Yes, this is my birthday cake.
I did not want a store-bought cake this year. I wanted to bake it myself. I used the stand mixer from the forties that I inherited from my grandmother last summer to bake her chocolate cake in her cake pans, using her measuring spoons and measuring cups and in that way foil any possibility of my screwing it up. And you know what? I still screwed it up, couldn’t get the damned thing out of the pan. So I plopped it all on a plate, poured the frosting over it, and stuck the candles in.
And guess what?
It was the best damned delicious cake I have ever eaten.
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Hi Cati,
My name is Sally, and I’m doing a little research on a pair of parrot figurines I got from my late Uncle Bill. They have the inscription on the bottom “Brad Keeler no. 27.” He was from Cicero, IL and may have gotten them on a trip to California to visit my family. Another possibility is he got them from my late Great Aunt Emma. She was Irving Florsheim’s personal secretary. The Florsheims gave Aunt Emma many beautiful gifts. I know I visited Mr. Florsheim’s widow with Aunt Emma in Bel Air, CA when I was young.
It’s heartwarming to see artistry has been passed down in your family.
Cordially,
Sally Kasnicka Wilson
Hi Sally,
How wonderful that you’ve inherited these! I wish I could tell you exactly how your uncle acquired these but what I’ve found over the years is that my grandfather’s work made it around the globe; I even received an inquiry recently from someone in Australia who came across his work. Something that you might find useful, though, is a new website I’ve created to honor his work and gather information for others like you. Here is a link: http://bradkeelerartwares.squarespace.com/ Have a look, and happy collecting!