Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

I recently celebrated a birthday. On a Thursday. It was a GOOD day (except the part where Yosi refused to eat the dinner I made). I went into work on the day after a little blizzard. The schedule was slim. I received many birthday well wishes from co-workers, a card from Lois, and even a little gift from Dr. W.H.O. I had lunch and a heart-to-heart chat with my sister. Then, soon after my return to work from lunch, flowers were delivered. First, roses from my sweet husband were accompanied by a caramel latte. A little while later a bold and fragrant bouquet from my mother. In the mail, at home, were cards from my dad and grandparents. After the dinner fiasco (which was tasty, in spite of Yosi's blatant opinion), Y went to bed a bit early. David and I set up the projector and watched VAREKAI, a Cirque de Soleil performance. I also received a phone call all the way from the Dominican Republic.
An aside about Cirque de Soleil: It never fails to astonish and inspire me to watch people perform such athletic and artistic feats. The shows we have seen are not just a feast for the eyes, but usually an auditory treat as well. Our favorite thus far has been "Alegria", for its gorgeous vocal performance. Click on the link to listen.

I think what I appreciate most is the pure joy that seems evident and sincere on the performers faces. Yes, some of that is make-up. But I believe that there must be a great feeling of accomplishment in perfectly performing a feat that you have poured so much of your life into achieving. To some, that work may seem frivolous, but I think that it must be worthwhile in a way few people I know, myself included, can really grasp. My only complaint: vague homo-eroticism in some of the acts makes me occasionally squeamish .

My birthday celebration continued on Saturday. We dropped Yosi off @ Grandpa's for the day. More aside: Yosi is now saying "PahPa" for "grandpa", SO cute. AND, to include Papa Bob: I was showing her Mana and Papa Bob's picture today at church, and I'm pretty certain she said "Bob" a couple of times (tho it sounded a little more like "Pop", but she MEANT "Bob").

We split the day between Huber Hts and Troy. There were great sales @ consignment chain stores in Huber. I found a few things for Yosi, and I indulged (with D's okay) in a couple of dresses for myself. Additionally, I bought a pair of white, like-new, all-star low tops for a quarter of the price I would have paid new. SWEET deal.

In Troy, we tried out Sakai: Japanese Bistro and had a lunch of sushi and BBQ eel, with lots of sticky rice and green tea. This was a first for me, but I really enjoyed it. We had a helpful waiter, and we're happily surprised at the fair rate when we got the bill. I think it helped that we went for lunch, not dinner (tip for budget friendly eating-out).

After lunch we visited a nearby independent book store, Jay and Mary's Book Center, which we would highly recommend. This was our first visit, but we will be going back soon. A great selection of books (new only), especially children's books, good atmosphere (clean, open and lots of natural light), and attached coffee shop (heard of Winan's, anyone?) are just some of the positives. It's not a Barnes and Noble, but that's a good thing. Not that I have anything against B&N, or any of the big chains, but doesn't it just FEEL better to support a privately owned business? We're hoping to continue to be more conscientious about this in the future. Of course, there are some perks to chains, like the free "Like It" sized cup of Cold Stone Creamery ice cream I got FREE because it was my birthday! I kept it simple: coffee flavored ice cream with chocolate shavings, and (because I love him THAT much) I even shared with David. To get free ice cream on your birthday click the link.

Next was another bookstore in Troy, Around About Books. We've been here several times before. It's big. If nothing else, it's fun to knock about in. You never know what you might find. David complained about the high prices, but I found a couple of fun creative-inspiration books: Rainy Day Play, which I hope Yosi will be inspired by too, in a few years, and an old Better Homes and Gardens: GIFTS to make yourself. I found the GIFTS book in a cast-off pile of things that might never sell. It was printed in 1972. I'm bemused to have found the link for it on Etsy, a website where handicrafters (we call them artisans these days) sell handmade goods which I adore and drool over, many which look as if they could have been inspired by this book. I was so meant to be a hippie... BTW, my books came to a grand total of $4.

On the way home I couldn't resist requesting a stop @ Goodwill. Troy's supply is much bigger than home's. David headed straight for the books, while I piled my arms high with potential summer attire, in particular "shorts". Last summer, I rarely wore shorts. Nearly everything I'd had from summers before felt too short. I tried on some of the new style of "long" shorts, but they looked awkward because they weren't long enough (what hits mid knee on the average lass is just below mid thigh for me). I enjoyed wearing skirts a lot last summer (more air circulation) but there are occasions when activity, especially keeping up with a toddler, requires a little more flexibility. Capris are usually my best option, and that's what I ended up with. One pair of shorter lightweight green capris. That took about 45min. I hope it's worth it.

By this time we were ready to see the Bean. We'd been away nearly 8 hrs. We took the back way home, which typically is faster. This time it took longer, but we didn't mind as we were treated to slightly treacherous driving (thanks to drifting), lovely snowy landscapes and a blinding sunset. It was so beautiful I took a bunch of incompetent pictures.

Yosi had such a fun day with Grandpa she could only bear to sleep for 15minutes. We ate dinner, fixed the tail-light on our car, then headed home and put Beanie straight to bed. See the link list below for movie most recently watched. I watched wearing my new tea-cup covered flannel pj's (the first BD gift of my 27th year), special-made xtralong by Mama. I am also wearing them currently and digging the "footie"equivalency provided by the extra material. Pooh on slippers or socks, I've got pj pants. Will this be considered a reasonable request for duplicates?