Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[violina]

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

Happy Early Birthday!

I haven't figured out what's my thing just yet. When we lived in SF, we'd go Christmas tree shopping, have dinner at one of my fav restaurants, and maybe go to the Dickens Fair or Fungus Fair. Since moving, I haven't figured out an activity however we still try to go to a fav restaurant for dinner.

 

[Caseheidi]

Thanks for all the welcomes everyone. Nice to feel welcome.

today was day 3 on having our roof redone. I was hoping they would finish, but no shingles yet. Looks like another noisy day tomorrow. At least today we had our long bike ride and I took my Mom out to run some errands. She was able to pick up three new books, so that should take a few days.

Tomorrow DD and I are planning a good walk with the dog. Max is a 5 yr old mixed breed. He is the only thing driving DH crazy about working from home. Max just won’t leave Glenn alone. He brings him toy after toy and pushes them at Glenn until we take them away. This continues until Max has lost all his toys. He just wants Glenn’s full attention. This has lead to DD and I taking frequent walks with Max. Other then that I really need to do laundry and scrub the bathrooms. Fun times!

oh and today’s QOTD - I am not a fan of my Birthday (too many bad ones In the past) and like to keep I quiet. DH has been trying change that for me over the past19 years. Did I mention we just sell rated our 19 on Monday. Anyway, I turn 50 on the 10th of next month and it will just be another day. Still trying tofigure out how I can possibly be 50!

 

[lynxstch]

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

It's just another day to me, and the older I get, the more I dislike the day. It's usually quiet, a few calls or cards from friends and family. Hubby makes crabcakes for our dinner (the one thing he can make better than I do, lol!) Sometimes I pick up a small cake at the grocery store. By the end of the day, I just feel a year older, and am glad the day is over with!
@Caseheidi Happy Belated 19'th Anniversary--hope you had a nice one!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I like to spend my birthday acting as if nothing has happened. I definitely do not like celebrating it. It is just another day. My idea birthday is one that nobody notices. I am not a fan of birthdays... after so many of them, you just don't want to get any older.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I ignore my birthday (and Mother's day too, for the same reason). |

I used to ask for two things : someone else make dinner and clean up (or that we go out for anything, even McD's); and that there is no BS (kids fighting, DH being a PITA, things like that). I'll let you guess how many times either of those happened. In fact, it seems like the BS was worse on my bday and on Mother's Day, and I usually ended up cooking because I'd get (at 5pm) 'so what's for dinner' from DH. Um, did you not plan something? No? Fine, I'll make hot dogs (or whatever I had had the forethought to pull out of the freezer.)

I got so fed up, that a couple years ago, DH asked on my bday, what I wanted for my bday, and I laid it all out for him. "not a thing, because y'all haven't listened to me the last 20+ years, you aren't going to start now". I grabbed a glass of wine, my good emergency chocolate (y'all...if you empty a jolly green giant box marked "brussel sprouts" and wrap your good emergency chocolate in a ziplock and hide it in the box in the freezer, no one will look for it there) and my favorite "I need to leave the world behind" book, and took a nice hot bath (with Dr Teal's epsom salt soak). Came out to "so what's for dinner"

DD#2 still does something, usually a card from them, and whatever little trinket DGS#2 wants to send his favorite Mimi (he has a favorite Yay (other grandmother) too, and a favorite Pops (DH) too). DD#1 might remember to say HB a day later. DS...well, he's a teenager and he might walk by and pat me on my shoulder, but that's about it.


With that vent out of the way....jeez....
Had a good last couple of days. Storming off and on, and I think my upstairs neighbors moved out. (please, please.)

Let's see, we've had homemade fried fish/fries/veg; frozen pizza (cause I was lazy); bad Chinese food that gave us stomach troubles (I am 95% sure it came from there so no more ordering from them); homemade chicken noodle soup, made in the Instantpot; and bunless burgers/mac n cheese/veg (as the buns went moldy). Tonight is bangers with mashed potatoes and gravy, and veg. Tomorrow is burgers/fries/veg and then I think Saturday I'm trying a new recipe, garlic chicken meatballs with zoodles.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good Morning to all and Happy upcoming Birthdays to AuntieMe3, Heidi, and Gwynne!

