Notable days in the midst of all this

My favorite stain remover from Ireland

Happy Easter!

My sis' birthday was the day after the surgery. Usually family tradition is the birthday person picks what and where for dinner, and what kind of cake. Sis loves Funfetti cake with Funfetti frosting. I did manage to get her presents and a box of cake mix before going in the hospital, but I wasn't able to actually bake the cake. Uh oh.
I managed somehow to get Mr. Wonderful to bake a cake! He also went out and bought all three types of Funfetti frosting since he wasn't sure what kind to get. There's something that just makes you melt when you see your non-cook of a husband making and frosting a cake. It was absolutely delicious, and Sis had a little bit of joy in her day.

Mr. Wonderful and I also celebrated our 4th anniversary, fools that we are. I was too zonked to go out for dinner, but I took a raincheck and we'll have to go before the RAI and low iodine diet that I have to start soon. It amazes me what we've gone through in the time we've been married--infertility hell, three miscarriages, being told that we would probably never have children, illness and death of my mom, and now cancer. He's still here, and I don't know where I would be without him. Hard to believe that it's been 4 years--I had such a blast at my wedding.

My mom's birthday was also in the mix. She would have been 67.

And, we had Easter dinner at my house and Sis did all the cooking. She put together a great meal and can really make mom's mashed potatoes like mom did. Mom's mashed potatoes are our gold standard--Sis can make them like she does, I can't. Mine come out like paste. We had tons of food and wine and Easter candy, and Mr. Wonderful's mom, sister, aunt and cousin all came. Ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole (aka coronary in a bowl, but soooooo good), yummy salad, pie, lemon/raspberry treats, not to mention the tons of munchies we had before dinner. The day went really well despite a near disaster with table linens. I packed mine months ago for the impending move that still hasn't happened, and couldn't find them. I ran up to my mom's and pulled out a bag of hers, and we decided hey--I have cancer. Let's use my grandmother Reki's hand-painted linen tablecloth from Ireland! It was a bitch to iron (I can see why she used to send it out to be pressed), but it looked nice. It made it through the whole meal until in a matter of seconds during the cleanup, an entire cup of coffee and an entire glass of red wine spilled. Sis and Sis-in-law spent the next hour and a half googling every remedy they could find to get the stains out. Salt, white wine, soda water, cold water, hot water....and lots of soaking and scrubbing. Finally I used my favorite stain remover from Ireland, washed it twice in Woolite and the stains came out! Whew....I'm sure Reki was rolling in her grave, but the table cloth survived. And I will use it again. Along with the china, silver and Waterford. What good are they in the cabinet? More cancer lessons.... The day was exhausting, but enjoyable. I slept for hours the next day!