All right, how many of you have had a birthday party? A real party with a cake and candles to blow out (like this doghouse cake my granddaughter had a few years ago complete with dog biscuit look-alike cookies) and friends singing happy birthday to you? I hope all of you are nodding and thinking about some special birthday when everything came up smiles and even if there weren’t lots of people around, you felt loved and appreciated and didn’t mind getting older.
I’m celebrating my birthday month all through September by having a birthday giveaway. You can check out details on my blog post, September Means Birthday Giveaway or at my website events page. Easy to enter and I think you’ll like the prizes. Three winners too.
But on to the parties. I invited readers to share birthday stories and I’m working through the e-mails reading them all. My surgery last week has slowed me down a little so if I haven’t responded to your e-mail, be patient. I will. Meanwhile here are a few stories about parties I hope you’ll enjoy.
Missy’s Spooky Halloween Birthday Party
A birthday story.
Well… My birthday is in October. So every year my mom and nana would throw me
a Halloween themed birthday party at a dance studio they worked at. We had the
works: Carnival room, including cake walk, costume contest, etc. We had a
fortune teller. We had a face panting and spray on hair dye room. And we
had, of course, a “Haunted House”. The haunted house was the locker
room. Bowls were set on tables that were filled with grapes, spaghetti noodles,
etc, and mixed with creams and water to feel like guts and brains. Parents
dressed in scary costumes and waited to scare you. The decorations were hung.
Two people went in at a time. I went in with my girlfriend. We walked in. A
werewolf jumped out of a closet. We laughed and continued on. We made it to the
table, where we grossed ourselves out by feeling the gooey mess. We were
laughing so hard we didn’t see anyone behind the table. Hands shot out and
grabbed our ankles and we tumbled to the floor. Ouch. Not a second after we hit
the floor did a door bang open right beside us. A witch jumped out. The lights
were dim, only the glowing decorations giving any light, but the witch’s
costume was intense. Scary good makeup. My friend and I shrieked and jumped up,
our trip to the floor forgotten. We raced to the door, the witch on our tails.
Slamming the door behind us, we started laughing. Later that night, after
most everyone had left, we were talking to one of the parents, who had admitted
to being the one to pull us to the floor. We asked if she knew who had dressed
up as the witch. She said, what witch? My friend and I thought she was kidding.
So we asked around. No one admitted to seeing a witch that wasn’t one of the
kids, and none of the kids had put as much effect into their costume as the one
in the dressing room. I asked my mom and nana. They said they didn’t ask anyone
to dress up as a witch. To this day, I still
have no idea who that freaking witch was that scared the holy heck out of me
and my friend.
Well… My birthday is in October. So every year my mom and nana would throw me
a Halloween themed birthday party at a dance studio they worked at. We had the
works: Carnival room, including cake walk, costume contest, etc. We had a
fortune teller. We had a face panting and spray on hair dye room. And we
had, of course, a “Haunted House”. The haunted house was the locker
room. Bowls were set on tables that were filled with grapes, spaghetti noodles,
etc, and mixed with creams and water to feel like guts and brains. Parents
dressed in scary costumes and waited to scare you. The decorations were hung.
Two people went in at a time. I went in with my girlfriend. We walked in. A
werewolf jumped out of a closet. We laughed and continued on. We made it to the
table, where we grossed ourselves out by feeling the gooey mess. We were
laughing so hard we didn’t see anyone behind the table. Hands shot out and
grabbed our ankles and we tumbled to the floor. Ouch. Not a second after we hit
the floor did a door bang open right beside us. A witch jumped out. The lights
were dim, only the glowing decorations giving any light, but the witch’s
costume was intense. Scary good makeup. My friend and I shrieked and jumped up,
our trip to the floor forgotten. We raced to the door, the witch on our tails.
Slamming the door behind us, we started laughing. Later that night, after
most everyone had left, we were talking to one of the parents, who had admitted
to being the one to pull us to the floor. We asked if she knew who had dressed
up as the witch. She said, what witch? My friend and I thought she was kidding.
So we asked around. No one admitted to seeing a witch that wasn’t one of the
kids, and none of the kids had put as much effect into their costume as the one
in the dressing room. I asked my mom and nana. They said they didn’t ask anyone
to dress up as a witch. To this day, I still
have no idea who that freaking witch was that scared the holy heck out of me
and my friend.
Okay, Missy, I think I’d start celebrating my birthday in July!!! Now to a less scary party.
Susan’s Aunt Hattie’s Birthday Party
For my great aunt
Hattie’s 95th birthday, we decided to throw her a big party and invite all of
her friends and family. We used the town fire hall and all of the
attendees brought food. At 95, Aunt Hattie was still sharp as a tack, out in
her garden planting the flowers that she loved and always busy socializing with
people. About 75 people were able to attend and boy, was she surprised! She had a great time chatting with everyone and eating a little of
everything. The following year, her health declined and she had to move
to an assisted living home. I’m so glad we were able to give her this
party because it gave us a nice way to remember her in her prime and having
fun!
Hattie’s 95th birthday, we decided to throw her a big party and invite all of
her friends and family. We used the town fire hall and all of the
attendees brought food. At 95, Aunt Hattie was still sharp as a tack, out in
her garden planting the flowers that she loved and always busy socializing with
people. About 75 people were able to attend and boy, was she surprised! She had a great time chatting with everyone and eating a little of
everything. The following year, her health declined and she had to move
to an assisted living home. I’m so glad we were able to give her this
party because it gave us a nice way to remember her in her prime and having
fun!
You know sometimes the best parties are for someone else. We celebrate with one of our church members every year. This year she was 98. I’m looking forward to celebrating 100 with her. Some of you might remember that I had an Aunt Hattie in my Heart of Hollyhill books. Aunt Hattie could pray down the power. Loved it when she started praying in my stories. Okay, one more party story. This one is when a couple attending a surprise party got a surprise themselves. LOL.
Debbie’s Oops Birthday Story
My favorite birthday story isn’t about my birthday, but a surprise
birthday for a friend. This was years and years ago and his wife invited
us and told me all the details…my husband and I showed up at his parents’ house
for the party. They let us in and took us to their den and we sat and
talked for a little bit and then they awkwardly said, we have to leave to to go
Raymond’s party. Well, we died of embarrassment because we thought
the party was at his parents’ house not His house!!!! We meekly laughed
and left red-faced and proceeded to the right house for the party. I know
it was just as awkward for his parents, because I’m sure they were sitting
there thinking, why are they here? What do we do to get rid of them? Funny!!!
birthday for a friend. This was years and years ago and his wife invited
us and told me all the details…my husband and I showed up at his parents’ house
for the party. They let us in and took us to their den and we sat and
talked for a little bit and then they awkwardly said, we have to leave to to go
Raymond’s party. Well, we died of embarrassment because we thought
the party was at his parents’ house not His house!!!! We meekly laughed
and left red-faced and proceeded to the right house for the party. I know
it was just as awkward for his parents, because I’m sure they were sitting
there thinking, why are they here? What do we do to get rid of them? Funny!!!
Isn’t it good how we can laugh at ourselves and embarrassments can turn into great stories? Thanks so much for sharing with us, Debbie, Susan, and Missy. Who knows what surprising stories I’ll find in the rest of the messages I’m getting? Thanks so much for joining in my birthday fun!