Celebration in the Temple

Sue's birthday celebration was one of the more eclectic days I can recall.

Friday morning, The Day, was coincidentally her day off.  I started whipping together the requested chocolate cheese cake, a "Mud Bottom Strawberry Patch".  The basal layer of Graham Crackers paved with "mud" (chunks of dark chocolate), then cream cheese filling with swirls of chocolate syrup and cognac and a touch of amaretto, baked and then covered with halved strawberries.  Add a few ignited candles and you've gotch yer standard fare for a birthday treat.

Since her in-laws were in town, they personally issued the annual birthday mad-money check to the birthday girl and off she went to buy some plants for the outdoor window boxes and a few veggies for the garden.

While the cheese cake cooled, I took her out for a bowl of Louisiana gumbo for lunch.

Friday was also a scheduled interfaith worship night, where Rabbi Stern of Temple Emmanuel (Reformed Judaism) had invited Rev. Blair Mooney (Senior Pastor, Sue's boss, at Preston Hollow Presbyterian) to preach, while the choral music was provided by the choir of our old church, First Presbyterian, Richardson.  The choir director is employed by both the congregation at First Presbyterian and Temple Emmanuel - he call himself the original Presbyjewian.  Sue had expressed interest in attending the service, so Grant and I, accompanied by my parents were all welcomed with a Shabbat Shalom as we entered the synagogue.  The service of religious songs, chants and instructions (directed toward the gentiles) alternating from English to Hebrew and proceeding from right to left in the prayer book had me working pretty hard until I just closed the book and let the rhythm and cadence envelop my soul without struggling to keep up with the literal translation of the psalms and prayers.  Afterwards there were plenty of Presbyterians around to meet and greet, which kept us from quickly moving toward the Promised Land. Sue's Birthday Dinner was to be, if not in a land of milk and honey, at least in a land of tequilla and salsa.

Once out of Temple Emmanuel, it was north up the Dallas Tollway (no wandering in the wilderness for this bunch) to the Blue Mesa in Addison.  Blue Mesa is not quite Mount Sinai, but it often serves as the chosen place to mark special Suneson events.  New Mexican cuisine is their speciality; signature blue margaritas, sweet potatoe chips for a variety of salsas and most plates are garnished with chimayo corn, black beans, avacado and sweet cornbread.  I had salmon, barbecoa pork and chicken tacos with a black bean adobe pie.  Others enjoyed savory enchilada dishes.  Grandpa pick up the tab once again.

We arrived home too late to cut into the "Muddy Bottom" cheese cake and sing to Sue.  So, after the in-laws left early in the morning headed back home to Montana, I cut a nice piece of cake, put a lit candle in the middle of the slice and served the birthday girl +1 a chocolate, strawberry cheesecake breakfast in bed.  Oh!  Such decadence! Our libertine ways may demand we return to the temple next year for atonement.  Better yet, enjoy God's grace and eat cheesecake first thing in the morning. Amen!