A weekend in review

This weekend has taken me through the entire gamut of emotions that I possess. Well, not entirely - but it was pretty dynamic. Starting in the wee small hours of Friday morning, I was higher than a kite. Let me rephrase: I was extremely elated and happy; I was practically bouncing off the walls - ask my roommate - it was pretty scary. Then came the ride home, and my emotions took sudden nose dive. When I go home, my Dad (being the awesome father that he is) comes and picks me up and then takes me home, filling me on family news and the like. Aside from my Dad being happy about a new book to read, this informative session involved the unloading of some clandestine family conflict - can't relate the particulars here - but this conflict succeeded in dampening (literally) the rest of our day. But then came Saturday, the day of Rebecca's and Mom's birthday celebration. Things began to look bright once more. I put up some decorations, made the cakes, cleaned up some, mowed the yard, and wrapped presents. By the time I was finished, it was time to celebrate.

We all tucked into some excellent vittles, talking and laughing away. Then it came time for opening presents. I won't relate every gift here, but I will say that both Becca and Mom were happy with all of their presents. Dad and I went shopping for a bit on Friday and found the funniest card - you can see it pictured here- be sure and look at it closely. The cat is Leo, a boy, and the dog is Scrappy, a girl. By pasting the images on the card, I thought I gave it a touch of authenticity. When all the presents were opened, we did the traditional presentation of the birthday cake. I made the cake using two nine-inch circular pans, but instead of stacking the individual halves on top of each other, I let each half be an individual cake. Mom and Becca always have to share their birthday celebration, and their birthday meal, but this year I wasn't going to make them share their birthday cake. It's corny, I know, but it's the thought that counts, right? After that, we tormented our cat Leo by hiding his treats under various things and laughing when he couldn't find or sniff them out.

This morning, my Dad made a spectacular breakfast featuring chocolate, blueberry, and pecan pancakes. By the time we finished, it was almost time for us to leave for Raleigh. I took a few pictures of the roses my Dad sent to my Mom on her birthday. I love roses! They are so beautiful! I've always had a thing for roses ever since reading Beauty and the Beast, and that fondness has found an outlet the name of this blog (La Vie en Rose), and in my continued preference for roses. They're so beautiful!

In other news, my oldest brother TJ bought himself a new truck. It's a 2006 silver F-150, 4x4, with a bunch of other features that I don't understand. I just know that the truck is very, very easy on the eyes. And then Buddy, our beloved Canada Goose of four years, decided that it was time to pack her bags and migrate. We never thought that she would migrate - that she was too domesticated ever since we first got her when she was brought to the shelter only a week or so old. But looking back, I realize that she may have chosen to stay with us, but she was never really ours to possess. She may have been very humanized, but in the end, nature still triumphed. I guess the most surprising thing is that I am not more upset. I was the one who took care of the little precocious bundle of fuzz four years ago, and I always looked forward to being greeted by a loud series of honks whenever I went home. I'm usually the one who goes to pieces when we lose a pet, but not this time. What has gotten into me??

Have you taken a look outside lately? It's gorgeous! The veritable plethora of color always steals my breath away: gold, amber, scarlet, russet, orange, fire, sienna ... and so many more. It's going to be a good week, I can feel it in the air. But although the new week hasn't yet started, I can't wait for it to be over so I can go home again next weekend.