A decade of Dagny

Audrey went with a rose-gold color scheme for decorations

Today I'm going to tell you about Dagny's tenth birthday party, which took place on her actual tenth birthday: Friday, the fourteenth of June.

Flag day. Also she shares a birthday with President Trump.

Ten years of our Dagny. If you are new or new-ish to I'm Having A Thought Here and don't know the story of Dagny and would like to read it, click here.

And a post in a similar vein, written a few weeks later, may interest you as well.

I asked Dagny to pose when she ran out to greet us

But ten years old? Double digits, already? Our beloved Daggybug (my nickname for her), the Dagginator (TG's nickname for her)?

It was hard to get our heads around but we took to party planning like it was our paid profession.

We held Dagny's birthday celebration at Mike's house, which in less than five months, when her mother marries Mike, will be Dagny's house too.

I prepared all of the food ahead of time. The main part of the menu had been requested by the birthday girl.

Ten years since we first beheld our darling Dagny

She wanted kebabs. 

Audrey and I discussed our options and I made my shopping list and went to the store.

Costco has a pretty great package of thick sirloin steaks. There are five to a package and the price is good; I can't say for sure but I think it comes out to about six dollars a pound. Maybe a little more.

At any rate it was thirty-five dollars for five steaks.

Mike presented Dagny with this adorable bouquet

That's a good price for this cut and quality of meat. We're all meat lovers but we don't have the budget for Wagyu beef at a ten-year-old's birthday party.

Also, a few of us enjoy their meat cooked medium well but most of us -- the pirate most definitely included -- prefer it well done. Don't judge.

So I got the steaks, and at Walmart I picked up a large pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

On Friday morning, the day of the party, I cut up the meats into chunks and put them into marinades.

There's a cake for every occasion

For the chicken I used straight soy sauce, nothing added. This is excellent and I do it all the time. Occasionally I throw in some fresh minced garlic but this time I had only four cloves on hand and I wanted it for the beef.

In musing whether one could marinate beef in balsamic vinegar by itself (because I had a lot of it), I found the marinade recipe included as a photo in this post.

I didn't alter the recipe except I may have doubled it. Into the marinade the beef chunks went. This marinade is outstanding and I urge you to try it the next time you have the need.

Truly delicious.

Dagny wasn't the only one who got flowers

Chicken chunks were joined with their soy sauce soak, and I also soaked my kebab sticks in water.

(I think you're supposed to do that so they don't catch fire on the grill. Mike had some metal sticks with fancy handles that I used for the meat kebabs later, but I knew he had only six, and that wasn't enough.)

We were ten in number -- and I just realized that our number matched Dagny's age.

In addition to me and TG there were Maudag (Mike, Audrey, Dagny) and Chericot (Chad, Erica, Rhett, and Elliot). 

You cannot have too many balloons

Mike's mother -- we call her Miss Judi -- joined us as well. She's eighty-five and loves life. She even went to Paris with the group in early May.

My plan was to assemble the meat kebabs at the party, just before they were grilled.

But we wanted vegetable kebabs too, so next, I got busy making those.

(We didn't want to grill our veggies on the same stick as the meat, because the meat takes longer to cook and the vegetables can fall apart.)

I put the veggie kebabs together at home

I used red, yellow, and orange peppers, Vidalia onions, cherry tomatoes, and pineapple chunks out of a can.*

After those were prepared and safely in the garage fridge waiting for transport, I turned my attention to making deviled eggs.

My granddaughter is extremely partial to Mamaw's deviled eggs.

Those finished and having placed my deviled-egg carrier (yes of course I have one; it holds twenty-four of the delicacies on two levels) beside the veggie-kebabs in the garage fridge, waiting for the trip to Mike's, I got busy with the rest of the repast.

Reheated Apple Pie Baked Beans

There were plenty of Apple Pie Baked Beans left over from the party with my niece's family the night before, so I put those into an oven-safe dish and set them aside.

(I had actually planned on this ahead of time, knowing we had parties two nights in a row; that recipe makes lots of baked beans.)

Also in the lineup was another big baking dish of macaroni and cheese, just as I'd made the night before. Once at Mike's I would pop it into the oven to heat through and get simmery around the edges.

Last, I prepared sweet corn for the grill. What I do is, I put the corn in the middle of a piece of tin foil and add butter and salt, then wrap it up.

