The Daily News

LFCA Latest Issue: Friday, September 25, 2009.

Latest Post on BlogHer: Parenting after Infertility.

My Status: Fed Josh's almonds to the squirrels. They needed them very badly.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Great Cake Day

Welcome to the first Great Cake Day. The closest that we can come to holding a huge, virtual, international party. Below is a list of everyone who is participating in this Great Cake Day. They have bought or baked a cake or like dessert on June 25th and consumed it--either alone or with others--in a celebration of community. Sort of like a virtual block party, with imaginary music, lots of good friends, and delicious cake to boot.

Everyone has taken a picture of their chosen confection and posted it on their blog along with whatever else they were moved to write: lyrics to a song they listened to while they consumed the treat, a recipe, a story. I've compiled a list below and I will keep adding to it as people send me a link to their party post. Jump through the list, going from party site to party site, leaving comments and happy thoughts in your wake. And unlike a real party that takes place in a finite amount of time, this party may stretch for several days with new party posts added to the list. Keep checking back and this post will be archived under the Festivities icon on the side bar.

The Great Cake Day is the culmination to a week of celebrating along with the Commentathon and the Secret Ode Days (more coming soon). It is also my Blogoversary. I'm sort of at a loss for words. I've spent a good ten minutes staring at the screen and trying to think back to this day one year ago. In a notebook, I had written down our brainstorming session as we tried to come up with name for the blog. Iffys. The Waiters. The Psychlists. Stirrup Queens. Sperm Palace Jesters.

When I think about this year, it feels a little bit like a board game. Think Chutes and Ladders or Candyland. There were all these jumps forward like Infertility's Common Thread or Operation Heads Up. There was the Peer Counselor List and the Creme de la Creme and the Emoblopedia and the Blog Roundups (anniversary for the Roundups is July 21st. Expect a plea for help in the next week or two to make the July 20th Roundup a huge bloggy extravaganza). There were the Barren Bitches (and sometimes a man-pie or two) marching through book after book. There were Blilts woven (and no, I haven't forgotten about the bad advice blilt--I'm still putting it together) and movies made for Bea's IIFF. There were lists of favourite things to peruse after yet another negative. There were numerous ways to make wishes and have others hold your wish tightly too. And, of course, we've opened our own imaginary speakeasy and gotten stinkin' virtually drunk month after month. I had no idea when I started this blog that all of these ideas would come to the surface. But they were all the things that were missing for me the first time through infertility and loss. And somewhat selfishly, I started all of these things because I needed them. Because I wanted them. And I am glad you came along too to this virtual living room to hang out because it is a lot less lonely this time around with all of you. This is the place I go mentally when I am stuck in a conversation with a woman on the playground who is complaining about the spacing of her children. I jump here mentally and one of you is usually sitting around here too and we both say, "by fuck! Will this woman shut up?"

And there were chutes along with the ladders. At least chutes for me. After reading Elizabeth Swire Falker's book, I went for thrombophilia testing and found out that I have two mutations. Obviously, it's good to have the information now and be able to move forward with it, but having it years ago could have saved us a lot of heartache. I haven't been able to get pregnant on my own, so it looks like we're returning to the RE, which I expected, but is still a disappointment. More ladders than chutes perhaps, but we're at the end of this board game and it's time to start a new round. Let's clean up the pieces and reset the board and all sit down again for another year of Let's Make a Baby. No, no, I'm not going anywhere. And everything that was started this year will continue this next year. But there are many bloggy ideas that have already begun percolating for these upcoming months. Stay tuned.

But right now, go eat some cake, blog about it, and send me the link. Oh, and while you eat your dessert (whether it be homemade cake or an Oreo purchased at the local food store), start clicking below on the list of other people who are all having their cake and eating it too. And throwing a damn fine imaginary party that is stretching across five continents and many many time zones.

The Great Cake Day List

1. The Impatient Patient (Patience)
2. Well, Now That We're Here (Mandolyn)
3. Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters (Melissa)
4. MLO Knitting (MLO)
5. My Many Blessings (Tina)
6. Infertile Fantasies (Bea)
7. Seed Dispersal Mechanisms (Furrow)
8. The Hardest Quest (Gil)
9. Sticky Feet (Jamie)
10. Bella Vida (D Marie)
11. Fertile Hope (Trish)
12. Our Own Creation (AMS)
13. The Twinkies (Stacie)
14. Upon Awakening (KarenO)
15. A Somewhat Ordinary Life (SO)
16. Still Passing Open Windows (Carlynn)
17. EpiBlog (Jenna)
18. Vee and Jay (Vee)
19. Exile in Kidville (Megan)
20. Oscar Wants a Playmate (Jackie)
21. A Sibling for Celia (Shelby)
22. My Rotten Eggs (Aunt Sassy)
23. My Journey Towards My Little Miracle (Sunny)
24. To Infertility and Beyond (Jenn)
25. Tragic Optimist (Ann)
26. Tales From My Dusty Ovaries (Leah)
27. Third Time Lucky (Caro)
28. Serenity Now! (Serenity)
29. I Want To Be a Mommy (Michell)
30. Nuts in May (May)
31. PCOS Baby (Erin)
32. Outlandish Notions (Sharah)
33. I Will Be Mom (Baby Blues)


