So, it turns out...

... I can make wedding cakes!

Maybe I did it because my talk at church tonight was on marriage and since I had to drop the "No Artificial Contraception" bomb again, I wanted to sweeten it with dessert? I'm being awful. It was actually a blessing to speak, and the tough crowd I'd anticipated was actually quite open-seeming. LOTS of single people, too - haven't had singles for an audience in a coon's age. (Shout out to my grandma for that expression. Just talked to a friend tonight about expressions grandmas use.) Anyhoo - it was a co-talk, and other than the contraception part, Kristi had the tougher half and laid all the groundwork with scripture and explanation. Between her part and my part, though - we had cake. "Let them eat cake!" (Not my grandma, there - but you knew that, right? - name who is credited with saying that famously and I'll mail you some cake) I made my first wedding cake. It was mostly good - very tasty, but not as pristine, frosting-wise as this perfectionist would have wanted. I did a triple layer on the bottom - lemon and vanilla - then a mini topper separated by "Grecian Columns" (SO fun!) and all decorated with artificial flowers. My buttercream frosting was a little on the loose side when I tossed it on, but all-in-all it turned out well. I'm VERY sad that right as we cut the last piece, we realized we hadn't taken even ONE photo. UGH!!! I like to have proof of my accomplishments! More props to Kristi for making props (I am on some roll tonight) - we had to stick skewers in the cake to keep it from leaning too much. I tell ya, cake is a stressful business. AND, since we aren't in business and don't own a refrigerated van we had to transport the thing in pieces in a Honda CRV without letting it slide, mush, or melt. Kristi about backhanded me when she pulled out into traffic, the cake leaned, and I screamed (very loud). She thought we were crashing and it scared her significantly. It was a good laugh (for me).

One last note - we have a strict "no food or drink in the classrooms" rule at church, which we occasionally break. We tiptoe around one custodian in particular who is - let's just say - stern. So I tried to be careful, but apparently I was a little on the klutzy side cleaning up afterwards and dropped a three-inch glob of frosting on the carpet. Moments later, carrying my punchbowl out of the room to dump the leftover punch in the shrubbery outside (you're welcome, bugs), it sloshed up and over the side and splashed all over the tile (thankfully) in the hall. Whispering, I asked Kristi which custodian was on duty and was relieved to hear it wasn't the "stern" one. I would have had to hide in my car.

Anyway, the talk is done. The kids are in bed. A few more Catholics now have a better understanding of what the Bible and the Church teach on marriage and sex. My punch bowl needs a rinse and then it's me, the couch, and another yummy Trader Joe's lime popsicle.