mmm ~ there are delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen, where Sarah Alice and Isabeau have taken over all of this year’s birthday party baking… ❤
“Ohhhhhhh Isabeau! I think we baked too many cakes!!!” wailed Sarah Alice. “I told you that I didn’t think we needed to triple the recipe.” calmly replied Isabeau. “Don’t worry, it will be alright. If nothing else we will all have cake for breakfast in the morning, and declare it to be a special treat!”
“Oops! I think I dropped a crumb.” “Are you sure?” “I don’t see one.” “I wonder where it went?”
“Everyone will be arriving soon, so we really need to get some of the cakes decorated” said Isabeau. “I’ll start layering the violet jelly in between the layers of this cake Sarah Alice, if you will tuck some of these pansies around the littler cakes.”
“The cakes look beautiful!” pronounced Sarah Alice. “Maybe I was worried for nothing.” “They are going to make the tea table look so festive!” “No one will be able to resist seconds, and maybe even thirds…”
“We’d better hurry, we still need to put the trifle together.” “Now where did I put that trifle bowl???” “The last time I saw it Izzybelle and the little boy next door were taking it back towards the brook.” “Izzybelle, will you come down the the kitchen for a moment?” “Izzybelle, hurry up!” “We’re running late, and it’s almost time for our guests to arrive!”
“Izzybelle do you know where our glass trifle bowl is?” asked Sarah Alice in what she hoped was a reasonable tone. Poor Sarah Alice is having a difficult day and trying so hard not to panic. She’s quite nervous because this is the very first time that she and Isabeau have done all of the birthday baking by themselves. “Didn’t I see you and James carrying it down towards the brook the other day? asks Isabeau. “Well…. we did, but…” replied Izzybelle quite slowly. “But what?” prompted Isabeau. Nervously Izzybelle admitted that she and James just “might” have borrowed it to use as a temporary home for a poor injured frog that James is nursing back to health. “That’s all well and good,” said Isabeau “but we need to put together the trifle, and I am not just going to toss the cake and raspberries into the cream crock and stir it together! This is a special occasion. It’s our dearest Izannah’s 207th birthday and I for one want everything to be perfect.” “Izzybelle, quickly run over to the big house and see if you can borrow some kind of pretty bowl to put the trifle in.” orders Sarah Alice in her “must be obeyed big sister voice”.
Izzybelle ran back and forth across the farmyard as quickly as she could, especially considering that she had both of her arms full of borrowed dishes. “This is all I could find!” gasped Izzybelle, who was trying to catch her breath. “An egg cup and a tea cup???” asked Isabeau. “They’ll have to do.” decided Sarah Alice. “At least they are both very pretty…” and without anymore talking Isabeau and Sarah Alice set to work layering fresh, moist cake cubes, rich whipped cream and fresh garden raspberries into their borrowed make-do trifle bowls. But what about Izzybelle you ask? She very quietly tiptoed upstairs to the parlor before anyone asked her anymore questions, or sent her on another errand.
Then before you could even stop to take a deep breath the sisters all gathered in their parlor to welcome their guests to the party…
Everyone agreed that it was a wonderful party, and that Sarah Alice and Isabeau’s foresight in providing prodigious quantities of cake was very much appreciated. They also admired the wonderful present of a new book for their library that was written and illustrated by two of their dearest friends, and read out loud to all the guests by Izzybelle (who needs to practice her reading). All of the little frustrations and business of the day melted away, as the dolls celebrated the amazing dollmaker who brought them to life so many years ago… ❤
Izannah Walker Journal 