An Early Birthday Party

My roommate is from Sterling, Kansas (which is about a two-hour drive from my hometown), and she will be flying there tomorrow to spend a week with her family, so she will miss my birthday.

This evening when I came home, I had birthday greetings posted on our doors from the previous and current presidents of the United States, a birthday banner (with some Christmas tinsel) over our dining room table, fresh flowers and an American flag in the vase, birthday rubber ducks, a card, cupcakes and food on the table, and a birthday greeting on our chalkboard wall (which reads "Happy Birthday Matthew and America!"). It really made my night. For supper it was cheese doodles and fruit salad, washed down with hard cider. The salad had pears chopped up in it. I rarely eat pears, but when I do, I always remember my late Great-Grandmother P, who had a pear tree in her yard.


While we ate, we watched the first four episodes of "Greensburg: A Story of Community Rebuilding". This is a series about Greensburg, Kansas trying to become a "green" city as it rebuilds from a tornado that almost completely destroyed the town in May of 2007. It was nice to see scenes from a familiar part of the country with a fellow Kansan (even if she did go to that other Kansas university).


For dessert we split three different types of vegan cupcakes. Sterling said they're supposed to be the best vegan cupcakes in town.


I had a good early birthday party. Thanks, Sterling!