Just a little snapshot of my birthday cake. It was as dreamy as it looks, dense, chocolately, the wine paired perfectly with it, the greenery cut from the garden…everyday magic all around. I wasn’t really planning on doing anything at all this year, I’ve been too busy to think about my birthday. But then James and my best girlfriends took me to out for dinner on Saturday night and we lingered for hours. I tried to have some of my friends over to our place on Sunday, mostly because I hadn’t seen them in a while, and instead they had us over to their place so I wouldn’t have to do a thing. I got to snack on their specialties–Scott makes the best bruschetta, Attit has great taste in and is very generous with his wine selections, and Julia sets the prettiest table and bakes a mean cake.
Today is my actual birthday and James is getting dinner ready as we speak. I haven’t even celebrated with family yet, but my parents and aunt cooked all morning to make offerings at the temple on my behalf, and I’ll be visiting them on the weekend. I’m overwhelmed, as I am regularly, by how well I’m taken care of by the people around me. I don’t think I’m ever more grateful to sit at the table and share a meal with my family and friends than on my birthday. More than the food and wine, I savour every one of them.