Celebrating Seven And A Half Decades

The cake - white cake, Italian buttercream filling, chocolate ganache frosting.

My mother celebrates her 75th birthday next week, but since Ed and I will be out of town, we planned a party for her this past weekend.  It was a huge success!

Forty-two people showed up and we all crowded into my mother's beautiful townhouse.  Ed and I didn't arrive home until early Friday afternoon, with the party scheduled for four.  We decided to have the party catered, so the food was going to be delivered just after the guests arrived and I did as much prep as I could beforehand, bringing all the extra tables and chairs over so things would be staged when we got there.  I wanted the arriving guests to see her house as normally decorated and then set up the tables just before dinner.

My brother handled icing down the drinks and delivering the big surprise....my mother's sister.  She has three sisters - my mother is the oldest of four - the one coming was Number 3.  Although they talk or text almost every day, they hadn't physically seen each other in twelve years.

My brother and I were hoping my mother's heart would survive the shock! 

Waiting for the "surprise" to arrive.

My Aunt M is social-media shy, so I'm not posting any pictures of her here, but I will tell you that the surprise was well worth all the secret-keeping it took to make it happen.  My mother's reaction was SOOOOO cute.  She stared at first, not quite registering that her sister had just walked through the door.  Then you could see the recognition in her face.  Then, the tears.

I wish this picture wasn't so blurry, but there was so much going on and I wasn't able to fully focus because I didn't want to miss with my eyes, what was happening, so I was looking through the camera, then peering over, then looking at the camera...

In addition to our immediate family and the WOWs, my mother's new friends at her townhouse community also joined the party.  It was such a great turnout and everyone had a great time.  I think we need to have more parties!

The Townhouse Girls - Elaine, Estelle, Barb, my mother, Lynda, and Lynda's mother MaryAnn.

I'm so glad we were able to pull this off.  My aunt is spending ten days here, so they'll have plenty of time to catch up.  I think she might just consider this one of the best gifts she's ever received.  It's going to be a hard one to top.



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2016: Makes Complete Sense
2015: I'm Always Hoping It's The Last Time
2014: Apes At The Hitching Post
2013: History On Water Street
2012: Do It Like The Settlers Did. With Whiskey.
2011: No Vacancy
2010: Imperial Sand
2009: How Many Twenty Year Olds Have A Seventy Pound Head?
2008: My First Time
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Text Me
2005: Eddie Dines Out Friday