Summer Birthdays

Of course, the summer birthdays would have to be celebrated differently this year. Usually we celebrate Jake and Mark's together in July, and then mine and Nick's together in August. But this year, they were all celebrated separately because of the virus. Mom is still not allowed to leave her facility (unless she were to go back into two weeks of quarantine after she returned, and we do not want to do that again), so she wasn't able to be at any of them. Mark came over here for brats and salads and Boston Cream Poke Cake for his. Jake and Brianna came over for Thai Peanut Chicken and desserts, then a walk down to the lake for Jake's. We drove down to visit Nick, and actually dined out on a patio for the first time since this whole pandemic began. Bruce and I celebrated alone together on mine, but it turned out to be a very nice birthday, anyway. I went to see Mom, and brought her a Little Debbie birthday snack cake treat. And she actually remembered that it was my birthday, even before I went to see her, calling me to sing Happy Birthday on the phone. (I wondered if that would even happen this year, and was so thrilled when it did!) Bruce gave me sunflowers and lilies, and spent much of the day working on creating a Little Free Library for me, something I've been wanting for several years. We brought home hibachi lunch specials from Kai's Little Sushi to eat on the porch, and Bruce made us mushroom and cheese omelettes and bacon for supper. I also made us a chocolate pudding pie for my birthday treat, as I kind of like treating people to treats on my birthday. Katie and Avi sent me a box of chocolates! Thinking about how it all played out, I wonder what's going to happen this year over the holidays. And, I wonder if assisted livings will allow a little more freedom as far as visits go, especially when it gets cold and snowy and porch visits aren't possible. Things have to get better eventually, don't they?