IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANNA:)

No need to cry at this party! This is where all your friends can wish you a happy day when it comes around. Watch for your friends to leave you their greeting on your special day. We might even get Andrew to bake you a cake ...as long as it's chocolate:)

December 14

I like chocolate cake, Andrew.

31st January

Isnt our default age around26?Then how come my daughter will be 46 this year? Impossible

>2 jguidry: Andrew whips up a mean chocolate cake. The problem is that you have to share it with the rest of us and getting into the modems presents a big, sticky problem:)

>3 dustydigger: I've managed to remain 39...for...well let's just say "several years". Both of my children are older than me and my daughter says she is beginning to understand the need for this.

June 18 - Wishing Jen a very Happy Birthday, Hope your day is perfect:)

Happy Birthday, Jen and a happy reading day!

>5 Carol420: Happy Birthday, Jen!

Happy Birthday Jen. 🎂🍩🎉

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!! It was a great weekend, despite the fact I was only allowed minimal reading time.

June 26th - A very Happy Anniversary to Darth-Heather and Mr. Darth-Heather. Hope you have a wonderful day:)

>Happy Anniversary. 🍸🍾

Best Wishes, : )

Happy Anniversary!

November 6th for me, but I don't like chocolate, and I'm not a huge cake fan (ducks under a table) unless it's a super, super, super moist pudding-like cake. So, Andrew, I'd prefer pie. :D

Did I misunderstand? This thread isn't just for the dates? The birthday wishes are going to be posted here as well instead of in comments on the person's page? I'm just asking because it seems that this thread will get very crowded, and it would be difficult to find the birthdays. Unless all birthdays were in post #1 separated by month, and all of the comments were well-wishes. Just throwing random thoughts out there. Sorry if I overstepped.

>14 AnitaUnmuted:
Don't worry about a thing! If the thread gets too long, we will just start another one. Please stop apologizing - no need to do that. My daughter does the same thing and her birthday is November 7th.

>14 AnitaUnmuted: Anita all views welcome on this group. :) We are always happy for people to give their thoughts. As Eadie says if it gets too long we will start a new thread, summarising the dates at the top.

>16 Andrew-theQM: Sweet!

>15 EadieB: Oh, then she has to be super awesome! :D
Wait... Do I apologize a lot? Really? Weird. Sorry. (just kidding) If I do, it must be carry-over from when I was first on this site. It wasn't very welcoming (to me anyway) and I always felt like I was intruding when I asked a question or had anything to say. Finally, I just left deleted my account and left. Also, I don't want it to seem like I'm questioning the process of a well-oiled machine. I'm not. I'm just asking, but some people get offended. I appreciate the kindness you guys have shown me.

>17 AnitaUnmuted: We certainly won't be offended. Things can ALWAYS be improved and if you are new to a group you NEED to ask questions. We definitely don't want to put off newbies. We love newbies.

>18 Andrew-theQM: Awwww shucks! But, seriously-- I appreciate that.

>17 AnitaUnmuted:
We are very welcoming and all very nice people on this mystery/suspense group. So, you can ask any questions and we will be glad to answer and help in any way.

Yes, my daughter is very special and super awesome. She just has lack of confidence at times. She is very outspoken (a bit like her mother) and a lot people don't take too well to what she has to say. She needs to get her filter working and not say things she is thinking. She's very sensitive and then gets hurt when people have a problem with her being too vocal. Me, I don't really care what people think of me. I have lots of confidence and I like myself. lol My daughter loves music and singing. She was taking opera lessons and she is very musical. Also played the trumpet in high school. Just don't give her a math problem. She was an English major and loves to read too. She works at the University of VA and approves or rejects the transfer credits.

>20 EadieB: You sure you haven't got Carol's daughter (alluding to the math comment) :)

>21 Andrew-theQM:
I think the babies were switched at birth because all the other members of my family love math.

