She decorated the backyard, made a cake, set out beer and food, and everyone I knew from childhood stopped by to congratulate us.
But that night, at least, her sleep was unbroken, and the cakes and cider made a perfectly good breakfast.
Three desserts were available when I visited: ice cream, strawberries and a pleasant cake made with canned peaches.
The lemony cake makes the cream taste a little off, almost like buttermilk.
Not only was the cake made from scratch, but she had ground the flour from whole grains herself, using a recently acquired grain mill.
Enclosed in glass and protected from humidity, a cake made only of icing can last for several years.
But because of the high sugar content of sweet potatoes, cakes made from them brown quickly.
The 7-Up cake makes for an unusual finish.
Thereafter she ordered rice wine and cakes made ready.
Serena suggested that they get another cake to make sure they did not run out.