TG bought this corn but Mike and Audrey had more

After grilling, all you have to do is open your corn and it's ready to gnaw on.

I don't eat corn on the cob but most in our group do, and did, and pronounced it succulent.

When it was time to head out from our house, TG helped me pack all of the cold food items into the big cooler and get everything smothered with ice.

The remainder of dishes and supplies were loaded into sturdy boxes that we had set aside just for that purpose.

Doing the birthday float

Dagny came running outside when we arrived, and I made her pose on the sidewalk as she was wearing a glittering sash and tiara with her pink dress.

It was a hot day and we continue to have broiling, sweltering days. Mike lives on a golf course so there's a breeze and he has a roomy deck but I only went outside once, for about a minute.

The mosquitoes did not have time to find me before I hustled back inside. There is also a small screened porch but to be honest I didn't have time to sit around passing the time of day. 

I put the beef-and-chicken kebabs together and we lined them up on cookie sheets and delivered them to Chad out by the grill, along with the veggie kebabs to be put on last, with the sweet corn.

Dagny's OBP: Official Birthday Photo

Before long the kebabs were smelling scrumptious.

Audrey had of course ordered a special cake for Dagny, and the confection made mention of her new double digit status.

Lots of pink icing was involved.

She also gone for the huge one and zero balloons in rose gold, floating a big ten over the proceedings.

When I saw these I knew we had kebab success

For Dagny's birthday parties Audrey has in the past bought Nerds Gummy Clusters and put them out for snacking, and this year was no exception.

That candy is addictive. You think you won't be affected by it and next thing you know, you've eaten ten pieces and you're reaching for the eleventh.

And it's so cute in the colorful candy dishes that Audrey got at the dollar store, for the year that Dagny's birthday party had a space/universe theme.

Lots of purples and blues dominated that decorating scheme.

Chericot chilling ... plus Dagny

Mike had bought a sweetly exquisite bouquet of flowers in a lovely vase for Dagny, along with a card. The flowers were on the counter near the candy.

Speaking of flowers, a much larger quantity of blooms had been delivered to Mike's house that day.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves but TG's and my forty-fifth wedding anniversary was two days hence.

Particulars of that party will provide the pith of the pirate's next post.

Pirate deviled eggs :: the secret ingredient is cayenne pepper

I had planned to order four dozen red roses and put them -- minus three stems -- on a pedestal in front of the pulpit in our church auditorium.

Members of our congregation often do that to mark special occasions or to honor loved ones.

But our four children said that they wanted to buy the flowers for us, so Erica did the ordering and had the roses delivered to Mike's since that's where we would all be on Friday when they were set to show up.

We use Global Rose -- we did this same thing five years ago on our fortieth anniversary -- and they do a good job delivering gorgeous roses right to your door. In any quantity.

I kept going to check on my anniversary roses

The roses are packaged safely and they're fresh and they open nicely. And at twenty dollars a dozen, it's probably the best price you'll find on the internet.

So the big box of roses, unopened, had been placed on Mike's dining table, and Erica had bought three bunches of baby's breath at Publix, and I resisted the urge to open the box but instead put everything in a cool place to wait.

Later we took them home and I arranged them in the huge vase I bought five years ago for our fortieth.

I had to put glass beads in the bottom to give the roses some lift, and with the water, it was heavy.

Take my advice and try this marinade

TG ended up putting the hefty arrangement into a box with towels around it in the passenger floorboard of the car, and taking the flowers over to the church on Saturday evening.

That way we didn't have to worry about getting them there on Sunday morning, which was also Father's Day, and TG planned to attend our annual men's breakfast.

Via text I submitted a picture of us at our wedding to the young family man at church who takes care of media-type things, and it was displayed throughout the day on Sunday on our large double screens, along with all of the other announcements.

This was happiness in grillville

It was strange to look up and see my 22-year-old self as a bride, beaming at TG. How did forty-five years get away from me? It leaves me lost in wonder.

Several folks commented both to me and to Audrey that they saw her in my young-girl face. And now she is set to be a bride.

(In my next post, as promised, I will show you that picture. And our roses.)

Elliot a/k/a Skippy will turn nine months old this week

Back to our birthday meal, which was consumed and enjoyed with some of our group sitting inside and some sitting outside. Dagny sat next to me. Inside.