What? You didn't know about the party? Well, get on it then and have your cake a little late. Run to the store, grab a pack of cookies, take a picture and send me the link.

23 comments:

Tina / Anxious Changer said...

Love the cakes up here so far! Will comment tomorrow on the sites...

Check my blog - there's something special for Mel over there (well, at least left overs...).

mandolyn said...

All the things that you came up with to satisfy your own needs? Yeah, we needed them too. Thanks for being such a huge part of this community. Cheers to you, Mel!

M said...

Wow, there is some advantages to being in a different time zone!!!

Can't wait to sample all the yumminess out there.... and happy blogoversary to you my friend x

Joy said...

My cake entry shall be delayed. Technical difficulties detailed on my blog entry today..

Furrow said...

No cake, but I've got strawberry muffins. Come over and get some before they're gone.

Ruth said...

I'm going to be late, but I'm eating cake in spirit! (My in-laws are in town, and they'd eat all the cake if I had it today.)

Thank you for all you do. I'm glad you're getting something out of it, but you're giving a whole lot more than you're getting, I promise you that.

You know, it's not bad to have more ladders than chutes -- they're less fun in the moment, but they're the only way you get to the top to win the game. :)

Happy cake day, everyone.

Anonymous said...

I posted my milk and corn-free apple spice cake recipe + picture on my blog(s). This is basically a pure sugar high...

I don't expect any to be left when I get home tonight, though.

Pax,

MLO

Waiting Amy said...

I'll post my pic of our yummy strawberry pie on my blog later today. Nothing wrong with PIE!

Thank you for all that you do. I found your blog and from there found all these other women (and men) and was inspired to start my own blog. It has been wonderful, there aren't enough words.

Happy Blogoversary!! XOXO

Gil said...

My cake is up. It isn't from today, but it is (so far) the most important cake I've ever had. The Hardest Quest; Great Cake Day.

Jamie said...

I put my cake up... yummy!!

Such a great idea!

Stacie said...

Homemade coffee ice cream with chocolate chips. Caffeine and chocolate all together.

1 pint light cream (or heavy, if you are just having that kind of day)
1/4 cup sugar
2 heaping tsp. instant espresso powder.

Put into ice cream maker. Eat when done.
---
Mel, you are the greatest. Happy Blogoversary. You make the community richer, provide support and are there for people all over the world going through IF, all while battling it yourself. Amazing.

KarenO said...

Here is my link: http://uponawakening.blogspot.com/. Hop on your virtual plane and come visit me down (or up!) here in South Africa! The cake is ready, the coffee fresh, the wine uncorked and there is juice or tea for those who don't want alcohol. See you there, thanks Melissa!

KarenO said...

Oh yes! Happy Blogoversary Mel - many happy returns and MANY more excellent ideas in future. :)

Esperanza said...

Mel, Thank you for starting your blog. Where you may have started things for yourself, they have benefitted the majority. And I know for one, I will forever grateful.

Serenity said...

I had cake too!! It's just that my proof is on my camera at home... I will post it tonight, I promise!!

And yes. THANK YOU for your blog.

dmarie said...

Happy Blogoversary! I posted my cake :)

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm, I think I've finally discovered how to make Monday at work tolerable.

My Cake

Anonymous said...

We had cake too, though the post link is rather long to paste here!

Thank you for the cakefest and happy Blogiversary.

megan said...

i had cake too! yum! Happy Blogiversary, Mel!

Anonymous said...

I'm late to the party, but happy to have eaten some pie in celebration - I posted a pic on my blog.

Happy blogoversary and thank you so much for putting so much into this blog and making it a great place to hang out.

Leah said...

Happy blogoversary! There's a tasty little treat waiting for you on my blog...

battynurse said...

hey Mel, I finally got a pic of my cake posted, thanks to some local resident in my apartment complex. Happy Blog-o-versary.

Baby Blues said...

Better late than never... I just had the yummiest cake and just had to post it.