If All Else Fails,There’s Cake

It’s my sisters birthday today. I won’t share her age, a gentleman never tells, but let’s just say it’s a landmark one. The sort which in a more normal time would have been marked with hugs, kisses and a big family get together. Instead, she’ll be having a quiet day at home and other than her husband and daughter, it’s phone calls and possibly Zoom for everyone else. One thing she will have though is a cake. If all else fails, there’s cake.

I’ve just come off the phone with her and part of the conversation was soundtracked by the sound of my niece whisking together buttercream to use on her mother’s cake. Apparently, like so many other people, my niece has become a keen baker during lockdown. I was getting a running commentary from her mum on the clouds of icing sugar in their kitchen, a commentary so graphic that I almost felt I can taste the sugar from here.

I’m sure there will be candles on the cake, a glass of something nice to drink, and despite the low key day she’ll enjoy herself and have some happy memories. It may not be the way she planned, but if all else fails, there’s cake.

Like so many families, we haven’t seen each other for months now, to be honest, I’ve almost lost track of how long it has been. We haven’t been able to see dad either. He formed a social bubble with a friend and together they’ve kept each other company during lockdown. As much as we’d like to see him it’s been good to know that he’s safe and well. We both call him regularly and it’s never long before the conversations get around to food. Cooking and baking have been part of his  lockdown routine and I think he’s rather taken by surprise at how much he’s enjoying it. I think mum would have been quite proud of him.

Yesterdays announcements about the slow easing of lockdown over the coming months have at least given us hope it won’t be too long until we can all get together again. The only problem I envisage when we do, is who’s going to do the baking. Because if all else fails, there’s cake.