing. They gave me a bottle of Carlo Rossi jug wine with a wrapper that said "Lorraine in her 20s" and a fine bottle of white Rhone in a wrapper that said "Lorraine in her 50s", plus a gorgeous glass decanter. And the Cardinal and Mikey gave me land in Scotland. Seriously. I get to register a number and I will be the Lady of Kincavel...owning 1 square foot of Scottish soil which I cannot build on but which may be passed down to subsequent generations. I really hope there is a thistle growing on it.

There were gift cards (Kenny & Tiff) and paintings (Ree & Jerry) and little treats. The Child spent her own money to buy me very pretty kitchen towels. We were all done and I was thanking everyone as sweetly as I could for their kind and thoughtful gifts when The Spouse said, "There's one more" and handed me a small brown box.

In the small brown box was a pretty little china box, painted with roses. I cooed over it

"Oh, honey"...

He said, "Open it".

So I did....

And then I cried a little bit...

because he'd given me a beautiful sapphire pendant set with diamonds. And this picture doesn't do it a lick of justice but it is lovely as can be. That Spouse of mine, I'm telling you...when he decides to go for the grand gesture you are best served standing out of his way.

I also want to thank all of you for your kind e-wishes....it was like you were there partying with us.

I'm blessed. Shallow, but blessed.

It Takes a Village, Part Deux

"Eek Ack!", as my sainted grandma used to say.

I just realized that when I said advice for the Box o' Wisdom would be collected until 2ish PST what I meant to say was "2ish PST on FRIDAY".

So if you've got somethin' for The Child, leave a comment!

It Takes a Village

JP offered some excellent advice on my last post, advice so excellent that it absolutely must be included in the Box O' Wisdom. Then I started thinking, "Hey, I have many brilliant bloggie buds..."

So if you have some words of wisdom appropriate for a 13 year old, something that has helped you along the way, why don't you pass it on? Leave a comment or email me. Contributions accepted until around, oh, 2ish PST.

Uncle JP, you so rock.

I've Got a Problem

Tomorrow is The Child's birthday and I don't have a present for her.

Dame Judi and Sean are probably giving her a gift card to some cool store.

John and ChouChou are giving her 13 $5 bills.

Her godparents are taking us all out for a superfantastic dinner at a superfantastic restaurant AND they want to give her a spa day outing.

I. Got. Nothin'.

She really wants a cell phone but she isn't getting one of those until she needs it. Which she doesn't. Not to mention I'm not shelling out bucks for something that she's going to end up leaving somewhere. Because she will. This is a kid who is still not always remembering to bring home her coat and lunchbox. An iPod is out of the question, for the same reason.

When she was little it was no big deal. A book, a toy, a cute little top...it was easy. Just walk into a shop, swing a dead cat and buy the first thing I hit.

But 13 is a big deal. It requires something more or less memorable. Doesn't it? Of course, I don't remember what I got for my 13th birthday.

She has a watch. Which she never wears. I could give her some nice earrings but she always loses those, too. She has all the Harry Potter paraphernalia a girl could want. She has all the current CDs of all the music she's into. She doesn't need a computer game and Lord knows I don't want to get anything just to be getting it.

So what do I get that will commemorate this auspices occasion, that won't break the bank, that won't just be some "thing" that will sit around in her room until I toss it out in a frenzy of decluttering?

A trip is out. She's going to Chicago this summer and France the summer after.
She's too young to drive and if we ever do give her a car it's going to be because I've upgraded and she can have my old one. She has a bike, she doesn't skateboard or ski. She's got a dog and a cat and we don't have room for a pony. She's still too young for a training tiara.

I'm completely, thoroughly and overwhelmingly stumped.