>20 EadieB: She does sound awesome (and reminds me a lot of me when I was young except I loved math). I'm 50 now and I have no filter. Zero. LOL! I used to be very sensitive about what I said or what people thought, but life eventually changed that. Now, I just have fun with it, so my 11 y/o daughter spends a lot of time trying to be my filter. I even introduce her as my filter. Hahaha! She may not be a Scorpio, but she's very much like me, so I make sure she's learning to own her thoughts, beliefs and feelings regardless of what others think. She has a filter for now, but that may change. I mean, she's only 11. LOL!

>23 AnitaUnmuted: >20 EadieB: Interestingly I am also a Scorpio.

>24 Andrew-theQM: Well, that explains the awesomeness! :D

>25 AnitaUnmuted: Lol!

>25 AnitaUnmuted:
Yes, Andrew is awesome. We all love him!

>23 AnitaUnmuted:
I just became your friend and was reading your profile page about you loving languages. I forgot to tell you that my daughter has a gift for languages. She speaks German and fluent French and wants to learn more. She remembers the vocabulary. She took French classes at the U of VA and is now fluent.

>28 EadieB: Wow! That's wonderful and incredible! I took French in HS because the norm, Spanish, was full. I loved it, and never looked back. I ended up taking 3 years and *was* quite fluent. I wanted my babe to be able to talk to me before she could talk, so I taught her sign language. I later learned Spanish so I could teach her (btw- I homeschool) so she would be ablt to speak to all of these Latino kids around here. Now, we're learning constructed languages like Esperanto, Ido and Toki Pona so we can travel to meet others who speak those languages. Ahhhh! I love that your daughter has a gift and love for languages. Sooo exciting!

And, thanks for accepting the FR!

>29 AnitaUnmuted:
You would love my daughter. She seems so much like you. She is a very enthusiastic person and loves to watch movies over and over. She then learns all the dialogue. When she went to camp (about 8 years old) she taught all the kids the words to The Wizard of Oz and they acted out the movie from her direction. She also has a photogenic mind and can remember what people were wearing from 30 years ago (she is now 40) when we were on vacation and other events.

>30 EadieB: OMG!! That is so awesome! I do that with memory! Even as a child, if I couldn't remember the answer to a question on a test, I would close my eyes and "read" it as if I had the text book opened- seeing each word and even the side of the page they were on. Just wow! And, my daughter and I acted out our favorite scene from Ice Age like your daughter did. LOL!

(I have noted that I, me, the one who mentioned having a full thread, has kinda sorta possibly changed the topic. It is NOT my fault.)

>31 AnitaUnmuted:
It doesn't matter. We discuss things all over the place and change topics. We don't mind at all! We just want everyone to have fun! lol

I love this conversation. I haven't grinned this much in a while.

>33 AnitaUnmuted:
We do a lot of smiling around here and we're glad to share it with you.

>33 AnitaUnmuted: That comment made me smile. :0D

>34 eadieburke: >35 jguidry: ;D

>14 AnitaUnmuted: I had started a thread on LM that was just devoted to the birthday/anniversary wishes only and there was one for the dates... but when moving here...it just got left off since I was scurrying to be sure I didn't leave anything unmoved. I have this obsession to make everything neat and orderly and I will admit the ability to find the person you are wishing happy birthday etc. to would be better served on a separate topic. Never apologize for offering a suggestion. In spite of the fact that I am perfect...just ask these people...on second thought...Don't...I think it's a great suggestion and I will add a topic for just "Good Wishes from Good Friends". And what do you mean you don't like chocolate cake???:)

>21 Andrew-theQM: I know Eadie doesn't have my daughter because, unlike her mother, she is very talented at math. She can add, subtract, multiply and divide strings of numbers in her head and could do simple addition when she was 3. She is more like her father than she is me....and he is a Scorpio. She is a Virgo. Don't know if that makes any better connections or not:)

>14 AnitaUnmuted: >16 Andrew-theQM: >32 EadieB: >35 jguidry: - I just went to put in a topic for wishes and see there is already one there. I did add it when I brought the topics over from LM. It's called "Birthdays are special...leave your date here". So ...this is why I hate not being able to remove topics....GRRRRRR!

