Letters to my Nephews: #2

Today was your Daddy's birthday, as I'm sure you know.

I remember one year, Mum and your Uncle A were in Ireland for a visit when your Daddy's twenty first birthday came around.

Your grandfather (whom your cousins called "Granddad") did a great job handling the cooking while your grandmother (aka "Gran") was away; considering Gran had always done all the cooking, this was a big undertaking!

His cooking repertoire was limited; we had potatoes pretty much every night, in one form or another. Granddad didn't care for pasta, and I'm guessing rice was beyond his knowledge base. Your Daddy didn't care much for rice back then anyhow, so he didn't complain about that, but even he got a little bored of potatoes every night, and he *loved* potatoes!!

On your Daddy's birthday that year, since it was just the three of us at home, I was asked to go and get a cake from the bakery. I was fifteen, too young to drive, so I walked to the bakery and home again. (it would have been about as far of a walk as that night we all went down to the pier- remember how Uncle A and I took turns carrying Mr Man's trike home for him?)

Anyhow, unlike this year, it was *really* warm that day, and everything was melting and slushy. I remember getting splashed by a car on my way home, and my biggest worry was that the cake box didn't get wet! (My coat, on the other hand, was a total mess)

I don't remember what else we did that evening, just that it was Spring break, but I do remember that cake ;-)