Birthday Roundup

In lieu of any serious stuff on the blog today, I decided to share a roundup of sorts of my birthday. Three of my kids and two in-law kids came to my house for several hours, and it was nice to disconnect from the news and have a great visit.

Always the jokesters, the kids had fun reminding me just how old I am and gave me really cute cards.

That card had several pages with funny things you might find on a bathroom wall. One that cracked me up was: “Better flush again in case you forgot to flush.”

Haven’t done that yet, but I have forgotten important things like putting the coffee creamer back in the fridge. Good thing I had a backup carton, as creamer clumps are not good. Especially when they are so rank you ask yourself why you even smelled them. You knew. Right?

The next two pictures need no set up, other than to say how much I enjoy Maxine cartoons and cards.

I’m guessing in lieu of a favorite watering hole or other nightspot. That card came Saturday in a package from my oldest daughter who lives in Missouri.

The box had an assortment of gifts: lavender from her garden, a pretty dishtowel, the spa, and a lovely metal bookmark that you can hardly see in the picture. Hint: it’s leaning on the woman’s neck. 🙂

Despite the fact that some of the folks were not feeling great, including me – the pain was pretty intense that day – we all did have a good time. Special occasions always bring us together for a scrumptious meal, seasoned with jokes and lots of laughter, and that makes us all feel better for a while.

One son who is a master at cooking meat brought ribs that he’d had in the smoker for several hours at his house. They were so good the meat literally fell off the bones. That made it easier for the the “old folk” to chew. (I do have all my teeth, but one side of my mouth doesn’t work well.) 

Since I’ve been craving an old fashioned hot dog in a bun slathered with ketchup and mustard and relish and one day mentioned that to my daughter when we were talking about things we don’t eat any more, she figured that would be a good addition to the birthday menu. She and her husband brought some dogs. Really good ones that filled the whole bun, and a few got to stay at my house, along with some leftover ribs.

Guess what I’ve been enjoying since Thursday. 🙂

Another son brought potato salad and fresh green beans that he sautéed with garlic. That has become his signature dish for family gatherings and is a favorite nod to nutrition. We all need that. Right. Something to ease our guilt over eating all the wrong things. And the best part of the green beans – they’re delicious and I had the leftovers with my ribs last night.

For dessert there was cherry pie and chocolate ice cream for those who wanted chocolate – vanilla for those who didn’t.

When I was pregnant for my oldest son – the one who does amazing things with the smoker – I craved cherry pie and chocolate ice cream. Don’t know why. I’d never had it before, and it didn’t seem like a natural pairing. But at least it wasn’t pickles and ice cream.

Anyway, the combination stayed a favorite with me all these years and has become my dessert of choice for my birthday. I don’t even remember the last time I had cake.

But I do remember that I flushed. 🙂

Two of the in-laws who we refer to as outlaws when it comes to desserts, had their own individual key lime pie – vanilla ice cream on the side. Like way on the side – in another bowl entirely. We do try to accommodate the various tastes.

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Even though I’m older than dirt, I still get excited about presents. My kids know that, so they spoil me accordingly. 🙂

My daughter-in-law gave me an assortment of small puzzles. The pieces are tiny, made of wood, and shaped like different animals. They are going to be so much fun to put together, and a bit of a challenge I’m guessing based on the numbering system. Perhaps #5 signifies the greatest difficulty?

She and my son also gave me this lovely bowl to house a a lotus flower. I’ve never had one, but she assured me they are easy to grow and care for. The bamboo plant she gave me a few years ago is going strong, so I’ll trust her on the lotus flower. Eager to get one to see if I can keep it alive. DIL forgot to bring seeds, so she’s going to have my son bring one of her flowers the next time he comes out.

This darling cat statue from another son, is a solar light. The butterfly on the kitty’s tail lights up at night – or in the daytime if you turn it on. Kitty has been living on my kitchen counter since Thursday. He’s so cute I enjoy seeing him there and may only put him outside when he needs to be charged, which might be soon because I keep lighting up the butterfly.

He needs a name. Any suggestions? And it could be a she. What do you think?

My daughter and her husband gifted me with this charming plaque. It can be hung on the side of my house by the back porch or put somewhere in a flowerbed. Haven’t decided where to put it yet, so it, too, is still on my kitchen counter. Good thing I have a big counter.

That’s all from me for today folks. I do hope you enjoyed this recap of my birthday. It was fun reliving the day, and here’s hoping for a good week ahead for us all. Whatever you have planned, be safe. Be happy. And I’ll try to do the same.