the birthday wrap up

i have been
missing in action
for a few days...
i have been playing
catch-up
on my research
now that the sun
has returned!


so
my birthday
began
with
packages
from f.pea

and
a card from
my parents...
all of
fpea's packages
were perfectly labeled
with instructions
on
a little star...

after
tea and strawberries,
grub and i
headed off to
the national museum
of women in the arts.
i have never
been there
(shame on me)
and
i keep
meaning to go...
so
a little inspiration
for my birthday.
they had
some of my
favorite artists
and
some
i had never seen
before...

old favorites:
sophie taeuber-arp

käthe kollwitz

hannah höch

and new ones:
maud gatewood

gabriele münter


afterwards
we headed to
the cowgirl creamery
(it just opened here)
to get some
cheese
for our
belgium beer
tasting.
and
then
grub and i
had high tea
at the
four seasons.
we sat outside
and overlooked
c&o canal...


although
it was warm
there was
a perfect breeze.
and all
the stuffy hotel people
in their
fancy suits
were inside.
it was quiet
and peaceful
alone
on the deck.

before
we knew it
it was time
for friends
to come over
and
belgium beer
to be poured...
i didn't get
a perfect photo
for the evening
but here
are 2 of
my lab pals
with a row
of
what we drank
behind them:

it was more than
a dozen bottles
of beer
with cheese
and fries.
some people
got a little
feisty

and took
cute pictures
with my camera!
all and all
there
was much beer
and fun
to be had by all.
wish you could
have all
been
there!

so here is
my
collection collective
of all
my birthday prizes:

(from
top to bottom
left to right)
1. gocco printer! and...
2. other prizes
from f.pea,
3. leather[wo]man
from my lab buddies
(they made sure
it had a corkscrew
for those
lab emergencies)
4. cookies in a japanese tin
5. a steiner doll kit
from sooz!!!
6. moomin piggy bank
7. japanese craft books!!!
8. vintage sewing book
with sewing necessities
from
my dear friend joan
9. a beautiful
japanese collage
from the
smithsonian
from astrid
(AND she wrote me
a haiku!!!)
10. a project bag
for all
my knitting
crafting things...
the
tin of cookies,
moomin bank,
craft bag,
and
japanese craft books
were all
from
cochabamba
(my brother)
and
the pearl
(his wife).
thank you
all
so very much!!!

and also...
thank you
blogger pals
for all the sweet
birthday wishes!
each one of them
brightened
my birthday!
xoxox