P A R T Y

Friday was Memama's official birthday, but earlier in the week I had made a few calls and texts to have her party Sunday.


It was kind of a surprise party, but not really a surprise.  I told her about it, but by Sunday I had to tell her again.


I had made a call to Stevie, then a call to Pat..  I talked to Joni and I talked to Rian.  We had two options for the meal, Ma Allen's or to get Rian and Jason to do brisket or burgers.  Most of the residents who live close had no preference but the ones that lived farther away expressed a preference for Ma Allen's.  So Pat volunteered to handle that.


I had talked to Joni about the cake.  I hadn't wanted to go to a whole lot of trouble so I told her just a sheet cake to serve 30-40, and I thought it would be funny to make it look like Memama's favorite place in the world, her bed.  In fact I even talked to Frances about helping ice it because Frances knows how Memama likes her bed made!  Everyone I talked to about the cake thought Memama would get a big kick out of it.  Kind of like if she ate cake in bed she would have her cake and eat it too!


Joni opted for a different direction so it was a good thing it was a freebie!  She let her nieces and nephew make and decorate the cake, and they REALLY like sprinkles!  Joni also made a chocolate cake with dipped strawberries, so they were special cakes anyway!


I have to tell this on Joni.  She texted me one day wanting to know what the dinner menu was going to be and I told her I had talked to Billy Allen and asked him to cook barbecue chicken.  I had her going for a while.


According to Jake, 32 were in attendance.  We had six drop out at the last moment (that's O.K., I've got their names for when we do Christmas list)  Out of all the families, none were 100% in attendance.  Out of Freddy's, only Devon was missing, out of mine, only myself and Rian were in attendance, out of Pat's Steph, JR and Kyle were absent, out of Stevie's Colb, Court, Kirb, Andi, and Chad were missing, and none of Terri's were able to make it.


Everyone ate enough chicken to grow feathers.


It was interesting to have Colby and Courtney's four girls here without their parents.  They were much more interactive and just visited with everyone.  Jersi is really coming out of her shell.  She is such a cutie!


I will say that Memama did not overdose on loving, but it was very close.


It was very evident that Memama's house still holds the same magic it has had for 55 years, all of the kiddos play and played an most of them weren't ready to leave.  It is interesting to see all the little girls, Avery, Gracie, Chloe, Dakota, Kennady, Jalen and Jersi, then the two little boys in attendance Brody and Carson. (Rian's boys and Noble would have almost evened it up).  Of course I am not including Devon, Dillon or Addison because they are considerably older than this second group, and they didn't slide down the cellar door.


I thought it was interesting when Chloe explained that these were her cousins, they were her friends.  I asked how you determine cousins and she told me cousins are people you get to play with a lot, friends are people you get to play with sometimes.


By the end of the day, they were all cousins!  They had a fun day.


I doubt the last car was out of the driveway before Memama was in her bed resting her back.


It was kind of funny, on Saturday night Memama asked me where the roasts were.  I told her they were in the wash house refrigerator.  On Sunday morning she asked me if I had them on and I told her I was cooking them in the refrigerator in the wash house.  She began to go out to get them and I told her no, that we were having Ma Allen's and all the trimmings.  Then in a bit she began washing potatoes.  I told her Pat was bringing cream potatoes.  All right she said.  Then a short while later I looked and she was peeling taters.  I reminded her once again we were doing Ma Allen's and Pat was bringing mashed potatoes.  Finally I told her "Why don't you get dressed and brush your hair in case we have company".  I knew she didn't want to get caught in her gown and robe.


Anyhow, she had a good day!


FATHER, thank YOU for Memama, and I pray YOU bless her with many more happy birthdays!