Thursday, February 1 to Sunday, February 11

February 1: Just before suppertime, my sister-in-law Brenda stopped in with a birthday treat – cheeseburger soup, lemon poppyseed muffins and the cutest card which was painted by her granddaughter Molly.

The canned soups were from our daughter, Diane, when she was here from Maine – the week before my birthday.

February 4: I was surprised when Amazon delivered this eagle – a gift from someone named Natalie. Since I had already received cards from friends of our daughter Deb, I knew she had told her friends about my 80th birthday. When I told her about the eagle, she said it was from an animal rehabber friend of hers from Florida.

By evening the solar panel had given it enough power to light it up. We love looking out the kitchen window each evening.

February 5: I received an email coupon for a free birthday cyclamen from Esbenshade’s Garden Center, so went to pick it up.

I was in the mood for a high tea and invited my sister Nancy, and sisters-in-law Dot and Brenda to A Tea Affair in Lititz. We had so much fun and visited for almost two hours.

One nice thing about ordering Afternoon High Tea at A Tea Affair is – the only decision you have to make, is the kind of tea you want.

The first course was tea and scones.

The next course was a salad and quiche.

The last course was tiny sandwiches, crème brûlée and pastries – all on the tiered dish to the right of me. I forgot to take a picture of that.

There was a variety of tiny, round sandwiches on the bottom (four for each person); crème brûlée and lemon bars (one of each per person) on the center section; and since it was my birthday, there was a candle in my lemon bar. Plus, they sang Happy Birthday.

The top of the tier was filled with a nice variety of tasty pastries.

My sister gave me an oriole feeder. I am anxious to put it out later this spring.

February 8: On the morning of my birthday, Cerwin found this can of Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes inside our garage door – from my friend Theda who walks by our house almost every morning. It was just after lunch when our granddaughter. Diana and her boys Bennett and Waylon stopped in for a visit and delivered a delicious Moravian sugar cake. Toward evening my brother Dale stopped in with a beautiful flower. I think it is a Cyclamen. Before he left, our son Jere stopped in with a card and the promise of a February 20 breakfast at Stonehouse Cafe (more about that after it happens).

Roy and Deb arrived about 5 pm to take us to Mt Gretna Hideaway Restaurant.

Deb’s steak and Roy’s chicken alfredo

Cerwin’s brisket and my shrimp.

Our choices for dessert. Needless to say, we had a few take-home boxes.

Then, when we got home, they gave us a dozen chocolate covered strawberries and four small boxes of my favorite cookies. Deb knows that I like thin cookies. The chocolate chip cookies are tiny and thin. The others are lemon – both made by an Amish friend of theirs.

February 9: Cerwin took me to Olive Garden – my choice for a birthday gift from him. I had chicken alfredo and he had meatballs.

February 10: I received a delicious chocolate-covered apple from our grandson’s Ian, Jared and Jesse, money from my cousin Marian, and a gift card for Texas Roadhouse from Cerwin’s brother Elvin and sister-in-law Pat. Cerwin wanted to see a barn that is being rebuilt in the Lebanon area – following a Thanksgiving Day fire – so he suggested that we go to Wes and Jackie’s place to see the barn, then to the Palmyra Texas Roadhouse for lunch.

We have so many take home boxes in our refrigerator that I won’t have to cook for the next few days. We are eating take-home for breakfast, lunch and supper.

February 11: We completed the eleven days of my birthday with take-home cheesesteaks from Two Cousins with my birthday buddy – our grandson Josh. He was born on my 51st birthday and now lives near Lansdale. It was a special treat to sit around our table, have lunch with him and plenty of time to catch up on his life.

I received 60+ cards of all sizes and shapes – with many kind words. Also, there were hundreds of “likes” and birthday wishes on my Facebook, MeWe and Instagram pages.

I am incredibly blessed!

Thank you to everyone who made my 80th birthday one to remember.