Tuesday, July 17, 2007

15... 37... and a Birth Day


June and July are big birthday months in my family. Maybe they are in most families; I don’t know. What's really hard for me to believe is that my oldest son Ryan has turned 15.

His 15th birthday is a big one for Ryan... A milestone. It means he can get his learner’s permit – the first step to an official driver’s license. Here, when you are at least 15 and have passed the written test, you get a permit that allows you to drive with a licensed driver in the car. In 6 months and after passing the driving test, you are eligible for an intermediate license that allows you to drive alone but only until 8pm. Ryan is already a very good driver and I’m looking forward to him driving Nicholas and himself to school each day.

Other June and July birthdays for my family include my Aunt Nedra, sister-in-law Frankie, niece Jenny, niece Brooke, Uncle Wayne, Pamela... and my birthday. I’m strange when it comes to birthdays. Roger (my hubby) is notorious for giving presents early. He gets so excited about giving it, that he just can’t wait. I hear some of you saying, “at least his gets you something; my husband always forgets.” You are right. I should be thankful.

 But... I like for the actual day to be something special. An early birthday present, to me, is a let-down when my birthday arrives. This year, however, Roger did not give me my present early. You could say that means he’s learning what I like best. Except... This year he gave it to me a week late!

We celebrated another birth day in June. My niece, Morgan Ryleigh, was born the end of May. We celebrated her birth with a Sip ‘n’ See in our home so that family and friends could meet her. I was not familiar with the idea of having the baby shower after the baby was born and calling it a “Sip ‘n’ See” until my cousin mentioned it to me. I immediately liked the idea. Baby showers are a terrific excuse for getting everyone together and a great way to help out new parents. The “Sip ‘n’ See” also allows everyone to meet the new baby and you know for sure if it’s a boy or girl which helps out with present-buying.

We had Mickey and Frankie’s (my brother and his wife) Sip ‘n’ See on a Saturday afternoon. We all gathered in my living room, passed the baby around (and around and around), visited, opened presents, and, of course, ate.

Around the time of the party, I was feverishly working to get our Tennessee Hometown Cookbook finished and off to the printer. So, it stands to reason, that the recipes I cooked came from that book. We had: Pineapple Chicken & Shrimp Bites, Hobo Sausage Kabobs, Sunday Brunch Monkey Bread, and Chocolate Eclair Cake with Graham Crust. The food was delicious, the company was good, and the baby was sweet... what more could you ask for?


--Posted by Sheila Simmons, publisher, Great American Publishers and co-author with Kent Whitaker of Tennessee Hometown Cookbook. Visit the website and enter to win a free cookbook.