Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Piper Turns One!

It's hard to imagine
But it has been a year
since our youngest Grand,
Piper,
was born

And we celebrated!
But the best part of the celebration . . .
It was at Linderhof!

We decided to do a garden party
(Daughter Sarah lives in Minnesota where August temperatures are in the 70s to low 80s --
we forgot that the party would be in KANSAS where August temperatures are often 100 plus heat index!)

But the gods smiled . . . 
It was almost Minnesota weather
(or perhaps an Minnesota August heat wave weather)
Temps in the low 80s
and with relative low humidity
And a breeze!


 So everyone would know what we were celebrating!

All of the invited guests came . . .
which meant that we had both a full house and a full garden!

And for birthday parties, we offer typical Linderhof hospitality
first dinner . . . 


Sarah and I have figured out if you feed outside,
it's still better to serve food inside
Our traditional celebratory meal
(summer or winter)
Linderhof brisket, Smokestack baked beans and my grandmother's coleslaw
This year we added fresh vegetables and dip and a bowl of mixed fruit
(we had several dieting guests and wanted to make sure everyone had something to eat)

After dinner, it was time for cake . . . 


Piper's personal cake


A wee little "smash" cake
tradition now for first birthdays
Piper did not smash quite as much as her sister
(or her mother for that matter, although Sarah's was a piece not a whole cake --
smash cakes being a new tradition)


And, of course, everyone came to the garden
for pictures, 
to sing Happy Birthday
(including Doogie who raised his voice in song)
And watch Piper as she
"smashed" her cake!


A big cake for the adults
Served, of course, with vanilla ice cream


And cookies, for those who didn't want cake
or for those who wanted cake and cookies
Big Sister Lucy helped decorate Piper's cookies
(she put the yellow centers on the flower cookies and the sprinkles on the Number Ones)


Children are fascinated by ponds and fish
(we're trying to find out if they're counting or trying to catch)


And the garden was a perfect place
. . . for the children to play
And for adults to visit

Tradition from all those years ago
When Jim and I gifted Daughter Sarah
with her toy trunk
An old trunk that I painted and antiqued, wall papered on the inside
And then painted Holly Hobbie girls on the front

Piper's
At Daughter Sarah's request


was painted with Sandpipers
(Front and sides)
and a map of the part of Lake Minnetonka where they live on the top.

Tradition is also a picture of the birthday girl
In her trunk!

It was a grand party
It was fun to celebrate such a special occasion with family and friends
And it will be a day I always remember . . . 



7 comments:

Pondside said...

We celebrated our wee granddaughter's third birthday today, so it was a treat to come home to read about more celebrations for a dear little girl. Aren't we blessed with these wee ones?

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

What a wonderful celebration! I love that toy box and the traditional photo of Piper within.

Bernideen said...

Happy Birthday Piper! What a doll!

Ginene Nagel - Fox and Finch Antiques said...

The picture of the children by the pond is a beautiful photograph. And, the trunk is so fabulous and made more so because it is decorated with paintings that will make it useful for all of her life into adulthood. What a great idea, and a lovely child with a charming name.
Ginene

Southerncook said...

Happy First Birthday to Piper. Such a special celebration and I'm glad the weather was somewhat co-operative. The toy trunk is fabulous, you are so very talented.

Carolyn

Rosemary said...

What a perfectly delightful celebration! Love the toy box with the sandpipers! Perfect!

Pat said...

Martha,
Happy 1st Birthday to Piper!
(My, that year went by far too quickly!)
Great birthday party in Linderhof's Garden!
Love the tradition of cake and the trunk!
Lucy is doing well at Cookie decorating!
Fondly,
Pat