Two Cakes in September

September 28th marks my only sister's birthday. It seemed appropriate to recall cherished family celebrations that may trigger sweet memories of the seemingly simpler days of family fun. Happy birthday, Angie!

One of the Best Ways to Celebrate Birthdays

Aunt Daisy Rice, Dawn Rice Haney, Aunt Emma
 Rainey Buckley, Rick Rice, me, Angie Gates
Bradley. Take notice of the two cakes.

                Daisy Dean Rainey Rice was born on September 30 in 1893. Angela Francine Gates Bradley was born on September 28 many years later. For several years, we looked forward to a family event in September to celebrate these two birthdays. The celebration was a dinner, usually in the early evening. Some years my family hosted the soirée at our home as the photo below shows. Then other years the dinner was at Aunt Daisy’s house. Aunt Emma, the embodiment of a perfect hostess as a result of her many years in Washington, D. C., entertained everyone at her home on the east side of the square for some of the happy occasions.

Aunt Daisy Rainey Rice and Angie Gates Bradley
at the 1965 September celebration held at our
home that we shared with my maternal grandparents.
It is hard to believe that our home was only
4 years old.at the time of this photograph!

             An interesting note about the square - it consisted of a section of land in the Big Bend community just west of the Belford Schoolhouse. Aunt Daisy’s house was on the south side
 of the square, our home was on the north side of the square, and as already mentioned, Aunt Emma’s home that she shared with her younger brother, Gene, the last home of her parents, was on the east side of the square. Hazel Goad and her family lived on the west side of the square. (Hazel was a daughter of Daisy Rainey Rice. For more about Hazel see the blog post of May 18, 2014, entitled Celebrating a Hundred-Year-Old Treasure.) Just to clarify a bit of family history - Lewis and Pearl Rainey lived on the south side of the square just east of Aunt Daisy’s home. Lewis was the older brother of Daisy, Emma, and Gladys, my grandmother. Rick Rice and his parents, Virgil and Helen, lived a short distance from the southeast corner of the square.
              There were always two cakes at these celebrations. Aunt Emma Buckley usually fixed the cake for Angie. Mother and Aunt Daisy shared an affinity for the color pink so Mother, Bernyce Smith Gates, enjoyed baking and decorating a cake for her aunt - a cake that always included pink in some way. No matter the cake or frosting flavors, both cakes were always created with much love.

Angie Gates Bradley and Aunt Daisy Dean Rainey Rice just before "Happy
Birthday" was sung and the delicious,homebaked cakes were sliced and sampled.
This photograph was taken in 1966, at the celebration hosted by Aunt Daisy at
her home.

            Understandably, Angie always was much more excited about the gifts than Aunt Daisy was. Looking at the expression of delight on Angie’s face in the photographs, one can tell she was a happy, little girl. Aunt Daisy's birthday joy derived from being surrounded by her family. She wanted nothing more than to be with her loved ones. Her motto was "The more the merrier." Sharing a happy time together as a family was paramount.

The "Two Cakes Celebration" in 1967. Grandma Mamie Tripp Gates, Dawn
Rice Haney, me, Rick Rice, Aunt (actually Great-Aunt) Daisy Rainey Rice,
Edmund Gates, Jr., my father. Angie Gates Bradley is barely visible above her
cake baked by Aunt Emma Rainey Buckley!

Rick Rice, Angie Gates Bradley, me with my side to camera, Dawn Rice Haney
in the living room of our home as Angie opens gifts in 1967. Rick's parents and
 Dawn's parents had helped my parents and grandparents build our home in 1961.

Grandma Mamie Gates (partially visible), Edmund Gates, Jr., Elmer Rice, Angie
sitting on Grandpa Calvin Callcayah Smith's lap, Daisy Rainey Rice with Ruby
 Martin Rice standing behind. This was taken in Aunt Daisy's kitchen in 1966.
Grandpa and Elmer probably had just had a good laugh over some political comment.

              No matter where or when we create good memories, the foremost remembrance involves people. There may be funny happenings, lovely surroundings, delightful food, or beautiful music, but the key reason we cherish those times centers around our loved ones. In light of this, we should, as we live our daily lives, hold close in our hearts, in our thoughts, and in our prayers those we love. Living life this way diminishes future regrets.

       

           This photo was snapped of Angie Gates Bradley and Ronnie Rice just as the
          delightful evening was ending. Ronnie lived many years with his grandmother,
         Daisy Rice after Virgil and Dean, her younger children, left home following their
father, Ernest Rice's death. Aunt Daisy did not like to be alone and loved to
have her family members around her.