Carol, Eadie, it sounds like your two daughters were swapped at birth LoL :) On a serious note are all Scorpios great at maths? A good discussion topic!

>38 Andrew-theQM: I'm not sure if all Scorpio's are good at math. You have a school full of little test subjects. Check the math scores of the Scorpio's among them and let us know what you find out. Could be quiet interesting. My husband is very good at math and he's a Scorpio.

>39 Carol420: Good idea, once I've finished the 400 reports I will check. Only 240 to go ready to send out on Friday! No pressure :)

>37 Carol420: Awwww, thanks! I'm glad you like the suggestion. I saw that thread, and I thought, "Why are there 2 birthday threads?" LOL! Since there weren't any comments, I thought maybe you wanted to delete that one. Whew! I thought I was crazy for a second, but notice that I also didn't mention it. Haha! I'm the same way about wanting things neat and orderly. Sometimes, I'm kinda OCD about it (another Scorpio trait? Hmmmm). BTW, I know you're perfect! I don't have to ask anyone. ;)

**Puts on protective armor** Ummmm, yep it's true. I am not a fan of chocolate unless it's white chocolate. **looks around** I have eaten it, but I will not eat chocolate cake (or any cake) unless it's super, super, super moist. I will eat a moist fudge brownie or chocolate pie every now and then if it happens to be there. LOL! Chocolate ice cream or shakes? Oh, I can't even think about that.

>38 Andrew-theQM: Yes, Andrew. All of us are great at math! ;) **grins**

>41 AnitaUnmuted: LOL! You can remove the protective armor....no one will throw things at you. I don't like math so it is absolutely okay that you don't like chocolate...as if you needed my permission:) Andrew will have to work on the virtual pie for you. He also makes a mean bacon buttie:)

The "greetings" thread just got lost in the move and the fact that it was in a different place than the "date" thread. That's why I liked LM nesting ability. There was a "topic" and then everything that related to the topic all together in a neat little package. Here we're at a giant cocktail party. I think the greeting thread just got lost when it was moved.

I thought your chocolate dislike was a bit like the one time I said I didn't like Agatha Christie. I believe I may be the only person on the entire planet...maybe in the entire solar system...that can't stand this author or her books.

>42 Carol420: Hahaha! **cautiously removes armor** Whew! Okay. It was getting kinda hot in there.
I understand what you mean, though. Disliking or even hating something that the vast majority seem to love can raise feathers sometimes, and in a big way, too. It can make one feel like an outsider, but I'm so non-conforming that I don't care. LOL! Now, I like Agatha Christie, but I think it's mainly because her books are in my genre, and I think they're pretty good overall. However, I don't like all of her books. Some of them bore me big time, so I get it. ;)

I totally agree with you about nesting. Nesting makes it much easier to organize. I miss it- for topics as well as conversations.

Now that you're out in the open and unsuspecting....splat. Bwahaha

Just teasing ;0) My philosophy has always been, "Hey more for me to eat!" I'm down with that.

>44 jguidry: Hahahahaha! Seeeeee! I take off my armor, and look at what happens. ~Sigh

>45 AnitaUnmuted: I feel responsible that you have eggs and tomatoes dripping off your nose...sorry. You'll learn to run faster or duck lower:)

>44 jguidry: Good shot, Jaret. You've been practicing:)

**drops head in defeat** :'(

>46 Carol420: It's from all those practice shots I took at you for not liking Agatha Christie. LOL

Seriously, though, can you imagine if everyone in the world liked the exact same things? Pretty boring, IMO. No one would ever experience anything new. :0( I much prefer our varied tastes.

>48 jguidry: You've got that right. My Grandmother used to tell us as kids that if everyone in the world liked the same things there wouldn't be enough to go around. I learned at a very early age to respect everyone's opinions and their right to like what ever they wanted to.

