We got home late Friday night, after coming back down Highway 1 through beautiful sunny Big Sur (Andrew did all the driving so I could look out the window, and I took over after San Luis Obispo when it was already dark — lucky me). Saturday morning was errand day and we headed over to the post office to pick up our vacation-hold mail. Here it is, all five days’ worth:

They had to lend us a dolly to take it all out to the car — some orders came in, and all three boxes of our media mail books had shown up from the east coast, plus I had a few birthday surprises…

I was kind of in shock — we usually get a ridiculous amount of mail, but this was record-setting. Those bins were heavy! We went to the grocery store (Trader Joe’s + Saturday around noon = complete nightmare, I don’t think I can face that again for awhile) and then when we got home, I finally got to open my presents!

My in-laws Paul and Nancy sent me these three books, which was so nice of them!

I got this cookbook from my brother — I’m really excited to try some things out…

I opened the gifts from my mom last. She gave me such thoughtful things: first, a signed copy of my cousin-in-law Charles Frazier’s new book Thirteen Moons! The dedication page almost made me cry: it honors his father and his father-in-law, my very dear cousin Billy, who shared a birthday with me — I adored him. I was so touched, and I really can’t wait to read it.

Then I opened the second one — and saw that my mom had copied six of my grandmother’s recipes for me (all in her own handwriting!), including her amazing chocolate sheet cake, my favorite birthday cake from my childhood. I’m so excited to make it! Thank you so much, Mom.

My leisurely present-opening glory was pretty short-lived — we had to clean and organize our sadly neglected house for the rest of the day just to be able to fit all the new books and stuff in. I escaped around seven to meet Cathy at the ReForm School opening, which was just fabulous. The drawings were beautiful and the most adorable surprise guest ever, Sammy (Tootie’s sister’s brand-new miniature Dachsund puppy) even made an appearance:

I got something really wonderful at ReForm School, too, which I’d been eyeing for months, but I’ll hold off on talking about it until I can post a photo of it up on the wall! Once I make a trip to the hardware store for picture hangers, that is…