birthdays and butterflies

My birthday is June 21. So, today would be the day after my birthday...

Every year there's cake - Betty Crocker Cherry Chip cake with the corresponding Cherry frosting.

I became aware of this cake somewhere between the ages of 6 and 8. It was served one year on Grandpa Duda's birthday. Prior to this particular family shindig — all cake had been white or yellow or chocolate, and was either frosted with vanilla or chocolate.  Grandma Knight did occasionally break out the German chocolate cake. While I am always a fan of the coconut pecan frosting - I never quite got the appeal of the cake portion of the cake...

Anyway, cherry chip cake became my favorite cake immediately. The fact that the cherry frosting is pink was probably also part of the appeal. I was a child, it was an unusual flavor, what can I say? I mean, other than it appears at least once a year in my house. It's awesome cake.

My sister's birthday is in another couple of days. Every year we basically trade $20 back and forth in the span of a week.  So, every year I have to conjure up a gift and usually end up making a trip to the post office on my birthday so that it will arrive around or on her birthday...

I conveniently worked up a couple new "species" of butterflies in the last month or so. You can see some of them here.

Hopefully you're enjoying your summer!