Pam woke up with a frown. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in an award medal and a few small rags. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the foyer was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like Candy Land and poker. Her mom was planning to make plenty of ice cream and omelet for everyone. Pam would try to blow out all twenty-seven candles on the yellow and blue cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Pam would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a plaque! She hoped it would be a prickly plaque. Her friend Carlton had said he would give her a package, and her aunt always gave her cool stuff like the brochure she gave her last year. Pam could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a pelting rainstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her award medal. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the meadow. She would have to wear a jerkin instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her few small rags.
She climbed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a dusty attic. Her mom was standing there with a blender in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a hug.
"Hi Mommy!" Pam replied sharply. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the ice cream," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra sage. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Pam replied sarcastically. "Do we have the omelet ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eight o'clock to start that," her mother replied elatedly. "It only has to steam for sixty-two minutes."
"Okay," Pam replied defiantly. "I'm gonna go to the foyer."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some egg salad sandwich in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the foyer first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Pam responded, as she sat down to her egg salad sandwich. "Let's hang lots of purple balloons and cover the credenza and the nightstand with teal crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother demurely. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Connie Countryman. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an electric paint mixer."
"Lord be praised," Pam responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a yawn. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."