Growing up on military bases and in foreign countries, I did too.

Thank you for the anniversary wishes! We had a lovely time celebrating.

I am also a Scorpio, and good at math (at least linear maths like algebra and accounting. not so much with the Geometry, which seems like a mean thing to do to your brain)

I am allergic to cocoa, so unable to have chocolate. Apparently I must have been bad in a former life and am now cursed... I am also lactose intolerant, but can take lactaid pills when I make my special apple walnut caramel cheesecake.

>51 Darth-Heather: Geometry is a whole different field of maths, I've found many people strong in maths aren't so strong in geometry and vice versa.

>52 Andrew-theQM:
I love geometry and was very good at it. I liked it because it was like solving a puzzle. But, I'm a Virgo!

>51 Darth-Heather: >52 Andrew-theQM: >53 EadieB: Glad you had a great time on your anniversary celebration, Heather. Andrew you are exceptionally intelligent...just ask us if you need proof:) My daughter is a Virgo also and she likes geometry. She works for a company that does government defense contracts and she says she finally has a place to use it. I'll stick with English and History.

Why thank you Carol :)

>51 Darth-Heather: >52 Andrew-theQM: >53 EadieB: >54 Carol420: So we are starting to build a picture.
Scorpios are strong mathematicians
Virgo are good at Geometry
What star sign are you Carol.
I also love history and geography!

>55 Andrew-theQM: I'm a Taurus. My husband says it fits me since I'm bull-headed. That of course, is just his humble, doesn't count...opinion. I loved geography and also biology. Actually I liked everything but math. I was the only kid in school that lived to write book reports. I won $200.00 in a geography contest when I was in 6th grade for knowing all the capitals of the World. Some countries change not only their capitals but the names of their countries now so don't think I could do all of them anymore.

>56 Carol420: That used to be me Carol, knowing all the capital cities but nowadays they keep changing the countries and capitals!

>55 Andrew-theQM: I'm a Sagittarius. I'm good and linear math and geometry, science, history, geography, and I'm creative. Apparently, my sign is just awesome cuz my brother and Daddy (also the same sign) are, too. ;0)

Mom's a Cancer. She's good at geometry and fractions, but claims she stinks at math. I smack her upside the head every time she says that. She can multiply, divide, add and subtract fractions in her head in seconds (including mixed numbers and improper fractions).

>58 jguidry: Certainly doesn't sound as if she is no good at maths. We're building up quite a picture of star signs and abilities.

I know, right?! She's a math whiz!

>51 Darth-Heather: >52 Andrew-theQM: >54 Carol420: >58 jguidry:
Math was my best subject. I also did good in geography and knew all the capitals too. I loved history and that's why a like biographies of historical people. I like books about politics and the presidents too. I found science fascinating and I love learning about weather. I check the weather everyday and love watching the weather channel. I guess my worse subjects were health and gym. I don't like to play sports but I used to win all the races because I could run fast. I used to faint out of my desk during health if they talked about blood and veins. Art is not a favorite either as I cannot draw. I loved poetry and reading the classics too. My favorite things to do: reading, cooking and traveling.

>51 Darth-Heather: >55 Andrew-theQM: Ha! This math and language-loving Scorpio is also lactose intolerant. **cheesy grin** (no pun intended) Hmmmm... Andrew, this might need to be added to the list to check percentages here as well. :)

I barely scraped through my GCE maths way back in 1964. I have nightmare memories of all those old sums in primary school about converting a zillion inches to miles by dividing by 12 to get it to feet,then by 3 to get it to yards then into chains,and furlongs before you got to miles! lol.I always tell my kids they have it easy with the metric system,just move a decimal point! We also did strange conversions of fluid ounces to gallons via pints and quarts,and then there were the conversions of ounces to pounds to stones to quarters to hundredweights to tons. Oh I do love the metric system,because when I came to teach my kids all that old stuff was gone gone gone.
I still have nightmares about sums like ''multiply £128 18 shillings and 11 pence three farthings by seventeen and a half!. The working took three quarters of a page and half a lesson to do.
By time my kids were doing 6th grade maths they were learning things like bases where you could add 4+4 and get different correct answers according to the base. The kids also learned a lot about the place system,and I finally understood what I was doing when I added or subtracted,instead of by rote,''borrow one and pay one back'' and the like.I actually enjoyed maths for the first time and just for fun resat the GCSE maths back in 1994 and achieved an A+. Would have liked to do A leve maths,but never had the time. And now my memory is shot,I lead something today,but if I come back in a few days I've forgotten it all! :0)