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

My quarantine birthday this last May was one of the nicest and most meaningful to me! It meant extra more to me that God had given me the gifts of health, extra time to spend with my Dad, also in health, and virtually and by email and phone with friends, including all of you! I had saved any cards I had received over the week or so before. It was such fun to relax on my birthday morning by opening them, reading messages from dear friends and my Dad, too, of course. When I was younger I never waited until my actual birthday or Christmas to open a card (or gift). I have come to learn that for me waiting is so special. It feels more like the person who sent me the card who was brought into my life in the first place by God, is with me in a sense.

Last year, my birthday fell on a Sunday. It meant a lot for me to go to church, serve as a Deacon and then go to lunch with two friends. Come home, rest and celebrate with my Dad. That would probably my ideal, something low key in the morning/very early afternoon and then before I start to wind down come home. Many years before I did have my first and only surprise party. I am not a surprise fan (for me) in the least! From childhood past, I do not like things (or people) to suddenly jump out at me or be closer in my face, no thanks! However this was a smaller scale surprise party that touched by tremendously. One year in the future, I might like to one more time be at Disneyland on my birthday. I think there is something extra special about being there on your birthday.

I have been so grateful this week extra for being able to talk with friends on my new phone hear their voice. I also have been Blessed to have received some lovely emails an PM's. Be in health and good spirit, always in part thanks to all of you! As a P.S. Huge thanks to those of you who have replied to my kindness project PM! If I have yet to PM you about this and you'd like more info please PM and thank you

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Happy upcoming birthdays to AuntieMe3, Gwynne, and Heidi (and Happy Anniversary, too, Heidi)!

Yesterday we had several "severe storm warnings" come through our area. We got a 3-second (literally, 3 seconds) downpour early in the morning, then the sun came out. Got a few more warnings, but no rain until the evening. When I went to bed at 10 - just as the last warning expired - the ground was wet but we couldn't see anything coming down. Definitely no thunder or lightning. We REALLY need some precipitation here!

DH's birthday is next Saturday (August 1) and I don't know what to get him. Since his man-crush favorite player is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, I ordered a t-shirt from NFL Shop...it's royal blue with the American flag in the shape of the state of Florida, then the Buccaneers flag sort of flying in front of it. It arrived yesterday and I'm afraid it's going to be too small for him. He's gained quite a bit of weight lately. It's hard to tell...but they also didn't send a packing slip, so I can't exchange it. I'll just give it to him and see how he feels about it.

I've gotten Josh to sit down every morning and pull a state to learn about. Today we got Tennessee and he was very into watching a young Tina Turner do her "Proud Mary." I told him about being able to order printed travel guides and his ears perked up, so he is now looking forward to those.

I am having awful potty problems with him, though, and this is the biggest reason that I've been so cranky lately. He absolutely refuses to use the potty. We have been working on this since he was 2.5. I think he likes being wet and stinky. We have tried rewards and sticker charts - in fact, there's a Hot Wheels truck that's been sitting up in our bookcase where he can see it for over a year now - and he doesn't care. We let him pick out his own potty...we bought him underwear of his choice. With the underwear, he once made such a huge mess that I threw that pair out instead of trying to clean it. It was his favorite one and he cried for about 30 minutes. I thought that would help...Nope. I take away his pants...he screams and hits and kicks me until I give him pants. I have tried the "Oh Crap" training book that almost all the moms in my FB group recommend and it didn't work for us. The only thing I can say is that a lot of other moms in the group are suddenly having problems with their kids as well, even up to age 8. A weird behavioral reaction to the pandemic, I suppose. It's just getting really frustrating.

Tonight is gymnastics night, so we'll get takeout. I forgot to ask DH what he had in mind, though...

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

I don't really like to do much. I appreciate being acknowledged...just a "Happy Birthday" is nice to hear. Nobody in my family ever acknowledges it (like aunts, uncles, and cousins...they've always tried to pretend that I don't exist. It's a long story, but basically everyone on my mother's side hated my father, and since I look exactly like him, I'm a reminder of how my mother's life got "ruined"). I actually really dislike receiving gifts (even on Christmas)...for some reason, I just feel funny about it. I do like to get dinner out - usually I request Chinese or my favorite shrimp parmesan (which I got last week). I don't need/want a whole cake, but I wouldn't mind stopping at the Italian bakery and getting a cannoli (since we really only stop there 2-3 times per year anyway).

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Good morning.

