Thursday, May 19, 2011

Fantastic Birthday



Yesterday was a great birthday.  I had made banana bread with chocolate chips Tuesday night (using Sarah's recipe) so I had the wonderful sweet treat for breakfast.  I had no great plans for the day, so I decided to make my cake from scratch.  I spent Monday and Tuesday searching my recipe books and the web for something "good."  I stumbled across the Hershey's web page and hit the jackpot.  I allowed the family to give me their input, but ultimately, I decided on this deliciously decadent dark chocolate cake.  I was unaware that Hershey's made a dark chocolate cocoa, but won't soon forget it!  Though I absolutely adore chocolate and savor all dark chocolate I eat, the cake seemed a little too chocolate-y even for me.  So I went to my Betty Crocker cook book and made a fluffy (boiled) white icing for the between the two round cakes and covered the whole thing in the superbly wonderful dark chocolate icing published with the cake recipe.  Oh my.  It.  Was.  So.  Delicious.   I think once this cake is gone (and it won't be long in this world) I will dream of it, especially on days I have chocolate cravings.  I'm not sure we'll ever make a different chocolate cake.  Can you tell I really liked it?
In addition to totally enjoying myself making a mess in the kitchen, we ate take-out Chinese out back by the pool.  The weather was so gorgeous.  Not too hot as is often the case having a May birthday and living in Tampa.  There was even a nice breeze.  Having the Singer home from college and both the Singer and the Imp on their "best behavior" falling over themselves to make my birthday great.
We had decided some time ago to celebrate Mother's Day and my birthday on Saturday the 21st.  I was in NC for Mother's Day and with my birthday being mid-week of exam week for the Imp and because I am pretty spoiled when it comes to my birthday a mid-week celebration simply wouldn't be enough fanfare to properly celebrate these two great days.  So part of what made yesterday so wonderful was the anticipation of more to come this Saturday.  Gifts will be given then.
Then it was wonderful to get emails all day telling me of many friends wishing me well on Face book.  And then my parents called and sang Happy Birthday to me.  The day ended with a back rub from my Hubby.  Life is pretty darn good.
I needed a day of just enjoying life.  It seems the last few weeks have been rather stressful.  I went to visit my dermatologist at the end of April (having to see her twice a year after my seriously abnormal results in October).  She removed two questionable moles for inspection.  One came back seriously abnormal, so I was back to the surgeon to have a significant amount of tissue removed from my arm.  The previous surgery was on my arm, but close to the elbow.  This tissue was removed from my triceps area.  I now have a 'divot' in my arm.  Not the end of the world, I realize, but not something someone would choose.  Then two weeks ago, I got to spend the day in the ER with the Imp with severe abdominal pains.  Her CT scan ruled out appendicitis but revealed a "female problem" (she really doesn't want details published on the web).  We've been to a gynecologist and are in a waiting pattern.  The issue is NOT life-threatening nor indicative of any kind of cancer.  The issue could a) resolve itself, b) get better with a course of treatment, c) require surgery, d) indicate a persistent annoying issue, e) indicate a persistent more serious issue.  So that has been weighing heavily on my mind.  The Imp has responded as she does to most of life.  "It doesn't hurt now, so I won't think about it."  She knows she doesn't have to worry when I'm around.  I'll worry enough for both of us.  The waiting is really the hardest part.  We don't know what ultimately will happen because of this, so I can't begin working to make it better.  We return to the gynecologist in mid June and then again 2 months later.  Hopefully by then we'll have a better picture of the issue.  While it is ultimately great that I have a Hubby who doesn't dwell on things or worry, when I'm in the middle of a serious worry-fest it is quite infuriating that he deems the situation not worthy of that kind of reaction.  And it's not that he doesn't worry or rant/rave/cry but that he acts as if I'm crazy/childish/obnoxious for doing those things.  After crying and imagining the worst case scenarios, I'm able to function in front of the Imp and keep it together when others ask about the situation.  Hubby, however, down plays the whole thing partly because he hates to see me distressed.  It's a good thing I have my female friends who sympathize appropriately to help me through this.
I think it's time for another piece of some decadent chocolate cake.

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