60

Dad turned 60 last week.  60.  Look how young he is.  And handsome.  And smart.  And kind.  And real.  And rock solid.  And interested.  And interesting.

What a privilege to celebrate him.



As seems to be the theme these early weeks of summer....berries.  Dad spent summers picking berries as a kid, and has grown them through all his life.  These juicy, beautiful berries.  It seems like just the right metaphor that berries are in season every May on his birthday.

Two birthday cakes.  One edible.  One not so much.

Happy birthday, dear Grandpa, happy birthday to you!

We have big dreams for this little man.  And they include growing up to be very much like Dad.

A good night for all!

berry reserves

"Every day, she blew through her entire reserve."

~ Cheryl Strayed, in Wild, describing her mother

Things are generally in a funk around here this week...

School is almost out.

Ryan is exhausted.

Eva is moody because change is coming.

I'm moody because change is coming.

I'm t-i-r-e-d.  Just plain physically tired.  Despite getting far more exercise and eating far healthier these past few months than I have for years.

But I read that quote last week in the memoir I'm reading.  And I want to live my days like that.  Every single day - just blow through it all with great gusto and leave nothing to spare.  To fall into bed exhausted by so much excitement and hard work and drama.  Even when I'm tired and moody.  

Some things are a good boost to living that way...

mint tea from our garden mint

my new family room walls

a good book to read - I do totally recommend Wild

texts from Lisa in Colorado

and all the strawberries that seem to be everywhere in our life this week....

You know its going to be a good day when your papa shows up with 30 pounds of fresh picked berries, and then your mama shows up to help you put them up for freezing!

River declared this his "berry tool" and was quite "helpful".  Picking them up one by one to be sliced.

Strawberry shortcake for lunch and 23 quart bags in the freezer.  Speaking of reserves. 

Come on over anytime.  

We'll whip up shortcake and make it a meal.

Strawberry shortcake

Strawberry shortcake, huckleberry pie, kissed the boys and made them cry.

Jump rope.  Sixth grade.  Anybody?!

This is an old family recipe.  We eat it as our supper during berry picking season.

You know how you pass those billboards on the interstate or see those seriously random magazine ads for "Amish furniture"?  

The ad for this would say that its an old Mennonite recipe, passed down for years.  And you should indeed want to make it because its that wonderful and simple and simply wonderful.  So here you go....

2 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

4 eggs

4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 c. milk

1 (ever so generous) tsp. vanilla

Mix together the dry and wet ingredients separately, and then stir the two together.  Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan (or two 8x8 inchers).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

You could slice it and put berries and cool whip in it in neat little stacks.  We just put it in a bowl, top it with lots of fresh berries, pour a little milk over it all, and top it with a dallop of whip.  The little milk over it all is extreeeeemly important.  Do not skip it!

The Buzz would like to share his with you...

And about the berries, Dad picked them when he was growing up on the farm in Michigan, and he takes a day off work to go to the patch and pick them now.  The ones we ate this time were from his garden.

Really really good shortcake.  I clearly can't emphasize it enough.  And even better when eaten at the park with people you love.