Lots of storms last night so it cooled down enough to open the window in the bedroom and turn off the AC for the night. (The way our house it, our bedroom is the hottest room in the house. Sliding door facing west, on the second floor, and on the end of the AC duct work. Often cooler outside than what the AC is set.) I slept better than I had for a few nights.

Dinner last night was left over spanish rice with tomatoes and a grilled chicken breast. Tonight is chili and salad. Yesterday I also baked another blueberry cake with fresh picked berries. I am going to wrap it and freeze it to take on vacation in 2 weeks.

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?
My birthday is one of two days a year when I don't cook. (The other in Mother's Day.) When I was working and my birthday was mid-week, it could just be carry out. My birthday is in February so, if possible, I like a road trip to the ocean for lunch there. Now that DGD shares my birthday I have to work her party into the mix too. And I always like to see my kids, if possible.

 

[lynxstch]

We had more rain last nite, but all it did was make it even muggier. AC stayed on all nite. Temp was still 72 outside when I got up. It's 84 now and clouding over. I just made 2 quarts of pickles with the pickling cukes I have picked over the last few days. And hurray..I am carefully watching 2 almost ripe tomatoes. I figure once those start the others won't be far behind them. @Breezy_Carol Would you mind sharing your blueberry cake recipe? Aldi's has them on sale again this week, and I want to make something different. I usually make Blueberry Buckle, but hubby doesn't care much for it, and I can't eat a whole pan by myself,,well I could, but you know how that would go, lol!! TIA!
Have a lovely day everyone!

 

[PollyannaMom]

(y'all...if you empty a jolly green giant box marked "brussel sprouts" and wrap your good emergency chocolate in a ziplock and hide it in the box in the freezer, no one will look for it there)

I do that too!

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

I like going out to dinner on my birthday, but I do not like surprise parties.

I’m fond of ice cream cakes, or those giant cookie cakes.

I suppose my ideal birthday would be to magically wake up in Cinderella’s castle at Disney World, and spend the whole day there .

 

[Breezy_Carol]

@lynxstch, I'd be glad to share. Do you think you can see it well enough if I post a photo of the recipe? Easier than typing it out.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Actually I googled around and found it online:

Blueberry Cake from Virginia Hospitality.

2 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint blueberries

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter, reserving one cup. Dredge blueberries in last cup of flour and fold into batter. Grease and "flour" round fluted cake pan with sugar. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

 

[Meriweather]

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

At WDW or DLR. My birthday is in January. We were there this last January on my birthday. Try to do it every other year.
Usually we don't make the DLR one right on my birthday.
If at home, we do like we do for all family. Family dinner and cake.

 

[lynxstch]

Actually I googled around and found it online:

Blueberry Cake from Virginia Hospitality.

2 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint blueberries

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter, reserving one cup. Dredge blueberries in last cup of flour and fold into batter. Grease and "flour" round fluted cake pan with sugar. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I bake mine in a Bundt pan.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Hug to you and Josh, too, apirateslifeforme! Just want to share in hope it might help ease your mind a story from many years ago of a young preschooler. At this school (which I ended up leaving once the attitude of the director was made super clear toward how she viewed kids ( Anyway there was one little boy who upon "graduating" into the older kids' class regressed with potty training. I remember being able to talk with his dad at a graduation celebration. (I had talked with him previously so don't worry) I taught the younger kids so this child was not in my class but I knew him from when the two-three groups mixed. I will call him Mickey for this example. Mickey I felt did not sadly feel comfortable in the older kids' classroom where horribly the motto of how it was run seemed to be "boot camp for Kindergarten" He did regress often back to needing diapers. I had talked with him a few times and it was pretty clear he no longer felt okay about being at school. He just wanted some positive attention :'( He did get to happier place and all was okay but it stuck with me because I believe with all my heart that children always need to feel secure, loved, and heard especially at school! Dad agreed with me that he felt all along that Mickey had regressed due to the new classroom/stricter policies. He always felt badly about that. Mickey had a sibling that had attended this school previously and so the family had history with it so that was one reason they stayed. I think they wished they had not.

I definitely think this too shall pass with Josh. It is perfectly normal! He is trying to have control over one extra thing. He is so Blessed to have two loving parents and a safe home. Keep assuring him, help him as best you can (and he will allow) to be part of some planning for most days, keep even a semi routine and know, too, always all of us on here care!

