UGH! Another Birthday!

I do not like my birthday!

I never have.

When I was a kid there was always a snowstorm, blizzard, or 20 feet of snow to stop my birthday guests from making it to my party.

Winter birthdays stink anyways because there is nothing to do except go out to eat, eat and then finish with cake, hence more eating!

All the new ailments time themselves perfectly to come out around my birthday. All my medications have to be adjusted to compensate for the aging body. My gray hair becomes more resistant to hair color.

I make the most of it though. My poor husband and son have to put up with my misery leading up to it and my indecision as to what to do on the big day. I want to make the right choice because I only have one chance in 365 to do it right! It's kinda like when I go to a restaurant and take the longest to choose my meal....I want to choose right the first time!

So why am I blogging about something I really don't like and should just put behind me till next year?

Because this year, and I admit the last few, have been pretty okay. The ironic part is my birthday celebrations usually start a little before the big day and go on for a week after. Talk about prolonging the agony of something I DO NOT LIKE!

This year it was actually sunny out! I had to go and take a picture of the canal to commemorate this rare day in January.

My celebrations started with a couples dinner out to Carrabas Italian Grill. If you haven't tried this restaurant it is a MUST visit. It is a national chain so there may be one near you! For the restaurant, I chose the right one the first time!



I made my own cake because I was craving white cake with white buttercream frosting and some dark chocolate shavings on top. There it is in front of me. It too was the right choice!



On my actual birthday I went to church (it was Sunday) and then I really wanted ice cream so we went to Yolickity Frozen Yogurt. It is the best place because you get to serve yourself any or all of the flavors of frozen yogurt plus toppings, sauces and hot fudge or caramel. We did a little thrift shopping because it is my favorite thing to do and then my daughter brought over a whole dinner plus another cake for me. She slaved all day making sausage/veggie roll, chicken wing dip, and broccoli raisin salad.

  

I encouraged my granddaughter Chloe to help me blow out the candle but like any child she just wanted to touch the flame! She did get a finger full of the frosting though.

The next day was lunch out with my girlfriends to Moe's Southwest Grill. This is another MUST visit restaurant where the workers all yell "WELCOME TO MOOOOOOOE'S" each time someone walks in. It too is a franchise chain so there may be one near you. I always get the Close Talker salad with tofu and tons of toppings, chips and queso on the side.

This is turning out to be a restaurant review! See what I mean about there being nothing else to do but eat?!

The end of this week my oldest daughter is taking me to lunch to The Village Bakery and Cafe in Pittsford, NY. It is a new place in an upscale town about 20 minutes from where I live.

And finally, to top off a week of birthday celebrations, my 14 year old son Michael is taking me out to Moe's again (I can eat it multiple times in a week and it is one of his favorite places too) and then to the Mona Lisa Cafe for Italian desserts and gelato.

Starting Saturday I am not eating solid food for a week. Anyone have a good liquid diet I can start?!

AnnMarie :)



Is Football Over YET??!!

I never had this problem before.

Before my son turned 14, that is.

My husband was never one to sit in front of the TV all weekend watching sports. Until my son got interested in Basketball and then Football. Now he sits and watches too....I guess for that bonding thing.

It seems that when a boy turns a certain age they instantly know all the teams, players and their stats. It amazes me. My son can also name all the makes, models and year of the vehicles we are passing on the road. That amazes me also.

It started around the same time the two of them decided to trade in the Playstation 2 and the Wii and everything that went with them, games and all,  for an Xbox 360.

And then for Christmas we got my son a subscription online for League Pass, which allows him to pick the teams of his choice and watch all their games on the computer.

The Xbox is a favorite pasttime after school. Whether it is the basketball video game 2K13 football with Madden 13 or any other Xbox game, he is there playing till dinner.  He does all his homework in school, he is doing good in school and he is a good kid. So we let him.

This is what I see when I walk by my room on any given night....

He watches the game of the night with his face within inches of the computer screen sprawled across our bed. This so that I can relax in the living room watching Wheel of Fortune. And then my husband joins him.

Every Sunday we have to rush home from church to catch the afternoon and then evening football games. So today the two games that will determine who goes to the Super Bowl are on. Don't ask me who they are. All I know is that they have been planning on pizza and wings in front of the TV all week. 

I make the wings and my husband orders the pizza....cheese with anchovies. What? A new food my son tried and decides he wants on his pizza.

Can you tell this is a guy thing?

I wonder what I will do with myself for 6 hours. We have a big house and one TV. I have the computer to go on but I lose interest after awhile. I could sit with them and watch the games but I don't have a clue what is going on.

Is anyone out there sympathizing with me yet? They have graciously informed me that they are letting girls in for this party and it starts at 3:30.