>63 dustydigger: My kids were in school in the 70's & 80's when someone thought that they were going to talk American's into using the metric system and they started teaching in the schools. Both the kids said it was simple but it wasn't simple to the rest of the country that was over 25. Both of the kids use the metric system in their jobs. The place where my son is employed have a lot of older people and they all come and find Gary when they they need something converted to metrics. I know what a liter is...it's a bottle of coke. Canada is only 2 hours from us so I also know how to change Kilometers into miles so I don't get a speeding ticket:)

Metric is certainly far simpler when converting! A+, way to go Dusty!

September 10

A heartfelt wish to Eadie for a very Happy Birthday. Have a wonderful day and send chocolate cake, please.

Happy Birthday Eadie, Have a great day and hope you get plenty of books because a woman can never have too many books! 🍾🎉🍸🎂🍰🍫

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday!

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

>66 Carol420:
Yes anything chocolate would be fine.

>67 Andrew-theQM:
Got some gift cards for books - I definitely need more books. I'm afraid I'll run out of books to read soon.
Meet some Brits in Jamaica from Stratford on Avon and Birmingham. Also my friend, David, who used to live in Northern Ireland likes to eat toast with baked beans for breakfast. Did you ever hear of that?

>70 EadieB: I ate baked beans on toast almost every day of my life....but my "cook" was from Northern Ireland...County Tyrone. When I started school and found out the other kids ate sugar coated cereals for breakfast I actually felt sorry for them. I still eat baked beans on toast once in a while and my hubby says he'll pass. Don't know why since he eats baked beans and he eats toast...just not together.

You had a cook when you were younger?

>72 EadieB: Well...yes and no. My grandmother prepared meals for the entire family...especially on weekends. My mother had 5 brothers and 3 sisters that had 29 children between them and I made 30...that lived within a mile and half of one another. She and my grandfather never gave up that European family thing in all the years they lived in America. So it was an industrial effort on her part but she loved it and all the women contributed. My mother and Dad lived the closest so she fed me on a daily basis and I grew up with her and my grandfather close by.

I remember that when I was in the 5th grade my teacher told us a different version of the Irish potato famine than I had learned from my Gram. You ate potatoes 7 days a week rather you wanted them or not because "people had died for those potatoes". When I told my teacher what my Gram had told me she said it was wrong and said I had to stay after school for "disrespecting her opinion". I can still see my little 5 ft 100 pound Irish Grandmother scaling the school house steps and confronting my teacher with books in her hand to back her history up. Of course the books were written by an Irishman and told a different story but as far as my Gram was concerned it was words out of the mouth of God himself and nothing was going to make it any different. I didn't have to stay after school anymore and my teacher ended her history lesson about Ireland rather abruptly. She knew my other half was Scottish so she never tacked the Battle of Culloden:)

>73 Carol420:
Ha ha very funny!
One other question - do you put butter on the toast and then the beans?

>73 Carol420: >74 EadieB: Beans on toast is very common (staple) in the UK, available in a large number of cafes - although not necessarily only for breakfast, you have it any time of day as a snack or meal. I assume you know it is baked beans in tomato sauce. I must admit it isn't necessarily one of my favourites, although she would say unless I had some meat on the plate I wouldn't be happy. As for butter that is down to personal taste, I wouldn't have butter but my wife always would. Spaghetti (in tomato sauce) on toast, poached egg on toast and scrambled egg on toast are other variants. My wife also likes scrambled egg on toast with cheese grilled on top, or tinned plum tomatoes on toast with cheese on the top.