Everything was delicious and after we were all full, many of us pitched in to do cleanup. Then Mike served coffee from his Nespresso Vertuo and we relaxed for a while.

Erica was in another part of the house, feeding Elliot, when Dagny began bringing her birthday gift bags over to the couch, in keen anticipation of opening them.

I made her wait until Erica could join us, and she was a good sport about that.

We sang to her

And the gifts were opened and Dagny seemed to like and greatly appreciate everything she received.

Time for cake! We lit Dagny's candles and sang to her, and Audrey began serving the sweet slices.

A few bites of that was enough, and everyone began thinking about heading for home. Rhett and Elliot were tired. Cherica were tired and I was tired but it was a good kind of weariness.

I'm not sure about TG, or Maudrey for that matter. They didn't seem tired and for sure Dagny would have continued her birthday bash into the wee hours had she been allowed.

Here's hoping you see something like this on your plate this summer

It's always sad to see the party come to a close, but I for one was seeking a reunion with my pillow.

As it happened, when we got home and I'd done all of the unpacking and organizing with dishes and so forth, I fooled with those roses for a solid hour before getting them the way I wanted them.

After a sleep I'd have my Saturday to prepare for the next party, which was set for Sunday.

Me and my beloved Daggybug

I will tell you about that later in the week. And in case you were wondering, yes! We have a party planned for this week too.

You'll be brought up to speed in due time, with plenty of pictures.

Meanwhile I have a menu and a shopping list to prepare.

And that is all for now. 

* Extra credit if you get the Johnny Depp movie reference in that sentence.

=0=0=0=

Happy Last Week of June :: Happy Summer

Comments

[Skunk (aka Mike Bay)]

A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

[Mari]

Dagny!!!!! !0 years old, how is this possible? I read again your posts about her arrival and they made me teary all over again. What joy she has brought to your family, and also to anyone who's met her, like Bob and I. She is a precious girl and loved by many.
Your party sounds wonderful. I love kabobs and that marinade will be tried out!
Happy belated anniversary too. 45 years is incredible. We anticipate 43 this year and like you, I don't know where those years went.
I'll be waiting to see the photo and the flowers!

[Ginny Hartzler]

What a beautiful last photo of you and Dagny! The kebabs look out of this world! Happy anniversary, I hope you have a grand celebration!!! I am looking forward to the photos. The Alliteration in your "particulars of that party" sentence was not lost on me!! T.G.'s nickname for Dagny cracks me up!!

[Jeanette]

I honestly would love to know your secret as to how you have the energy for all these parties! Happy Birthday to Dagny. Such a beautiful girl! And Happy Anniversary to you and TG!

[Jennifer]

@Mike ... Thank you! I will pass it on to her! xoxo

@Mari ... I read them again too and they made me cry too! How could we ever imagine our lives without Dagny, and what would we ever have done without her? I don't even want to know. She is a precious girl. Mari DO try that marinade! Dagny commented about the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. It's really, really good. Yes, 45 years. Mercy. I think you'll like the flowers but you have seen that photo before, haha! xoxo

@Ginny ... I constructed that alliterated sentence JUST FOR YOU and I KNEW you'd like it, hahaha! I love alliteration. The kebabs really were excellent and so easy and fun. Yes, TG has called her the Dagginator from the very beginning. Now when she comes into view I quote Shakespeare (MacBeth): Is this a Dagger which I see before me, the handle pointed toward my hand? Hahahahaha xoxo

@Jeanette ... Hahahahaha I know it seems crazy but I love cooking for a crowd so much, it actually energizes me. I love to have a project. And everyone does help me, in any way that I ask. So for as long as I can do the parties, I will do the parties! Thank you for your well wishes, my friend! xoxo

[Lori]

Happy Birthday to Dagny and Happy Anniversary to you two!! I can't believe she's 10 and I can't believe you have been married 45 years. That is a huge accomplishment. TBG and I celebrated 34 and even with 11 years less than you, I don't know where the time has gone. Everything for the party looks gorgeous, especially the food. I am putting kabobs on the menu very soon. They turned out just gorgeous. I can't wait to hear about the anniversary celebration. Stay cool!!

