My favorite birthday memory is from the late nineteen eighties. My husband surprised me with tickets for The Phantom of the Opera–box seats. We were so close to everything I could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics. It was the most spectacular evening. Colm Wilkinson played the part of the Phantom and every other performance I’ve ever seen pales in comparison. He had such energy live. You could feel his every emotion.
When I was a kid I would actually have two cakes for my birthday. One was usually a traditional vanilla or chocolate cake for my birthday party with my friends. The other was a fruitcake for the family birthday dinner. Yes, in my family we love my mom’s fruitcake. It’s the best.
Blurb:
Companion to Tempting Tori and Lassoing Lara.
Marshall Courage is lucky to be alive after the last mission for the clandestine government agency he worked for went sour. He’s recovered from his life-threatening wounds and is living on the family ranch, but he’s never gotten over his fellow operative and lover, Talia Koslov.
It’s been eight long months since Talia’s seen Marshall and she’s missed him every single moment. Now all she has to do is convince him she didn’t willingly abandon him after he was injured. She wants forever, and is willing to do whatever it takes to convince him their love is real.
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You had 2 cakes?! That must have been awesome! Tracking Talia sounds like a great read!
Always, Jeanette. It was great when I was a kid. And thanks. I had a lot of fun writing this Quickie.
You can’t go wrong with two cakes! LOL
Although, I have issues with fruitcake. My experience with them were the ones my dad’s Civitan’s club would sell every year. Did not like those at all and they prejudiced me to all fruitcake.
Then again, when I tell people my mother’s liver and onions is one of my favorite birthday meals! *cackle*
Happy month-long birthday, Lissa!
Too early. Didn’t finish a sentence. LOL I meant to say…
Then again, when I tell people my mother’s liver and onions is one of my favorite birthday meals I usually get a seriously negative response! *cackle*
The Phantom of the Opera box seats? That must have been absolutely amazing! I love the Phantom, the music is gorgeous and the story is so much fun. I have to say I’m always rooting for the Phantom, gotta love the bad boys! *g* You were so lucky to have two cakes for your birthday each year, although fruit cake so doesn’t get my motor going. Like Shayla, that’s a result of a childhood fruitcake trauma. And doesn’t that sound weird. LOL
lol Isn’t it funny how childhood experiences shape how we feel about food, Shayla. I’ve only ever eaten my mom’s homemade fruitcake and it is the best! I still have some frozen from the cake she gave me for Christmas.
I used to love liver when I was a kid. My mom used to cook it with bacon. To die for. Now I’m a vegetarian. *g*
Many people have had fruit cake trauma, Susan. You aren’t alone. *g* And having box seats for the Phantom of the Opera is an experience I’ll never forget.
Happy Birthday Lissa!
Welcome to the 40’s group! I am 42 and proud of it.
NJ thank you for the story of two cakes ond what a memory to share with your family as a tradition.
I have the courage Brothers on my TBB list! I hope to get them in the next couple days or weeks. I will let you know what I think…they sound like they will keep me warm with the sexy, steamy and hot stories!
Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite plays. Yes I route for the “bad boy” Phantom!
Have an awesome day!
LisaLee
How funny my mom took me to see Phantom for my birthday too! I remember my mom being upset because Colm had a stand in that night.
Wow….two cakes….I’m so jealous…these days I don’t usually get a cake or even a cupcake…my family is really slacking….lol
The only Phantom that I’ve seen is the movie with Gerard Butler and I liked it- have never seen it performed live….need to give that a try next:)
I love Phantom of the Opera, even the movie version with Gerard Butler. I have seen it on Broadway like 5x’s, the music, the scenery, the drama *sigh* I need to see it again 🙂
I always liked Dairy Queen ice cream cakes for my birthday. Plus mom makes our favorite meals too. Mines lasagna.
Hey, LisaLee. It was fun to have two birthday cakes as a kid. It was like having two birthdays.
I hope you enjoy the Courage brothers. 🙂
What a great memory, Cindy. I feel for your mom. I would have been disappointed too. I judge all other phantom performances I’ve heard by his…and they all come up lacking. He’s amazing!
Hey, Maria. I rarely have cake now as there is ususally only hubby and myself to celebrate. There are no big family celebrations like there used to be when we were kids. Family is more scattered. I like the Phantom movie. Just watched it again over Christmas.
You’re so lucky to have seen the Phantom on Broadway, Ivelisse. I’ll bet that was amazing.
I think that’s what makes a birthday special, Amy. All that special food that you have. Lasagna and ice cream cake is a winning combination.
Thanks for sharing your birthday memories. I used to get two cakes too.My dad would always bring one in to school then the one at home.
Tracking Talia sounds good.
I can’t tell my kids about the two cake thing. They would insist that it is a really good idea! I think the book sounds great. Another one for the wish list. Not gonna buy it today because my Kindle is broken:( I will get it when the Kindle is fixed.
Though I enjoyed the birthday parties as a kid, I always preferred the family birthday dinners. They meant much more to me than a party.
