Five Thursday Things

I don't know if it is because my birthday is coming up or because I've been looking through old photos or because my girls are growing up and out so fast or because my mother is ill, but lately I've been thinking a lot of the past.

1. Red Velvet Cake - The only odd cake of my childhood, different then the vanilla and chocolate my mother baked, was red velvet that my neighbor made at birthdays.  I wasn't a big fan of the taste, but the cake itself awed me.  First of all, it was a deep red color that made it more regal then regular cakes and certainly more powerful then confetti cake.  Secondly, my neighbor made it with two rounds instead of the sheet version that I was accustomed to and the rounds always made cake more exotic.  Lastly, the fact that the cake was only made for special occasions and baked from scratch, not from a box, just added to the mystic.  I never knew anyone else who made or ate red velvet cake.  It was the cake of all cakes in my mind.  A few years ago my mother and I were having lunch at a small tea room and the dessert of the day was red velvet.  I hadn't seen or heard that name since childhood and I had to have a piece.  Now red velvet is the it cake.  Every fall red velvet cupcakes, tortes, candies and cakes appear in bakeries and on television cooking shows.  While none of it stands up to Sue's red velvet cakes, I do enjoy the memories it brings me.
2. Canada Bonnie -  She worked at the school my children attended.  She was a whirlwind and one of those people that could do everything.  She ran that school in every department and was always upbeat and cheerful.  So much so that I didn't know about her anguish until the day I got the call to help her and her son pack to run home to Canada.  She made it and last I heard all was well.  Recently she has been on my mind.  Little things trigger memories and I wonder how she is doing and what is happening with her and H man.  People come and go in this life and we really should make a better effort to hold close the ones who make an impact.
3. Babies - I think all the time about when my kids were little.  I rehash moments and tell stories.  The other night I had a dream about holding a baby girl.  She was as cute as could be and I held her and rocked back and forth and just stared at her.  She belonged to one of my neighbors (who does not have a baby and does not plan another one as she has three kids) and the dream went on with me pretending to breastfeed the child so a policeman wouldn't think we were driving around the city with a baby in the front seat.  No need to get into that dream.  Two days later I opened facebook to find that 2, TWO, people I know are pregnant.  Both women have two children already and hadn't planned on more, at least I don't think so.  I thought it odd that it happened so close to my dream.  And then on Saturday Madison and I worked at a school related function and Darcy's teacher showed up with her newborn baby who we all stood over and cooed at.  I've stopped now with the baby stories in hopes that this all disappears.
4. House on 8200 - After my mother sold the house (from under me) I dreamed about it all the time.  All the time.  In the dreams we were living in the house until the new owners moved in.  Sometimes we were there illegally other times the owner knew.  I haven't had dreams in a long time about the house until recently, but now they are back.  Not the same dreams, but just dreams of the house.  I go and stare at the house when I go back to Indiana.  So does my brother.  He sends me photos sometimes when he is there.  There was just something about that house, our lives in it, that we can't let go.  This summer when I was sitting in front of the house the owner, a woman, came out to get her mail.  I briefly thought about introducing myself and asking to go in like a friend of mine did years ago after she came home for a visit.  But then I was mad that she was outside interrupting my memories.  She didn't belong in them.  Instead I sped away, annoyed.  Perhaps I didn't get my yearly closure, thus the dreams.
5. Records - I know they have players out now, but what about the records themselves?  I have Christmas albums I love so maybe that is why they are on my mind as I dig those out at this time of the year.  I still have a workable player.  I worry what will happen if the needle breaks.  Where would I go to get a new one?  Recently old songs are in my head and I look them up online just to hear them.  Itunes doesn't have some of them.  Back in the old days of downloaded music for a fee I tried to get most of the music loaded on my Ipod that I had 45's for.  It is in a playlist called "Cara's 45's".  The other day I found my missing Ipod and spent the day listening to it after I fixed my IHome.