Fall and Birthdays

During the fall, especially October, we have tons of birthdays around our house! I have become the official cake baker, since I love to bake. My cakes have previously been very unprofessional looking, but they have always tasted good! Currently, I have been decorating cakes a little better. I took four lessons in the basics of cake decorating, and I am getting a lot more creative and more steady handed.

This morning as I walked across the street to my Daddy's house, the leaves were blowing in the breeze all the way down the street. I love to see the leaves in the fall. Most people rake them up off of their yards and throw them away. I always let the leaves stay in the yard for deocration. Nature creates the leaves as a kind of cover to protect our grass in the winter, so why rake them up?!

Another thing that happens in October is the blooming of my Mamma's Confederate Rose tree. It is just beautiful. This year, it had blooms all the way from the tip top to the very bottom and all around it.
I have a couple of pictures of this pretty tree. The pictures don't do it justice, though. This tree has never had so many blooms! I guess Mamma is up in heaven enjoying the view of all of her pretty flowers.


The Confederate Rose blooms as a white or light pink flower in the morning, and it turns into a deep pink by the afternoon or night, as you see in this picture. The story behind this happening is that the dark pink represents the blood of the Confederate soldiers, thus the origin of the name of the tree.

The tree has grown to be almost as tall as the house, and the blooms were all the way to the top this year.



The October birthdays began with mine, on the 6th. We had a family celebration for my birthday on the 4th, at my daughter's house. We all had a good time. I made the pink ladybug cake for that day. Then on the 6th, we had dinner at my house, and I made the Sweetheart cake for that day. I am just cake crazy!!




The next birthday was Little Dewey, alias 3D, who celebrated his very FIRST birthday on the 10th.


My sister, Susan, had her 52nd birthday on the 17th.


I attempted to make a big cupcake cake, but it ended up looking like a basket of flowers! I found out that the cupcake pan is the same shape as a basket. I will know next time to start out making a basket!!


My cousin, Marvin, had his 58th birthday on the 19th. He lives in Alabama, so I didn't get to make a cake for him. I am sure Arlene had a very, very nice one for him. My sister-in-law, Amy, AND my cousin, Mina, both had birthdays on the 20th. Mina celebrated the big "6-0", and Amy celebrated the proverbial "39th" birthday. I say 'proverbial 39th', because so many people continue to say they are 39 for years and years! Amy's children had a surprise party for her, and they baked cupcakes for their mom. William bought her a pretty cake with roses.

The next birthday is Daddy who is 88 today, the 26th. Daddy had a red, white, and blue STAR cake. After all, he is the STAR of our family, and he served our country for many, many years of his life.









My neice Kate AND my little cousin Landon will both have birthdays tomorrow, the 27th. Kate will celebrate a special birthday - her big 21st. She planned a big party for herself and Daddy on Sunday. We were all instructed to wear PINK, in memory of my mamma, who had breast cancer and uterine cancer.

Kate's cake was a colorful, pink Daisy cake with purple trim. The daisy is her favorite flower.









Landon will celebrate his very FIRST birthday this year. He lives in Alabama, too, so I cannot make a cake for him. If he were here, I would make a nice football cake for him (which I heard is what his mom, Amelia, wants him to have). I think that about does it for October birthdays. We have a few in November, but not as many as October!

I love the fall. I was teaching a lesson the other day, and the word 'autumn' was used. Why don't we use that word much anymore? I think that autumn is the term we used forever, but somehow it turned to just 'fall'. I think the word autumn is much more creative.

I have been writing this blog since Saturday, and it is now Monday night! I think I just about have it finished.

I will update the pictures as the next couple of birthdays come upon us. We will have three during the first week of November. We have TWO birthdays on the 4th - Vicky and Lanier! Vicky will celebrate her 24th birthday on November 4th. I am contemplating what to make for her...maybe a pretty butterfly. My cousin, Lanier, will celebrate her 57th birthday on November 4th, in Memphis. I am sure she will have a wonderful cake made for her up there in East Memphis. My brother, William, will celbrate his 49th birthday on November 5th. Hmm, my baby brother is 49 and pushing!! Now what can I make for him??

Whew..Back to the mixing bowls!!!!