Five on Friday - Happy Birthday Pa!

Happy

Birthday

PA!

 MENU

Tossed salad

Zuppa Toscano soup (I have a great recipe)

Texas garlic toast

Spaghetti with marinara sauce

Meatballs in sauce

Baked Ravioli

Pies (Dad's Birthday, Dad's choice!)

His birthday was last Sunday, but I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. 

We had Dad's birthday dinner at our house.

And it was just our immediate family.  17 people is enough to cook for, don't you think?
I don't know how Ma Walton did it!

We enjoyed some relaxing and catching up on each other's lives. 

Just to prove I was there!

This little guy was asking Mom what he should call them!  They are his Great Grandparents!

He looks all sweet here, and he is,

but he is also ALL BOY!

Happy Birthday Pa!

81 years young!

TWO

I gave my brother the hat I made him!  I think he liked it.

And I gave my sister the scarf I made her, and I think she liked it.

She had been asking for a scarf to wear to her daughters soccer games, in their school colors.

Bro-Sis

THREE

A lot of people ask how I have the energy or time for entertaining. 

So, here is how I personally do it. 

I plan and prepare ahead. 

I'm a list maker.  And I love pretty pens and papers and notebooks. 

And I like to plan.

FOUR

I bought this little notebook holder last summer in Nashvville, IN at the Mulberry Cottage. 

It's a very artsy town and this is a hand-made fun little arts- craftsy notebook holder. 

 It holds those mead size notebooks.  I'm not advertising, I'm just showing you what I use for planning.  It keeps everything together and there are pockets for pens and papers on the inside.

 I don't know about you, but if I don't write it down, I tend to forget!

Look at this notebook.  Looks like an old McCalls pattern!  I use it for crafty ideas.

So, back to planning.....

*I clean house at the beginning of the week, and I touch up at the last minute.

*Mom and I went grocery shopping on Thursday evening.

On Friday, I dug out some of the pans, bowls, and glasses that I will need for Sunday. 

And on Saturday, I did any cooking that could be done ahead of time.  For example, I fried the sausage for the soup and ravioli sauce.  And I would have actually made the soup on Saturday, if we weren't waiting to see if we were going to get an ice storm. 

(We did not get it by the way - but I will show you what we did get in a later post)

So anyway, you get the idea....plan ahead, do what you can ahead, and enjoy the day!

I also set out what I will need ahead of time. 

FIVE

afterwards.....relax!  You deserve it!

We've been fighting off colds/flus etc. and I just haven't felt like doing much this week, including getting on the computer.  So for those of you who have left comments, I really do appreciate it, and I am going to spend some time in the next few days visiting your blogs.  Thank you so much.

And after I visit your blogs I'm going to go visit blogs that have participated in Amy's FIVE ON FRIDAY!  You should too!   There are some very creative bloggers out there!

Cindy