2 cakes, can’t let my kids know about this, they will hound me 🙂 It was a tradition growing up we always got to pick out where we wanted to eat on our birthdays. Any place, our choice. I think I dissapointed my mom one year when I chose Taco Time, I just couldn’t pass up the chance for a yummy soft taco and tater tots. Everyone complained, but to Taco Time we went. LOL It’s something I do with my kids now and I have yet to have one say Mcdonalds, but I know it will come soon 🙂
This book sounds great, I love a story where two old lovers get reaquainted 🙂
Cool having two cakes. Do you still do that? I like to have Angel Food Cake and brownies for mine.
Lea Ellen {night owl in IL}
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Having two cakes is fun, elaing8! That’s a very special thing your dad did for you.
Sorry to hear your Kindle broke, JenB. That’s a bummer. Hope you can get it fixed soon. I’ll bet your kids would love the idea of two cakes. *g*
I can understand that TraceyD. Back then I had more family around. My grandparents, an aunt and cousins, besides my family. We celebrated every occasion together. It was nice.
That’s a wonderful tradition, Jolene. Back when I was a kid there really were no fast food places to go to eat. Only a couple of restaurants. Having the family dinner made the day special.
That sounds yummy, Lea. No, I don’t do the two cakes anymore. *g* Only hubby and I to celebrate most years.
Whoo—–two cakes! I was lucky to get one.
What an awesome gift! I adore musical theater and try to see a show once every year. This book looks super good too. I love me some cowboys.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
I’m so jealous of the Phantom box seats. I would love to see Phantom.
iqb99@yahoo.com
Two cakes. Now that’s the way to go.
lenikaye@yahoo.com
I loved Phantom of the Opera – it is one of the two plays I have seen mreo than once.
This book sounds great! Please enter me.
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Love your post NJ, I am definitely a two cake kind of birthday girl.
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Ah the Phantom ..sigh I saw that several years ago and fell in love allover again.
Your Birthdays sound so NICE!!
nblack@twcny.rr.com
Two cakes, what a nice memory. Having a special family cake is a wonderful thing.
meingee@yahoo.com
I’ve never tried fruitcake most of the ones I’ve seen just don’t look very good. We didn’t do a lot for birthdays when I was a kid but my Grandmother would make me a cake.
sstrode@scrtc.com
I haven’t see Phantom of the Opera, but I will soon. We always had cheese-cakes for birthdays! Yum!
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The “Birthday Rule” in my family is that you get to eat whatever you want for dinner. This year I’m getting homemade enchiladas & a red velvet cake (which I LOVE!) for my bday cake. I think my mom said something about making it into cupcakes though, but it’s still YUMMM.
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The two cake thing was wonderful when I was a kid. It was like having two birthday parties. And the Phantom was an experience I’ll never forget.
Thank you to all of you for your comments. And thank you to Lissa for inviting me to share her month-long birthday celebration.
Happy Birthday Lissa!
I love your two birthday cake story it means I’m not the only one that has two. Every year my mom always gets me the traditional cake, usually from the store because bless her she just can’t bake. But I love baking and cake decorating so I always do something different like last years a peanut butter chocolate mousse cake big hit absolutely loved it. And N.J have to say I’ve read some of your books and I love them, this one is in the to be read list.
In our house, the birthday boy or girl gets to choose where to go out to eat as well. Since the hub doesn’t really eat sweets, we seldom have cake. But this past year, we went out to celebrate at a fancy place with my old bosses. Three of the four of us all celebrate about a week apart. It was a special night with fancy cake for dessert. yum. NJ – I did read Lara’s book, have Tori’s on my list to buy, and have added Talia’s.
That’s really neat that you have 2 cakes. Every few years my birthday falls on Easter. So when that happens my children get me a birthday cake and Easter backet filled with only white choc. I only like white choc. The other years I ask them not to get me any candy to wait for the year it falls on Easter.
Heidi
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It’s funny that you had two cakes. Growing up my two cousins (we all were real close) were born within days of each other in July. We always had a huge birhtday at the lake. Each of us had our own cakes so there were THREE! We loved it!
forettarose@yahoo.com
I am not a cake eater so two cake would have been wasted on me. My mom always made me my very own pie. I got to eat it all myself. LOL it was small but MINE!
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Oh! I remember when I got tickets to the Phantom only to realize it was a PARODY Play… Lol. I laughed all night but it wasn’t the same.
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Tracking Talia sounds like a good read. Can’t say I share the enthusiasm for fruitcake though…
one can NEVER have too many cakes. LOL lucky you!
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Two cakes is awesome. I actually forgo cake. I prefer getting water ice instead.
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hmm the book sounds great. thanks
i only get one cake but mine is always really interesting since i was born on halloween
one year it was a gigantic spider lmao
swkimbell@yahoo.com
book sounds great thanks
carol.byles@yahoo.com
Wow Phantom of the Opera–box seats what a wonderful gift! lucky lucky you
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Nice…the book sounds great.
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Not sure I would like fruitcake for any day but Christmas. Chocolate cake with creamcheese frosting would be my dream cake.
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I could definitely get behind multiple cakes, NJ! Do you still make your mom’s fruitcake for your birthdays? Sounds like a delicious tradition!
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