You might even want to check out Welsh Rarebit.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1500641/welsh-rarebit

>73 Carol420: Your gran sounded like a formidable lady. :)

>75 Andrew-theQM:
Yes our friend, David, says he uses Campbell's baked beans. When I make Philly cheese steaks, I like to put WelshRarebit on top instead of the cheese whiz or other cheeses they use in South Philly.

>77 EadieB: Crosse and Blackwell beans for us, used to be HP Beans but they were taken over and you can no longer get the beans.

>73 Carol420: I don't use butter but you can if you want. Like Andrew, I have eaten and still eat a variety of things on toast. The Welsh rarebit sounds good. So many people in the U.S. think it's Welsh Rabbit. Funny. If you don't want to rest of the ingredients you can just drink the Guinness:) After a while you won't give a fig if it's "rarebit" or "rabbit".

>76 Andrew-theQM: My Gram was one of a kind. Loved her dearly. She lived to be 101.

>79 Carol420: That shows in your postings about her. :))

I certainly don't fancy rabbit on toast! Or figs for that matter. :)

>80 Andrew-theQM: How do you feel about the Guinness?

Definitely not a fan of Guinness! I have very funny tastes! Texture has to be right in my foods for me and I need to know what I'm eating so that I'm ready for it. I do have quite a few autistic traits!

Belated Birthday Wishes, Eadie, (didn't check out this forum yesterday!). Hope you had a glorious time, :)

>83 Sergeirocks:
Thanks Sergei! It was a very nice day and then out to dinner for a grand finale! lol

>70 EadieB: Toast, topped with heated up baked beans: commonly referred to as 'beans on toast'. I have to have my toast buttered, so I get the butter melting in with the sauce - yum, tasty!

Give them a try, Eadie and let us know what you think.

>77 EadieB: that is absolutely brilliant!! our grocery store stocks Welsh Rarebit in the freezer section; I'm going to have to try that...

Guinness is the closest thing to ambrosia. I hope to one day visit Ireland and try the "real" stuff, but the kind we get here is still superior to most of the other choices available.

>87 Darth-Heather:
In order to make a great steak sandwich try to get hard crusted rolls. I also make plenty of fried onions, peppers and mushrooms. That way your family or guests can add whatever tickles their fancy. The Welsh rarebit on top and it's very yummy.

Happy belated birthday Eadie. The rest of you are making me hungry.

Thanks Lynda!

>89 Olivermagnus: Yes not a discussion for an empty stomach! Steak sandwich on crusty rolls sounds good! I'm not sure what we discuss more - books or food!

>91 Andrew-theQM:
A little bit of both. My two favorite subjects - food and books! lol

>91 Andrew-theQM: >92 EadieB: I bet they're the favorite subjects of all us:)

🍕🍟🌭🌮🍰🍵📚 I think so!

October 18 -

A little bird told me today is Eadie's 42nd anniversary. Hope she and Mr. Eadie have a really great day and many, many more happy years.

Thanks, Carol. We're in Orlando at a convention so an ink company that does business with my husband's company is taking a group of us to dinner tonight. Last night, a paper mill company from Montreal took us to dinner. I was very brave - the only woman with 12 men.

>96 EadieB: Sounds like you're a bit outnumbered:) Have fun. My sister-in-law lives in Orlando and my neice works for Disney World. She does the costumes for the cruise shows and gets to dress Mickey and Minnie. She's the longest employed person in the Orlando Disney venture...41 years... and the second longest in the all the Disney places. There's man in California that has two years on her.

>97 Carol420:
We came here for our honeymoon 42 years ago and there was only the Magic Kingdom. It has really grown since then.

>98 EadieB: When my sister-in-law and her family bought the house they're still in 50 years ago their youngest hadn't started school yet and there was absolutely NOTHING around them for miles. Now you can't move without falling over a business. They are only blocks from MGM and The Hard Rock Cafe and every other business that can make a nickle.

