It was a birthday filled to the brim with memories I will treasure for years to come.
My little white cottage still stands full to brimming as many must stay the night again before traveling long distances homeward. Some will stay longer and visit for a few more days, but most leave come the shelter of dark. Others for which travel in the light is safe, leave next sunrise. For now the studio is pressed to the walls with quilts and whispers, even the garden conservatory is occupied & one will see the candles flickering through it's windows deep into night. Guests came from near gardens and from forests afar ... My bestest friends & family.
I had slept little the night before and awoke even before the birds as my excitement could hardly be contained a moment longer. It was MY BIRTHDAY! I tried very hard to stay in bed until the household came to gather me for the traditional birthday tea we have here at the cottage. A special morning tea is always to be served to the birthday child.
I tried first to read, but that was not happening. I could not concentrate on what Toot nor Puddle were up to ... I got out my colours and paper to draw a portrait of my shoes, but that only made me wish to put them on. So I tried to play quietly with my toys until I heard a noise outside of my door.
Really I should go about telling the story differently.
Lets see ...
How did it all come about that I knew something was up?
I believe the bears that live in my cottage invited all the others from the studio to help make my cake with them. At least that is what looks like happened. Poufs of flour and chocolate bar wrappings on most every surface ... Pink frosting smudges & the shapes of pink pawprints here and there ...
Oh & a rainbow of jimmies on the table & floor where the jar lay empty until I gave in and picked it up.
Goodness. The wash line in the garden is lined to capacity with fresh laundered linen and I haven't any idea how I acquired so many tiny aprons! There are even more heaped on the sunporch floor waiting to be washed next and it isn't even Sunday yet!
But I digress. I need to go further back than the cleanup part of the story (that is for later) ... Yes, I know where to start my story now. I will begin where I left off before ... That was infact the right place all along.
It started early when I heard the noise of scuffling paws outside my bedroom door & the next thing I knew, I was being whisked out from my bed, helped on with my dressing gown and assured that I needed fresh air immediately. Pushed from behind and pulled through the cottage by a tiny herd of stuffed creatures clasping my skirts I stumbled at an odd angle through the rooms until I was finally plunked down into a garden chair outside. Having been lined with pillows it sat next to a table set for a princess (a bouquet of weeds in a peanutbutter jar sat atop one of the newly found vintage cloths acquired just this week) ... and then with great pomp & circumstance, I was brought a cup of tea. In a teddychild-size teacup. With all the works.
Warm waffles with syrup, fresh rolls with jam served on tiny plates. A bitsy fruit tart in a tin and even a bowl of berries was presented to me. One berry at a time. Okay, I think the berries were rosehips gathered in the garden during the previous week, but it was very thoughtful and I told them the bright colored fruit appeared delicious. I said that I could hardly wait to taste each treat. Smiles abounded & chaos ensued as no one knew quite where or what they were to do next.
Oh I do wish you could have witnessed the mornings parade. You should have seen the adorable longish line like a train of toddling bears coming from the cottage and across the lawn, each balancing as carefully as they possibly could, each carrying a piece of the breakfast tea to be served to me at my royal table. First out the door carried the saucer for the little teacup (which came next) ... then came several of the smaller bears trailing along with the rest of the dishes, the silver, then others with all of the details one needs for a grand morning tea.
Finally with great reverence & ceremony, the Teapot carried by my dear sweet William (for he is a big bear) was set on the table before me. Everyone took part in the ceremonial service. Even tiny Prudence Picklewhit was given the lid of the sugar bowl to carry so she could help! I nearly lost it in a fit of giggles when I noted the micelings from the little desk (where they live with their Aunt Arbutus in the studio) each carrying a cube of sugar nearly as big as they themselves are. I tried not to notice as they set them in the bowl, that each cube had been nibbled a bit along the edges and that ChiChi the new baby squirrel had fallen asleep in the empty creamer.
I ate my breakfast with a leisurely pace taking in the mornings goings on. Between working in a new crossword book with a bright purple crayon I had found at my chair, I listened to bird chirps & squirrel chatter (which I noticed would stop instantly should they see me looking up & resume once they thought I had gone back to my puzzle) and I watched the sun reach into the garden through the trees enjoying it's warmth as it covered where I sat.
Of course so many whispers that turned to mad giggling ensued from within the cottage as the day moved forward, I finally had to peer through the kitchen window above where I was sitting with my book ...
Oh what I saw!
You should have seen the kitchen!
I immediately sat back down and squeezed my eyes shut trying not to think of it.
As the day wore on I wandered about and finally begged to be allowed to dress for the day ... I had a new white frock of delicate lawn with lace sewn about the collar and I was looking forward to wearing it. I also needed to wrap a few little trinkets I had picked up here & there to give to friends. Once I was finally able to convince the masses that I really desired to go to my room ... I was taken there (blindfolded as walked through the cottage to get to my suite) I sat on my unmade bed and took several deep breaths of warm chocolate scented air which was filling all the cottage. Total Yummers.
I must have fallen asleep or just into a chocolate haze because I was slightly startled when I heard tapping at my bedroom door. When I called out to enter, there stood my entourage to take me to the bottom of the garden. I was told we were only to visit the faeries that live there near the big tree (everyone knows that this is where faeries live in a garden) ... and that I should comb my hair ... which was promptly done for me as was tied a huge satin ribbon in it that looked to me like I was sprouting wings on my back.
We walked along the garden path lit by tiny flickering lights which seemed to float in the air & moved ahead with us as if to show us the way. And then we reached the edge of the glade. Standing inside in a circle of light were all of my friends dressed in their very best, and tables piled high with food & wrapped packages.
Oh was I so surprised ::wink::wink:: when I arrived at the bottom of the garden to find a party! I even jumped when they all threw up their arms & shouted SuRpRiZe!
What I can remember to tell after that was we all had such a lovely time. I hope someone took pictures of all the unwrapping of gifts and eatting of sweets. I vaguely remember someone handing me a heaping plate of roasted potatoes & my sharing it with Tom Turkey and laughing about what the neighbors must think of all the lights glowing in the deep forest at night. Although the air surrounding us was chilly, within our enchanted circle was warm.
The infamous chocolate cake (which as it turns out was baked into the shape of a heart, frosted with a single perfect pink rose in the center) was served by Faerie light in the evening garden (some call it twilight) just as the sky turned to magic. My friends gave me the piece of cake with the rose ... A beautiful perfect pink rose of which I carefully saved in a small clear box so I could keep my special day alive a smidgen longer. It sits at my bedside as I write, just so I can look at it.
I am quite ready for dreamland.
For tonight I will fall into slummer remembering the Magic of all the friends in my life. Each and every one.
Large and small.
It was a special day at the cottage indeed.
Scrumptious.
I will have to tell you of more details soon. So much there is to share. For now, the stars above my head have begun to catch the moons attention and I wish only to look at my rose. And to dream big dreams.
=^..^= love, zU
In my hood, I have favorite houses. Ones I feel compelled to visit on daily walks. I pass by and sorta nod hello asking nothing in return but to be there and admire them. That's eleven-twenty Spruce. This place is awesome. Nothing left to make this house better, thought I. This house is my favorite on the block to begin with ... Like a cottage taken from a fairytale. The perfect pitch to the roof, the colors it is painted of greens with berry-red trim and white ... the porch has a welcoming bench stacked with pillows that sits under a stained glass masterpiece ... and of course the beautiful evergreen trees that surround it makes it perfect. At least in my eyes. But that day something else made it more than perfect.
