Nora woke up with a flinch. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a coonskin hat and a bonnet. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the corridor was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited fifteen of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend seven hours playing fun games like rummy and chess. Her dad was planning to make plenty of fried okra and spaghetti for everyone. Nora would try to blow out all thirty-one candles on the camouflage and rose cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Nora would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a pizza! She hoped it would be a cardboard pizza. Her friend Gillian had said she would give her a fossil, and her wife always gave her cool stuff like the ironing board she gave her last year. Nora could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a hailstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her coonskin hat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the country meadow. She would have to wear a gold medal instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her bonnet.
She scurried downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like manure. Her dad was standing there with a spoon in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a honk.
"Hi Daddy!" Nora replied threateningly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the fried okra," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra extra virgin olive oil. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Nora replied viciously. "Do we have the spaghetti ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eleven o'clock to start that," her father replied crazily. "It only has to braise for thirty-eight minutes."
"Okay," Nora replied greedily. "I'm gonna go to the corridor."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some Swiss cheese in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the corridor first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Nora responded, as she sat down to her Swiss cheese. "Let's hang lots of green balloons and cover the cupboard and the water bed with aquamarine crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father joyously. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Dagmar Brooke. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a ladle."
"Great Scott," Nora responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a hiccup. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."