Birthday Cake for Liz.

It was my sister's 30th birthday on July 21st, and her husband threw her a princess party. She'd never had one before! In fact, a few times during our childhood, her birthday was interrupted by chicken butchering. And apparently, also a quarantine for TB. So her husband Aaron received enough hints that this party better be GOOD. Good thing he has a sister-in-law like me.

Aaron said,"I need you to make a cake."
I said, "Great! Do you know what type of cake she likes?"
Aaron said,"Actually, I want you to make one of those Barbie cakes. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Of course I did, Aaron. Although my knowledge and wisdom make me seem much more worldly than I truely am, i WAS once a young girl. I was immediately transported back to Sarah Sailor's 6th birthday party, which also included swimming (oh, to be born in the summer). But the clearest memory was the barbie birthday cake her grandmother had made; a baking masterpiece where (a *cough* knock-off) Barbie stood in the middle to be revered by all, and the cake around her created a frosted skirt similar to a southern belle in a whacky baking beauty contest.

Need I say more? I stepped up to the challenge.

Here we see all 8 layers, created from two layer cakes and frosting that was made from almond and vanilla flavoring, a cup of butter, and a bag of powdered sugar. Seriously.


Then, I cut the cake using toothpicks as guides/markers (what a smart lady, that Claudia Meberg!) while mom made 4 batches of 7-minute frosting, even though it only took her 15 minutes. Doesn't quite figure, does it?


Finally, the cake was completed.

We got in the car and started driving to my sisters.
I said, "Drive, mom! DRIVE!"
She said, " 'But officer! We have to get this cake to my daughter!' "
I said, " ' How old is she? SHE'S 30! No! I swear!' "
And we all had a good laugh.



Liz loved the cake. HOPEFULLY she will post some pictures from her party that i took and include a cross section of the gooey tower of barbie. Happy Birthday, Liz! Good job, Aaron! Great party.

Harry Potter Midnight Madness. Not ashamed to admit it.

3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon:
Pick up Reserved Book Bracelet and free glow-in-the-dark glasses. I walked into Barnes and Noble and the guy at the Harry Potter table had two binders of people's names.
I said, "Can I reserve another book for tonight?"
He said, "You can get as many as you want!...I mean, within REASON."
He said," Would you like a free pair of glasses? They're glow-in-the-dark."
I said, "OH, well if they're glow-in-the-dark, of course!" I took about 12.

11 a.m. that same morning:
My mother-in-law Jo Ann asked me to pick her up a copy of the 7th book and also offered my sister and I her and John's doctoral robes for costumes. I called my sister Liz to let her know the exciting news.
I said, "Liz, I have costumes for us."
Liz whispered excitedly, "Oh!!! Costuummmmmes...did you get witch hats?!"
Sorry, no, I did not get hats. But Liz immediately claimed the cool Northwestern University purple robes with the floppy hat, so she was pleased. Erica (Liz's sister-in-law and godmother to her children) came along and wore Aaron's doctoral robes---not quite as flashy.


(Thanks Kim W., for taking this photo while writing your forum article!)

10 p.m. Friday night:
So we were in the 17 and up costume contest, but a girl with a toilet seat over her head won. Truely, her heart was in it (she was Moaning Myrtle). But below are the 1st and 2nd prize winner for children 7 and under. On the left was Dobby---sooo cuuuute---and on the right is "Quidditch Harry"---equally as cute but more jazzed at winning 2nd. My sister was taking a picture of him after the contest and a young couple walked by.
They said, "your son is sooo cute!"
Liz said, "He's not my son! I'm just taking a picture."
I'm pretty sure she followed up with something like "but he's cute enough to be!" or something clever like that.



Did i forget to mention that all the kids dressed as characters or Hogwarts students recited their favorite spell in the costume contest? "Stupify!" "Expellioramus!" There were only a few 13-16-year-olds with skirts that were too short.


Midnight, Saturday morning/Friday night:
We buy books! I also run into Deb White and her son, who is dressed as Harry. I stay up till 3 a.m. reading before Tim tells me turn off the light for the 40th time.

Mid-afternoon, Sunday:
Well, Jo Ann and I got our books, we read and read and read, and we both reached 749 (or whatever) by Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. However, staying up too late to read gave me a headcold. Sniff. WORTH IT!

New bicycle.

Pretty cute, huh? I picked this little number up for $10 at a garage sale with gwen this weekend. i rode it home. how sweet. i realized on that ride that there are several things that need to be replaced:
tires
seat
chain guard

it also needs a paint job. but right now i'm just enjoying it. the tires are pretty remarkable. think about how many sidewalks they have been on...

Welcome to 1992.

Priceless.
Originally uploaded by Ms. Ruth Meberg Stine

Okay, this picture is fuzzy. But we all thought it was pretty funny that this was a joke t-shirt based on the ever successful "No Fear" t-shirts.

Hello, Maurices? Somebody is infringing on your intellectual property. You better get to Bemidji, Minnesota, man, and I mean PRONTO.

Stine Family Reunion.

55 Stines. Bemidji, Minnesota. Hundreds of games of wist. Thousands of servings of beer, wine, and pizza. Lovely, lovely times.


Seriously, I had a GREAT time spending 5 whole days with the Stines. I can now draw out a flawless family tree that goes back 3 generations, I learned about the mother of the "Stine Boys," who died in 1939 at the age of 56, and I got to know many of the Stine ladies.


Peg, Velaria, and Linney.


This is Doug's face when preparing to dig into a 3' slab of prime rib.


We also went to Itasca State Park, went to the head waters of the great Mississippi, biked 12 miles, ate lunch, and saw this strange site---hundreds of baby bullhead fish. A mommy lurked closely, but I still can't figure out if they are from eggs or external fertilized. Ew.



Also, Tim and I have spent more time with Scotty and Liz than Dave and Jess so far! Love Scott and Liz---we are a triangle of unity when Tim takes big brother pills. Also---Liz and I really want to attend Hogwarts together.

Where I work.

It's lovely where I work! Downtown Saint Paul is clean and busy until precisely 5 p.m. Then the pidgeons and old leery men come out. Note to self---leave downtown before 5.

But really, there's a lovely famers market in front of the theatre 2-3 times a week.


And the theatre itself is gorgeous and even though i don't work in the pretty part, I still like my job. So FAR.

Stine Family Canadian Fishing Trip.

Hopefully the first of many family trips, Tim's dad took us up to the middle of nowhere, Canada to fish for four days. Couldn't have been more relaxing and fulfilling---also got lots of reading done. But Gabby Stine (age 12) beat me at Strategy like a billion times.


Fresh Fish!
Everyday Teresa and Doug cooked FRESH fried fish. Ah. maze. ing.



One of many...Tim caught about 40 fish in four days.


David and Gabby let their fish and chips settle on the deck.



I know this looks like Olivia is a super robot trained to lay on its back doing scissor kicks while watching Lion King 1 1/2 for the fifth time in a row...but let me assure you... she talks even faster than she moves.



1/2 of the Doug Stine men, David and Tim.


Happiness.