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25 September 2009

It's the Way We Roll

Today is a special day. It warrants an apple-raisin upside down cake, and a last-of-the-year evening dessert picnic.

After a rushed dinner (only so many daylight hours left!), we packed up the cake, the (thrifted) melamine plates and mugs, a thermos of hot tea, blanket, and frisbee.

We marked a spot on a nice flat, grassy section of the park that surrounds ... ahem, the uh ... the "poop fountains." Otherwise known to the rest of the city as the waste-water management park. The grounds are manicured and green, complete with extravagant fountains and rolling hills. One almost doesn't pay attention to the fountain signs that warn of drinking or playing in the "valuable resource" that they recycle for our enjoyment. In the summer the children nearly hyperventilate from laughter when they spy non-sign-reading individuals swimming, even snorkeling, in the poop fountain. But, I horribly digress.

We nibbled our cake and drank our tea, gathered sticks and acorns, and even played a few rounds of cross-eyed tag. I'm not really sure what those rules are, but it is exceedingly entertaining to watch.

When the sunset gave way to the settling darkness, we packed up and remarked on the evening of perfection. Eating, playing, and a lot of giggling. A suitable ending for a special day.

Happy Birthday, Pops. You make us smile.

(PS-And thank you for coming home and unclogging the kitchen sink for your late-night birthday entertainment. I'll never shove that many eggshells into the garbage disposal again. Promise.)

6 comments:

  1. Oh Anna, you crack me up... "poop fountains"! That is so real life.

    A dessert picnic, what a lovely way to celebrate a fall birthday. I must remember that.

    I heart your thrifted melamine.

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  2. Must have been a picnic day...we celebrated our "zero the hero" (tenth day of homeschool) with one at the Tualatin wildlife refuge...lots of walking for just a bit of wildlife...but worth it. We settled for our tomatoes with cheese, chips, apples and Oreos... no thrifted melamine however...so fun!
    Happy birthday, friend... mcneils

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  3. That's a great picture of Pops- sounds like such a nice night. Happy birthday!

    And I must let you know- never put eggshells down the disposal:

    Papa (Jason's grandpa, the plumber) took out many a corroded pipe due to them. I guess they tend to sit in pipes and corrode them- even w/ the disposal use. Just use the garbage can or bury outside in garden. I was shamed when he saw me doing it long ago (I had no idea it was sooo bad) and got a big, fat lecture on it.

    Never again!

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  4. For you, my dear, I would unclog a thousand sinks. I would snorkel the deepest poop fountain. But I'm sorry, cleaning the shower upstairs will have to wait.
    Love,
    Your hubby

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  5. Love, love, love the picture of "Pops!" It's like a time capsule. I don't think either of you have aged a bit in the last 17 years or so!

    Thanks for sharing the story of your lovely evening. Wish we were there!

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  6. are those orla kiely napkins i spy?? love them! picnics are the best. xo.

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