Strawberry Cake and Gifts For This Memorial Day Celebration

My heart leaped from the chest when I received this photograph at 9 p.m. last night. I told Kwame I'd buy him a drink if he sent me a photo of him and Sue while he visited Louisville. Sue did me one better: she sent me a photo first and said I owed them both a drink.

Deal. I am thrilled to know that, for a moment of time, these two amazing influences in my life found a way to be in the vicinity of one another. Go Louisville! Go Brown Hotel! Go brilliant writer-friend of mine! Go words, language, mentoring, teaching, and poetics! I know the magic of Louisville continues and I'm glad to know that Spalding University hosted one of the greatest young adult authors living in our time.

Today is Memorial Day, and I'm celebrating this photo writing a chapter about Kwame's influence on the young people I've been fortunate to teach The Crossover to - three years and counting since it's debut.

Yesterday was spent celebrating Patrick's 30th birthday and although I've made a name for myself with Alice's incredible chocolate cake, I varied the recipe to give the party boy his strawberry cake with funfetti! I replaced chocolate ganache with strawberry and, at least I hear, it was a tremendous hit. Also a hit - at least for me - was the tank top he won all day --- George Bush on a shark with an American flag and a laser bun? Wow! Where'd that come from? It matched the birthday party perfectly.

Gleams was wiped out by the festivities, too. She played with Jake, Mae, and Colby all day, running around the Milford premises for one of the last parties before the house is finally turned over to the new home owners.

Chitunga and I picked up a skeleton t-shirt for Patrick in Montauk last week, and I found a bourbon I've yet to try, Eagle Run, which Patrick says is one of his favorites (so we did good).

The temperatures, though, were a little cool and my stomach isn't quite ready for barbecue season, although the ribs were outstanding and the macaroni and cheese were stupendous. It was the hotdog I ate a few hours later that kicked my stomach into 'yuck' mode.

Sunday, the day that just was, was a wonderful success for the world and I need to use it to energize me for the projects I hope to accomplish today. They are plentiful! I'm optimistic...that's all I can be.