A Birthday That Was Simply Nuts

When I opened the front door, I heard the murmur of expectant, wine-softened voices sifting through the kitchen window from the deck. Yes, Bennie had surprised me with a party! Albert and Susan and Lee and Ginger and Melinda and Bert and Beverly (but no Mike, as he'd just left for San Diego) were awaiting my arrival. I felt self-consciously pleased. We feasted on artichoke dip, blue corn tortilla chips, salad with cranberry walnut dressing, steaks smothered in mushrooms and cream, pasta salad with smoked mozzarella, edamame with orzo, couscous with cilantro...I was simply amazed that my spouse had been able to prepare all of this in less than a day. He confessed that the Whole Foods deli did play a significant role. Thank God. I was starting to feel that my husband had morphed into June Cleaver.
And the presents! Keeping with the June Cleaver persona, Bennie had set a theme for gift-giving--gags that had to do with nuts. Albert and Susan brought beer nuts and spicy Thai peanuts. Melinda brought an elegant, see-through carton of roasted peanuts in the shell--a little frantic digging brought up the agate necklace I'd admired in her gallery months ago. Here's hoping it was not lurking there by mistake as I have started wearing it and it really suits me and I am NOT giving it back. Ginger came bearing recipes for peanut slaw and peanut divinity and a graceful leaf-shaped bowl containing oversize hand-wrought "acorns" adorned with sliced nuts. It now graces the center of my dining table.
And the cake! Chocolate with buttercream icing and what Bennie claims were 54 candles. As you can see, whoever said that candlelight is the most flattering was not observing someone blowing out this many candles...