Celebration #3

Paninis, Sun Chips, and chocolate cake. They were celebrating my birthday right at the Silverspoon House.

Gifts: Belgian chocolate seashells, a new sky blue ESV Bible, and a nice check for more Cardinals tickets.

“Linnea will want to steal these from me,” I said, examining the box of chocolates. “She loves these.”

“Well, you know what the trick is to not letting that happen,” said Theodore. “Eat all of ’em first.”

Indeed, I was halfway through the box by the end of the evening.

In the early afternoon Francis dropped by with his truck where El Oso and Izzy joined him for a Ditto run to bring Puck’s improved dresser back to its new home. After he socialized over his own panini that Gloria taught him how to fix. Food is always the best Francis-bribe to get anything done.

El Oso stayed behind to lead the Ephesians Bible study that night, a load of kids ranging from 17 to 29 from church. Puck and I went home early so Puck could examine his new dresser/wardrobe.

As I unlocked the front door, I reminded Puck – as always – to not shove past me to get inside first.

“Be a gentleman, Puck. Always let me in the door first. It’s called being chivalrous.”

Puck might have sighed. “I don’t get why that has to be a rule.”

“Because it’s courteous.”

“But ladies did the first sin in the world!”

“Yes. Yes, they did. But women tend to not be as strong as men, so it’s a nice thing to be gentlemanly to them.”

“But men sinned second. Women sinned first, so I think men should get to go through doors first.”

The logic of these kids.

We finished our evenings with books on the couch and discussions on how to make obsidian arrowheads.

El Oso walked in towards nine o’clock with a bag of birthday gifts wrapped in newspapers from Rose (takes after my gift-wrapping sense). Included within: antique book on Grant (one of my fav presidents, if I had to pick one), and a framed Matheny-signed photograph of himself with President Bush (he always inspires a chuckle). I think I did pretty well this year.