Since I give you insight into my sorrow, I also want to share with you my moments of joy. One such moment came to me today, which multiplied to moments, which multiplied to hysteria. But wait, I’m putting the cart before the horse…
If you don’t know already, I have an affinity for “King’s Cake”. I was first introduced to the cake (and the story behind it) many years ago through a friend of my mom’s. I can’t even remember the friend because the gift of the cake took precedence over any other memory associated with it. The cake is connected with Mardi gras, Lent, and the celebration of the Epiphany (three kings visiting baby Jesus). Choose one and then call it yours…for my part, I don’t need an holiday, I love the concept of the cake so much I could easily create a “King’s Cake” holiday without batting an eye. Anyway, I’ll go with Mardi gras to keep my explanation concise.
With the help of Wikipedia, “Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.” The King’s cake is essentially a round (ring) cake with a small, plastic baby (representing baby Jesus) baked right inside. The idea is that whoever ends up with the piece of cake with the baby in it, has the “blessing” of hosting the celebratory event the following year, as well as the obligation to make the King’s cake (thus continuing the cycle of the adventurous infant). Isn’t that just pure fun?!
Now since I was a little girl I have loved small inanimate objects. They just intrigue me, that is all. So today, while walking our two dogs–one leash in my right hand and one leash in my left–I briskly passed by something small on the ground. All of a sudden my brain switched gears from drive to reverse (I didn’t lie when I wrote that last time). My mind said, “Rivka, that was a little baby. You know what that little baby could be used for? A King’s cake!” But I continued walking, trying to convince myself I didn’t need to go back and look at the small thing discarded on the sidewalk. So my mind went at it a little harder, “Rivka–WAKE UP–it’s a baby Jesus!” Well sure enough, and against the forward will of the two dogs, I went back and picked up the little doll. It is the perfect size baby to make the perfect cake. The weird part of it is that I didn’t even realize, until I shared my new found treasure with a neighbor who informed me, that today is, officially, Fat Tuesday. Now that is perfect timing! However, keeping in line with my previous post and the theme of my current life, wouldn’t you know it but my oven is on the fritz. Our repairman has been alerted to its inoperable state for over a week now. And I know he will show eventually.
Being my sense of humor is often twisted and rearing to go, and since I couldn’t fulfill my wish of baking the cake today, I decided the baby could fulfill its destiny via another method. So when Cole was quietly eating his dessert bowl of Coco Krispies, guess who decided to go for a swim?!
And all the people said, “Amen”, all the people minus Cole that is. 😉
The Sweet Infant Sitting on a Quarter
living in loss and gratitude 
That is the prettiest of all the little baby-dolls that I have seen. In Mexico, & South America, we celebrate with this ring cake & doll on the Epiphany. We call the ring: ROSCA DE REYES – or KING’S RING. The cake ring is made at most local, Hispanic bakeries. Our family tradition is that whomever gets the BABY JESUS (AKA: baby doll toy) has to make a party before month’s end – just another excuse for another celebration! Many times, the bakery (or family) will insert other momentos (through the underside of the cake) and will have another reason for a celebration or it will bestow a special blessing of some sort.
Love to all of you.
Let them eat cake! (sounds good)!