Michael Hunter Johnson turns 9

Michael's cake decoration: an 18 sided die

Bonnie and I arrive in Calgary from the Shuswap just in time for Michael's ninth birthday.  

This was an all day celebration for family and friends.  

The morning started with "Crepes by Richard", some of them filled with sugar and butter, but the one for Mary was a crepe, an egg some pesto sauce and feta cheese.  I am glad she shared half with me.

Now feta-pesto was a god-like variation on Richard's icing sugar and butter presentation which is already the perfect crepe.

After breakfast, Michael and his dad sped off to the grocery store for ice-cream: Rainbow.  I didn't know the taste of Rainbow Ice Cream, but it was a rainbow taste was definitely in my bowl.

The gift of the day was a three-D pen with which Michael could create small vehicles which would have a roller derby with each other, propelled by a tiny motor inside.  Now that was sweet.

Paper was rolled out on the table and a colouring station established which provided hours of fun for Mary, Alice, Betty, Richard and me.  Mary took on the job of hand-sharpening the coloured pencils for us as we sat together and talked.

... a lemon filled cake -- a 9 year old boys' delight

Miranda brought out the lemon cake.  I had seen her making the filling in the morning, as well as baking the cake, which was now a four layer cake when it came time to consume it.

I didn't know if I should hurry and eat the cake, so that I could get seconds.  

Every bite seems so delicious.  I leaned over to Richard and remarked that I was having trouble trying to imagine that the cake that was left over could be divided equally again if every ]wanted seconds. .. thus the need to eat quickly.

He said he was having the same idea.  In the end, one piece was all the satisfaction either of us could manage.

After the cake was served we sat around and shared something favourite about Michael Johnson.  I love that part of the birthday celebration.  There was so much mirth that Richard remarked that we might have scared his children.  The scare was that he thinks they have never seen adults laugh so long nor so loud.  Now that could be a scare that would scar.

There was Mac and Cheese served at some point during the day.  

A game of "Here to Slay" began later in the day and was played into the evening hours -- until it was too cold to stay outside.

A Covid birthday to remember.  

Guest list:  

Mary Johnson, Rhiannon Brooks, Dr. Bonnie Johnson, Arta Johnson, Miranda Johnson, Richard Johnson, Betty Blanche Johnson, Alice Margaret Johnson