[Donna G]

Love both of Dagnys’ nicknames-perhaps indicating both sides of her personality? And buckle your seatbelt, I believe the coming years will go in warp speed!
You love your family well in celebrating all the special days, creating memories.

[Jennifer]

@Lori ... YES do the kabobs-kebabs-kebobs, hahahaha! They are so simple and so wonderful and do try that marinade as it is exceptionally good. BTW I did not use twelve cloves of garlic, and certainly I did not double that number, hahaha! I used about four and that was plenty. These milestones do take one aback, do they not? Pause to consider the brevity of life on this earth. Have a great week my friend! xoxo

@Donna ... Warp speed indeed! If you don't take pictures to remember it all by, it becomes a blur! Also I keep a journal where I recount these daily forays into family togetherness, hahaha! xoxo

[Jim and Barb]

Your post made me smile. So great to see a family get together like that. And Dagny was all smiles. Just wait, three more years and she'll be a teenager!

[Dianna]

Dagny had such a beautiful 10th birthday celebration thanks to everyone...and especially to Mamaw who prepared all of that delicious food! I always enjoy reading about your family celebrations, Jenny. Dagny is a very blessed young lady to have such a loving family.

[Jennifer]

@Jim and Barb ... Oh yes our Dagny talks about her birthday for weeks in advance and savors every moment when it finally arrives. I love to see a child have a fun and exciting birthday! Birthdays were not like that at my house when I was growing up, hahaha! So we make a big deal out of all of the children. And DON'T remind me that she will be a teenager in three years! She already thinks she's thirty, hahaha! xoxo

@Dianna ... Dagny certainly is loved and adored, as every child should be, and the same way we feel about all of our eight grandchildren! Yes we had quite a time in her honor. It was a blast, hahaha xoxo

[Maryellen]

I don't know if I can express the thoughts that follow from these posts. I feel hope for all of us, maybe for this world, that your daughter was enveloped in love and forgiveness during her hours of need. You made a quick reference to self-forgiveness. That is the hardest forgiveness of all, I think, I am divorced and still, years later, spend time thinking about how I got to this place in life and what I might have contributed to it. I am so very happy for your daughter because even though she has family and friends, living life without a partner is not the easiest of roads. The 'we' in her life expands to include a partner she can count on for the rest of her life, as you well know from your long marriage. Happy birthday to your beloved, Dagny. Isn't it amazing how something so lovely arose from a dark time? Light follows the darkness; spring follows winter if we can hold on with grace and love.

[Jennifer]

@Maryellen ... You know, I am glad you brought up a quick reference to our forgiving ourselves. I have since learned that that popular and oft-repeated concept is not at all biblical. It is false. We do not need to forgive ourselves; if we have the forgiveness of God -- available for the asking -- that is more than sufficient. When I wrote that post, I did not know that. So it goes for you, and for me, and for Audrey, and for every child of God: whatever happened in the past, it is under the blood of Christ and if you have sought forgiveness, it is yours. No need to wonder, no need to labor under the burden of forgiving yourself. I think that's wonderful, and so freeing. My TG often says, any time the subject is what comes next after a failure or a loss. "Just keep moving forward," he says. God will meet you every step of the way. What still amazes me is that in all of these years since that traumatic event (and it was traumatic, for all of us), not one person has ever said a single unkind word to us, about Dagny or the wrong choices that Audrey made. Not one friend, acquaintance, or family member has been anything but loving and generous in every way. It taught me a number of lessons and as if that were not enough, we have Dagny, the greatest gift and one without which none of us can imagine life! Thank you for your thoughtful words and I hope to open my email one day to find that you are coming to see me! xoxo

[hena]

Happy 10th Birthday Dagny. Looks like a wonderful celebration.

[Jennifer]

@Hena ... Thank you my friend! xoxo

[Carla TePaske]

Hello Jenny, I love the nicknames. :-) They make me smile.
10 years old... oh my goodness.
I read the story Shock and aww.. what a precious post .. and TG's advice above that you shared in Maryellen's comment, thank you for that... so true.
Carla

[Jennifer]

@Carla ... Funny how a decade sounds like almost nothing now, at this end of life. When we were young it sounded like eternity, hahaha! And yes that is a good story, and thank you for reading it. That is exactly how it happened. God has been so gracious to us. xoxo