May Berries

The only reason I had time to make this blackberry cake was because the last of six lacrosse games this weekend got cancelled because of lightning. I coach a high school lacrosse team in Omaha and signed them up for SIX games this weekend--complete madness, but the girls really were such great sports about it. As the thunderhead rolled in from the west, the sky was blueblueblue and dotted with puffy clouds to the southeast. Driving back to Omaha, I was racing the storm going in and out of the rain. It barely rained while I napped in the mid-afternoon and then cleared up in time for me to go on a run and bake. It was a great end to what turned into a pretty good weekend.

Megan is leaving soon--she's getting married and moving to Madison, Wis., this month. Spring cleaning is all very real as I wake up to boxes of stuff and half-empty walls. Moving on is so strange post-college. After graduating, everyone leaves, but not so this time. I know Megan is really excited to be living with Eric, but I also know she's nervous about finding new friends and a new job in Madison. It's bittersweet for me as well: a good friend is moving far away (she's the best listener ever), but I do have a pretty cool new roommate moving in. It's just this trudging along of life, I guess. A reminder to enjoy life in the celebratory moments (like weddings and graduations) but also when it rains and thunders for an hour but becomes a beautiful evening in the end. Enjoying life definitely includes making this cake.

I've made the cake once (OK more than once) before but with blueberries. The blackberries were on sale and the grocer. They were nice, a cross between the sweetness of a blueberry and the tartness of a raspberry. There aren't many pieces left, so if you want some, you better stop by today.