The Year of Cake

I have a rule about gifts. I should be able to eat, drink or burn them. In other words, I have no room for anything. This year the family took heed and for my birthday, I had my fill of yummy things. I had two ice cream cakes. This one from The Mister...

...and this one from Daughter.

The day before I shared this amazing cake with #1 Son and Dear Daughter in Law. We are all December babies, Son on the 17th (today!) and Dear Daughter-in-Law follows on the 19th. Their son should be born around the 20th. Yowza.

 I was also gifted this giant box of delicious peppermint bark by Son and Wife.

Daughter gave me a star for my tree. She gives me one every year. This one is from Crate and Barrel....

....as is this pair of kitchen shears that I really, really needed-also from Daughter and her Hubby.

The Mister, romantic fool that he is, surprised me with a new set of pots and pans from Ikea. In his defense, I asked for them. I pointed them out on our Christmas pilgrimage and am happy he remembered. I used them to cook myself a spaghetti dinner and I ate and ate and ate. I only turn 59 once so I set out to enjoy every mouthful of it.

Here is my official year-before-60 self portrait sans make up. I can't see a thing without my glasses anymore and I can't wear anything but the barest of clothing in even the coldest weather in order to ward off the dreaded hot flash but I am more comfortable in this old skin than I ever was in the younger version. As Brigitte Bardot once said " It's sad to grow old, but nice to ripen."