 

[Snowysmom]

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

I like to have a low key kind of day. I like to hear Happy Birthday and not have to cook or do anything that day except for what I want to do. I love getting hand drawn cards from the grandkids. This year my birthday gift from the family was to be a big family trip to Disney next month. Well, that isn't going to happen. So I have told them not to do anything for my birthday in December other than make a cake and have pizza. Once we can get back to Disney safely that will be when we will plan the family trip again and that will be the gift. I am not asking them to pay for us, every one pays their way, but I am asking for the gift of their time since they do like to go to Disney too. I guess we all have more time to save for the trip and the grandkids will be that much older and can go on more rides. I don't usually even want gifts but I want to go to Disney with the kids and grandkids so I was vocal about it. That is my ideal birthday celebration even though it will be far away from my birthday.

@Breezy_Carol That blueberry cake recipe looks so good. I will have to give it a try.

It has been thundering and raining here most of last night and just started up again an hour ago. I hope that means cooler weather for at least a day or so. It has been so hot and humid.

 

[easyas123]

QOTD: How do you like to spend your birthday? Do you like celebrating? Is it just another day? What would your ideal birthday look like?

I'm usually low-key about my b'day celebration. It's in early October and it's usually a good time to enjoy one more outdoor dining trip to a local crab house so often my pick will be going out for one more lazy Sunday afternoon in the sun on a dock somewhere eating crab dip and drinking martini's ! Or I'll do the same thing on my porch at home.
My most favorite birthday was two years ago, we happened to be on vacation (didn't plan it for my b'day, just worked out that way) and it was my 45th b'day. We were on a river cruise in Europe and my husband took a photo of me with a glass of champagne in front of some nuclear plant tanks we went past outside of Amsterdam! It's a odd photo, but so funny and a favorite for sure!
I've never had a surprise party, although I've thrown one. I'd happily continue on never having a surprise party - not for me. Neither my husband or I exchange gifts for birthdays. We do have one fun traditional birthday "thing" in our family though - my BIL, who is in his late 40's was a confirmed bachelor for a LONG time. He's always been one to take a vacation for hid birthday every year and seems to think it's a big deal! Anyway, I got into the habit of making him he same thing for his birthday meal every year, chicken enchiladas and all the goodies that go along with it. Fast forward 25 years and he's been married for 5 years and has a 4 year old, but we still do a big enchilada b'day dinner every year for him! It's evolved to a "Harry Potter Luau Fiesta" over the years - a yearly signature tropical drink with tiki cups and umbrella pics, mexican food and funny HP goofy little kid birthday party favors since he loves Harry Potter. We are holding it this Sunday as a matter of fact. This year we are going with Rum Runners

We had a strong thunderstorm last night, and it rained for some time. Dogs and I stayed out on the porch for the majority of it, all though butthead #1 decided he needed to go for a long wander during the heaviest of the rain and came back soaked. I watched him go, and knew where he was headed but honestly I figured he needed it as he's been cooped up in the house for the last several days due to the extreme heat. So out came the dog towels...and he eventually came back up from the woods & fields. My tenderloin wasn't thawed out so we had BLT's last night and will have the tenderloin tonight. We've a fair chance of T-storms again this afternoon / evening which is okay with me, it's keeping things green and me from having to water so much.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Related from yesterday QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

I shared yesterday that I was given a small surprise birthday party on my actual birthday once. I do not like being the center of attention or having people jump/call out at me. This small gathering was simply fun and meant a lot as well.

Last year, I was so Blessed to help organize a birthday party for a church friend in her 80's. She had spent a month away from home (hospital followed by rehab) and was in need of some fun cheer especially on her birthday (not long after she did come home). She knew I was planning something (I did not feel it appropriate to have this be a complete surprise. She knew a couple people who were coming and that all others were people she knew and loved from our church. So absolutely no strangers or surprises (which is another thing I would not care for at all at a party for me) A small group of us had great fun pulling this off. Barbara had a lovely party including pizza (something she was craving throughout her hospital stay) for lunch.

A few years before that I was part of a huge 90th surprise party for another church friend Shirley. She had no clue what was up! She was led to believe that a few weeks later there would be held in our social hall at church (people can rent it out) a breakfast celebration for her. She was shocked! She also loved it

How about you?

 

[easyas123]

Threw my husband a surprise 30th, and twice surprised him with long wknd trips to WDW