Back to the routine
Weekends should be longer. We mostly spent ours celebrating my dear husband's birthday. My husband loves driving around aimlessly in the country, so we did just that. Passed through New Market, Maryland, which bills itself as Maryland's antiques capital. He had a used bookstore in mind, but it was closed, so we just walked around. Browsing around in antiques stores when you're penniless can be fun, but browsing around in antique stores when you're penniless and carting around an inquisitive 23-month-old is penitential. On the way home we stopped by a different used bookstore that we'd never visited before. We'll definitely be back. I had a good take: Green Eggs and Ham, a blue Nancy, Karl Keating's Fundamentalism and Catholicism, and -- the big find -- Illustrissimi by Pope John Paul I.
When I came out with my full bag, my birthday husband asked, "Oh, did you buy me a present?" "Uhhh, sure, dear, of course! Happy Birthday!"
Our parish did the blessing of throats after Mass. Baby Hambet, who is obsessed with candles, was speechless with delight. Our deacon gave the blessing in English and the Sign of the Cross in Latin; thought that was pretty cool.
The birthday cake was a Black Forest cake. This wasn't too difficult to make, but next year -- note to self -- start calling around early to look for Kirsch for the filling. Make the filling a day early so it has time to set. Oh, and cook it longer so it's not runny.