I would love another girl around to keep me company. My kitty is a girl but she won't come upstairs and hang out with me. It is too warm sleeping on the heating ducts in the basement.

All I know is it all better be over with by the time Once Upon a Time comes on. Love that show!

I guess venting, I mean blogging about it is my only option.

And I just did.



What did you do all weekend?

AnnMarie :)
 

Just Hangin' With The Girls

One of the things I love to do around the holidays is have a girlfriend brunch at my house. I love to decorate my house and the table and have all the holiday foods and cookies to share.

We usually all bring a dish and a gift to pass. Of course the first thing we do is eat and eat then we play the game where you exchange and steal each others' gifts.

It never happened this Christmas though. One of the girls had Shingles. Then another had knee surgery the day after Christmas. Then one got sick and it kept getting pushed further into the new year.

It is mid-January and we finally got together today. On a spontaneous whim sparked by Tree, we decided to forget the homemade holiday foods and the decorations and on a Tuesday just get together and have take-out pizza and brownies. We kept the gift part in though!

Let me introduce you to my girlfriends....

L to R.....Kim, Colleen, Tree, Lora

Kim is my confidant and my comrade in aging! She and I share similar ailments and so we are making our way through the aches and pains of our 50's together! She loves people and is always upbeat and fun.

Colleen is a stitch. For those that are not familiar with that saying, it means she is always making us laugh. She has the best one-liners. My face hurts from laughing after I get off the phone with her.  She is always smiling and she is seriously sweet.

Tree (Theresa) is fun-loving and spunky. She is the youngest of the group and keeps us all going. She actually got a group of us women to get our picture taken on Santa's lap at the mall....more than once! It's always a fun time with Tree there.

Lora is sweet.....her picture is next to the word in the dictionary! She would do anything for anyone. She actually brought her Kitchen Aid mixer (it is HEAVY) to an event to make and then bake the dessert she didn't have time to make at home. And she has been known to just drop by your house with one of her fabulous homemade apple pies.

So while we were waiting for the pizza to arrive, we ate dessert first!  Coffee and "you will want to eat the whole pan" Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Brownies (see recipe below). After pizza and salad we played the gift game.

With two dice on a plate and a timer on for 5 minutes, the plate gets passed around and everyone rolls for a chance at doubles. If you get doubles you pick a gift. When everyone has a gift and there is still time on the clock, you keep rolling for doubles and then you can steal someone else's gift or keep what you've got. We're talking some nice gifts here!

I got that fabulous bowl that Tree brought....

 

and Tree got the gift I brought....lotion from Bath and BodyWorks and a lotion
sponge thingy to put it on your back.Works great!





We fooled around taking lots of pictures and the day was complete. Another fun time with the girls....

 

 

 

 Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9 x 13 pan.

 

In a large bowl using wire whisk ( I use my mixer), cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then sour cream and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be stiff. Spread in pan.

 

Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Frost with powdered sugar or chocolate buttercream frosting.

 

AnnMarie :)


 

New Year....Brave New Me!

So I finally took action and a step of faith, went out on a limb, out of my comfort zone, over the top.

I got new eyeglasses yesterday......yikes!

I look in the mirror and ask myself...."who is that?"

Still getting used to my "new" look.

Every start of a new year I get the bug to update, improve, slightly change and better MYSELF (throughout the New Testament scripture tells us to examine ourselves).  Partly how I look. Partly my attitudes, thoughts, perceptions, actions, etc......

The last part is a little harder and more time consuming.

The cosmetic outside stuff is easier and a quicker fix.

I only get insurance covered eyeglasses every two years so my choice has to be near perfect. Since I wear glasses all the time, my choice determines how I look everyday. It is me. It says who I am and what I know about style. And I am stuck with it for two years!

I have worn the full spectrum of eyewear styles over the years. This year I wanted to be different, funky, edgy. I had to fight myself to stay away from the safe choice.

I have worn this style for the past 6 years, wanting a soft, lighter look....

Here is my brave new look.....

I know....it's gonna take time to get used to!!

Hopefully in two years I won't look at this blog and say "what was I thinking!"

Okay, now to get to all that other inside stuff I have to work on......check back in two years to see how I'm doin'.....!

Have you made any significant changes since 1/1/13?


AnnMarie :)

 

Looking Forward and Still Looking Up...

In the past week I have heard so many say how they are glad 2012 is over and hopefully 2013 will be better.

Like the New Year's resolutions we make this time of year, I think we all say something like that every year too, don't we?

With so much sadness in our own circle of family and friends and the nation's sorrow over the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings and the two fireman who lost their lives in the ambush in Webster, New York, it is the hope in each of us that helps us look forward to a new beginning in a new year.

I have my hope in the Lord and so I can look forward to a new year and all that HE has for me. If I keep my eyes looking up toward heaven (striving to live a holy, obedient life) I know that I am on the right path.

