Patchwork - March 24, 2010

By Donna Smith Ammons

After three days of celebrations, my birthday was finally over. Friends, family and fellow employees reminded me that I was now the Big 6-0 and helped me celebrate.

On Thursday night, hubby-dear prepared a Girlfriends Dinner and several of my closest friends joined me in dining on homemade Shrimp Alfredo over angel hair pasta, tossed salad, French bread and a yummy cheesecake, topped with homemade raspberry sauce and adorned with a lemon zest and fresh raspberries on the side. The presentation was “lovely” according to our judge....and even though the head waiter (in camo hat) burned the second batch of bread (his only kitchen duty) and smoked up the kitchen, the entire evening (a hen party) was a resounding success.

On Friday, Mr. G and Laurie and the staff honored Erin (another March birthday girl) and me at a pizza lunch with a colorful and gorgeous birthday cake...and presents!! Only one thing was wrong: When Erin was born, I was already working at the INDEX!!

That afternoon, I received a beautiful floral arrangement from daughter-dear and granddaughter-dear in New Orleans, and a Birthday Basket from my friends at Peoples State Bank. Birthday cards started coming in the mail.

Friday night, young son arrived from Lafayette with a bag of crawfish. Not much sleep that night, since Davy, KT and Riley Kate were scheduled to meet #3 son, Alan and his fiance’ Christy, who were flying in from Florida to the Baton Rouge Airport at 9 p.m. The ride to Many and their bridal shower would’ve put them here after midnight. Plans changed when they were stranded in Atlanta and they were re-routed to New Orleans on a 3 a.m. flight. (Mel and I both were nervous wrecks until they pulled in.) Davy met them, went to Zachary, slept for an hour, loaded up his family and the bridal couple and headed north at 6 a.m. for a 10 a.m. shower. They made it with 45 minutes to spare!! (Needless to say there were several tired gals at the shower!)

All of us girls enjoyed the shower while Davy napped at home. That afternoon, the Ammons family headed to mom’s for a crawfish boil on the deck. I couldn’t have asked for a prettier day or better time. Unk took Riley Kate on wheeler rides, we played with crawfish (Don’t cook the little one, Daddy!) and had Mom’s famous and delicious chocolate cake and more presents....a bronze cast head and shoulders of Abraham Lincoln; a hot pink wallet, $$$$$, a bed and breakfast weekend, and an Ole Miss football jersey!!
When we got home, a card with pictures from the shower was stuck in the back door....and there was a bottle of champagne from my dearest birthday friends. A little while later, three little boys and their dear Mom arrived with another present and “Happy Birthday Miss Donna.” What a great surprise!

Sunday dawned too early...and off to church some of us went. A relaxing day...Sunday dinner, more cake at Mom’s and playing with Riley Kate kept me busy. Soon my travelers were on the road...minus one, who was on the golf course with Migliore. (They finally came home at dark.)

The three of us watched “Hello Dolly”....my pick. I was still stretching my birthday luck!!

Monday (Ugh!) came quickly....Mom fixed a huge birthday breakfast complete with ham, eggs, grits, biscuits, etc. for PaPaw, Unk, Paul and me...and I finally made it to work at 9 a.m. and young son headed to Lafayette and work. (What I really needed was a nap!!)

Completing my celebration was the early Monday morning call, which comes every year from Many’s Mayor, who sings “Happy Birthday”.

I had to come to work to slow down, but my birthday this year will be a wonderful memory to enjoy when I get old!