Chatbug Karen

When the kids are visiting, any healthy eating goes out the window. I refuse to listen to hemo rage reviews and read information about diet supplements! Life is to be enjoyed and when my family gets together, we entertain around the dinner table. Last Tuesday was my birthday and so, my daughter and I decided to make a cake. I recommended cherry chip because that is her favorite birthday cake and since we didn’t get to celebrate with her in January, we could eat her cake now. My favorite dessert is cheesecake. We put the two together and came up with this recipe. We were in the grocery store looking up recipes on her iPhone. I love being able to do that. Too bad I am too cheap to get a phone like that for myself. My son has web access on his phone too and was able to make us dinner reservations while en route to the restaurant. It was fun being seated ahead of the crowd of people lined up at the door.

Cheese cake recipe
from halfhourmeals.com
2-8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
9in graham cracker crust
chop up cherries
Beat ingredients together, mix in cherries, bake at 350 for 30 min. Add desired topping, bake 10mins, til center is set.

My funny sister sent me this card for my birthday. Do you stand in the aisle at the card shop and read the cards? This one said “Betty confuses her husband’s “little blue pill” with her muscle supplements.

The card went on to ask if I was prepared for my birthday. LOL Well, I guess I better be because it is here and I am eating cheesecake to celebrate. It beats the alternative.

I finally feel like the year is really here. January, being the first month, usually flies by with work to be completed for end of year inventory and payroll tax forms. I loathe January. The only highlight in January is it is my favorite daughter’s birthday. I think we have only missed one of her birthdays where we were not together as a family. She usually requests a cherry chip cake with pink icing, a day of Wii or xbox games and just being together as a family.

February means the year is really here and time to make progress. All the file folders in the cabinet have been replaced with ones that say 2010. It is a struggle to ignore the cold weather and icy sidewalks but we plug along and contemplate my birthday dinner and Valentine’s Day, anything to make the winter go by faster. I’ve been asked to let hubby know where I’d like to celebrate my birthday dinner. Any suggestions?

According to CNN online, Actor Pernell Roberts, who played the eldest Cartwright brother in TV’s “Bonanza,” died at his Malibu, California, home Sunday at 81, his lawyer said. He was my favorite Bonanza star. I loved his dark hair and eyes. I didn’t know he was the same guy who played Trapper John! His bald head sure did age him!

Speaking of age, my husband keeps reminding me that I am older than bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is 50 years old today. I won’t be sending any party invitations to celebrate my birthday but I will be glad to pop some bubbles and annoy my “sweet” hubby. I might even use a roll of it to bonk him on his “sweet” head!

I do not know why I am still up and awake at a few minutes after midnight! I will be sorry in the morning for not dragging my butt to bed. I sewed most of the day today and I am wide awake.

I am making a table runner for a friend. She gave me fabric to do with what I want. I am surprising her by making her something out of her fabric. I’ll show you a picture tomorrow. The lighting isn’t very good at midnight and besides, getting the camera would require getting up from this comfy couch.

Today we went to a birthday party for a gentlemen who turned 90 years old. He is a former salesman who called on our store. He was instrumental in my learning the ins and outs of vinyl floor covering 25 years ago when we began our business. He is such a like-able and good hearted man. He can whistle just like a train. I tell ya, you would thing a train was coming through your living room if you heard him! He also tells silly jokes.

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I have been sewing lately and it seems that when I do that, my blogs are pushed to the side. We have also begun to get busier in our floor covering store. That is great news. Our sales have been very slow this winter.

Be sure to check out what I have been working on over at my Winding Threads blog.

I want to give a shout out to my friend Elizabeth. Happy Birthday Elizabeth! She just got back from a tour at Campbells. She reminds me of the Energizer Bunny.

Twenty eight years ago, on January 2nd, my life changed forever. I found out the reason I was put on earth. I had a little baby girl that day and her daddy and I named her Stacy. I might be a little biased but she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Dark eyes and hair and beautiful skin, I could not believe this new little creature was mine. How on earth would I know what to do with her? Would I know how to take care of her? I was scared.

We all survived. LOL Stacy is an adventurous person and was certainly that as a child. Lynn and I made more rules for her after she did things. We had no idea the things she would try. These were not bad or illegal things. They were mischievous and wacky! I have always said that Stacy makes my life interesting. I love her for that. I am so proud of her.

It is hard to have her living in Florida with us here in Indiana. I want to make her birthday cake dang it! She said a friend is making one for her and a guy that shares her birthday. That will be fun for her. She will be having her last hurrah before she is deployed on Saturday or Sunday. (The bosses keep switching the day).

I am so excited for her and her forthcoming adventure. I hope the time goes quickly so she can tell us all about being at sea.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACY. Daddy and I love you.

Today was hubby’s 54th birthday. He said he wanted to celebrate with a nice quiet day and I took him at his word. That was until some friends of ours called and wanted to surprise him with a fun filled day. I agreed to their plan and hubby was surprised to find himself at the casino this afternoon.

I could have fooled him with a gag gift like some diet pills or a old fart t-shirt but I hated to spend the money on something like that. Our friends wanted to drive him to the casino and buy his dinner! I had to keep the trip a secret and so I had to think up a few things I simply had to have done before we we could leave the house this morning. They were coming at 9 am and I had to drag out some time while taking my shower. Poor hubby waited in the car for me for 10 minutes because I said I forgot my purse. Then, I called him on his cell phone and said to come upstairs because the dog had puked. He came upstairs to find our friends waiting with gifts. LOL

He had a great day at the casino. Lady Luck treated him very well. The weather was beautiful and thanks to a wonderful mother in-law, our dogs behaved themselves until she came to let them out a few times during the day.

My husband’s emails are forwarded to me because he rarely gets on the computer. Today he received his birthday gift from Cold Stone Creamery. He has a coupon to receive a free ice cream treat. We will be near a Cold Stone Creamery on Saturday so that will work out perfectly. I hope I get to get a treat too.

Cold Stone Creamery ice cream has a flavor that is unique. Their smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. I know, from experience, to eat a bowl of Cold Stone Creamery slowly to avoid brain freeze.

While on the Cold Stone website, I saw that they have teamed with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in helping seriously ill kids realize a wish. Cold Stone Creamery has nearly 1,400 locations worldwide and has been a sponsor of the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 2001. Visit Cold Stone Creamery on September 25, from 5-8 pm, for a FREE 3 oz. Make-A-Wish Creation. Be part of the world’s largest ice cream social and indulge in a good cause. An estimated 85 percent of all donations in September will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information visit www.coldstonecreamery dot com.

Not a paid post.

My baby boy turns 23 today. If you would like to tell him Happy Birthday, you can tell him on his blog. We are meeting up in Ohio this weekend to celebrate his birthday. Have any of you eaten at Bonefish Grill? We love their bang bang shrimp.