Sadly, today I am closing The Button Lady Shop on Etsy, that was opened in October 2010. I am unable to do the crafting and sewing anymore to make my vintage button items. If you own one of my items, it is now a one of a kind collectors piece!

NaNa's Things on Etsy just celebrated a one year anniversary in October and is still going and growing into 2013.
I am working my way back up to 300 items and so I have been thrifting and hunting for great stuff to list. I love all kinds of vintage things so there will be a nice variety, from wicker doll chairs to jewelry to kitchen items, home decor and baskets. You can also find some of my vintage button items there.

I am thankful for the past year, with all it's triumphs and woes and look forward to what is in store for 2013.


Hey, at least 2012 ended with a white Christmas and lots of snow in Upstate New York.... finally!!

That's my light up snowman buried in the snow!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

AnnMarie :)

A Good Life

This is my daughters' Grandpa (my former father-in-law), Itch, or Grandpa Itch as his many grand and great-grandchildren call him. He lived to the grand old age of 89 and passed from this world Sunday night December 16th, just 6 months short of his 90th birthday.

 

The nickname Itch actually came from a dog he had named Itch...not sure how that all played out but it stuck and that is how I have known him for the past 35 years.

 

His lovely wife Peg and I share the same birthday and I have always loved that special bond we have.  

He lived a good life. He touched many people with his constant smile and way of making you feel welcome. When the cancer was found he chose not to have chemotherapy and to go into hospice at home. With seven sons and one daughter, almost all with a spouse and a couple kids, his family is huge and he was the center of it. They were all drawn back home to be with him at this time in his life and they all wanted to be there.

My daughters Candice and Jena have had a wonderful example of a Grandpa in their lives and I am so thankful for that. Although their children, Cassidy, 7 and Chloe, 16 months, may not remember Great-Grandpa Itch, he was always at their birthday parties, having traveled almost 2 hours to be there.

His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren traveled from Kentucky and Macedon and Palmyra and other towns in NY to be there with him and their Mom/Grandma these past couple weeks. The house was full all the time. They cooked and there was lots of food dropped off by family and friends. They kept busy installing a new shower in the bathroom to make it easier for him to get in and out of. They stayed as long as needed and now they will stay a little longer to say their goodbyes.

He was a tough old bird. His last rites were read to him almost two weeks ago in the hospital and he held on, not ready to leave yet, as he would say, some thinking he wanted to see as much of his family again before he left this earth.

I think he got his wish.

Rest in peace, Itch. We will miss you.


AnnMarie



 

Show Your Love NOW!

A local radio station that I have been listening too lately (because they play non-stop oldies Christmas songs!), has added a nice new twist to their announcements in between songs.

Through well written and softly spoken 10 second spots they suggest that we all show our love for one another more than ever. After the year this country has had and the trials so many have faced, we all could use an extra hug, a genuine smile from a stranger, encouraging words.

A devotion that I read daily, The Word for You Today, also expressed this need and used scripture to back it up.
" Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning" 2 John 1:6 NLT

There are so many ways to love one another. The days I remember to ask the Lord to put His light in my eyes and His words in my mouth and throw out all the yuck and nasty words and thoughts as far as the east is from the west, it is amazing the kind of day I have. Store clerks are friendlier, people smile at you, favor is shown in so many different ways throughout the day. I also tend to be more loving and show more grace to strangers and drivers and people with their carts in my way!

 

As Christians we are COMMANDED to love one another. You don't have to necessarily know someone or even like them but you are to love them as Christ loves you. That's hard!!

 

The devotion puts is so well that I want to share it with you .....

 

 

"Each morning pray:

 "Lord, whether or not I get anything else done,

 help me to spend this day loving You and loving others,

 because that's what Your Word says life is all about."

If you do that, you'll treat those around you more graciously -

and people will notice it.

You'll start winning in areas where you've lost.

The more time you give to someone, the more you reveal their importance to you.

It's not enough to tell them they're important, you must prove it by investing in them.

The best way to spell love is T-I-M-E.

Love is not what you think or feel about others; no, it's how much you give of yourself

to them. Love concentrates so intently on another that it forgets itself.

This kind of attention says,

"I value you enough to give you my most precious asset - my time."

 

 

 

Why is now the best time to express your love?

Because you don't know how long you'll have the opportunity to do so.

Circumstances change, people die, children grow up.

The truth is, you've no guarantee of tomorrow.

If you want to express your love you'd better do it now.

So, who do you need to start spending time with?

 What do you need to cut out of your schedule to make that possible?

The best use of life is love,

the best expression of love is time,

and the best time to love is now."

 

 

 

I've got alot of work to do!!! Do you?

 

AnnMarie :)