harry back cake

We celebrate almost anything in our family with cake.  It's a big joke because the grandkids expect cake, especially on "birtdays" and holidays.  Our cake celebrations have been going on for years.  I remember one time in particular.  Back in 2005, I decided to do some travel nursing.  Little did I expect to be doing it for most of the next 4 years.  The family decided I needed a big sendoff...of course that meant...cake.

It was all hush hush.  (Back before the grandkids could spill the beans about cake ...or anything for that matter... we did a pretty good job of keeping secrets.)  This particular cake was supposed to remind me to come home, and that I had a loving family waiting for me with open arms and tears in their eyes.

It didn't quite work out that way.  Steve got the cake.  That was the first mistake.  He had asked the young lady to put "Hurry Back Cathy" on top.  She did.  She couldn't spell.  That was the second mistake.  He looked at it when she handed it to him and what he saw was:

"Harry Back Cathy"

He mentioned it to her, and the young lady asked if he wanted her to redo it.  He stood looking at it, then said....

"Naw... she'll like it just like this."


That was the third mistake.  He brought it home and we all had a long laugh over it.  The story of the Harry Back Cake became an inside joke in our family.

Months later, when I returned home between contracts, the family decided to [surprise!] get me another cake.  And this is what I came home to:

Once I got past the ugly [baboon butt] red all over it...I saw the words...and started laughing...loudly...

I'll always be Harry to my family.  What a thoughtful bunch they are.


~cath xo
Twitter @jonesbabie