Those of us with birthdays in December may relate to this: I sometimes let my birthday pass under the festive noises of the holidays. I let it move silently by, just a date on the calendar.
This might have been a good year to take that approach as we entered another brutal phase of the pandemic, which we now own. ("Hey, you broke it, you bought it!")
Needing a joyful noise
But the holidays weren't really making the joyful noise I was pining for. I wanted people. I wanted some laughs. I felt like having an out-loud, in-the-spotlight, sing-me-a-song, let's-hug kind of birthday.
So, I made my cake. Not just a cake, four birthday cakes, threw myself a little party, and made this video.
And here we answer the question, what kind of cake does a baker choose? She doesn't have to choose! She makes the all - chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, coconut, caramel, cherry, almond, peanut butter, maple, and Styrofoam. Yes, you heard me, Styrofoam.
Mr. Bear's humble beginnings
Mr. Bear, our resident narrator cum critic, was found four years ago along the side of the road in Seattle. He found his voice during the early days of COVID and hasn't stopped talking since. Mr. Bear is featured in the Four Birthday Cakes video as well as in this little tale from early in the pandemic.
Learning to use my new camera
I took my new camera when I road-tripped with friends to Sylvia Beach Hotel on the Oregon Coast.
Every room in the hotel is decorated to the theme of a famous author. My room was the amazing Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I was so inspired that I cajoled my friends into being actors and created a little one-minute mystery movie.
It actually had a storyline, in my mind, which is mostly where it stayed. The camera is also a bit of mystery to me, but I'm getting it!