I think central Florida used to be nothing but cattle grazing. Disney had buyers who bought land for him otherwise he would have been charged a lot more.

Happy Anniversary Eadie! 🍾

>100 EadieB: A great deal of Central Florida is still cattle and horse ranches. Up toward Ocala they raise thoroughbred horses for racing. I remember how everyone laughed when Disney bought that land and started building. They hadn't got the foundations all laid when it started sinking. They hauled in enough dirt to make another state. The fools wouldn't listen to the people that had lived in Florida all their lives when they told them all that land they were building on was formerly a swamp. Reminded me of the founding fathers that build Washington D.C. on swamp and bog land.

>101 Andrew-theQM:
Thanks Andrew!

It's not an ink company I'm having dinner with - it's a machine company from Sweden called EMBA. I'll have to brush up on my Swedish.

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Eadie!

Thanks Jaret!

>104 EadieB: Believe me they probably will speak better English than you will ever speak Swedish:) As long as they're paying for it they could speak anything they liked. Hope you had fun and lots to eat and bacon cheesecake for dessert.

They were very good at their English and Olaf, the engineer, enjoyed my husband's humor immensely. I checked with them to see if they would order bacon cheesecake and they all agreed they love bacon and cheesecake but not together. My husband and I shared a lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting. It was delicious and enough to feed the whole table.

>108 EadieB: And of course you brought some back for your friends here..right? I'm just going to have to try this bacon cheesecake thing myself. I don't see that it would be all that bad. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when you were asking the Swedes about the cheesecake and bacon. They probably just thought you were another crazy American:) Glad you had fun. Sounds like a great evening.

>109 Carol420:
They actually took my question very serious. It fit it very well in context with the conversation we were having about cheesecake that was on the menu.

>108 EadieB: >109 Carol420: I look forward to my lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting arriving.

>108 EadieB: I tried making a bacon & onion cheesecake during my quest to perfect my cheesecake recipe - it kind of works as long as all the flavors are savory and not sweet. I made the crust of ground walnuts, added extra egg, and left out all of the sugar. Cream cheese goes just fine with those flavors; it ended up tasting somewhat like a quiche.

It was ok, but I would MUCH rather have the lemon cake :)

>112 Darth-Heather: Everyone...I'm sure... would rather have lemon anything:) That was my thought when we first started taking about bacon cheesecake...that it would be more like quiche...not as sweet as regular cheesecake. I like your crust being made from ground walnuts. Was that your idea or was it in the recipe?

>113 Carol420: I started using walnuts for the crust when we found out that my sister is sensitive to wheat gluten. I am allergic to chocolate, so GF cheesecake is a good compromise. I grind the walnuts and press them firmly into a parchment-lined springform pan. With dessert cheesecakes, I mix a little sugar in to act as a binding agent, but you can do a little egg white instead, on the savory ones. You could probably make Savory Cheesecake with any ingredients that you like in quiche.

My cheesecake recipe is sort of cobbled together from various different ones in cookbooks, but I've adjusted it to my personal taste.

I have not yet mastered the kind that is made without a crust - it is made in a round cake pan, set inside a larger pan full of water, as though you are poaching it. I tried that once, but it didn't cook evenly; I suspect there is a technique involved with the temperature and fill height of the water...

>112 Darth-Heather: You're now our go to cooking guru!:)

This is my favorite cheesecake recipe - absolutely the best!

http://www.mastercook.com/app/Recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=1143115

>116 EadieB: Oh Yeah! Sour Cream cheesecake. Bring it on. Sorry, Sergie...no more boring berries:) Probably gained 10 pounds or rocks or boulders or whatever you Brits use...just reading about it.

>117 Carol420: Not rocks or boulders, or even pebbles, but 'stones'... One stone is equal to 14 pounds, :)

You could try to find audible recipe books, then do what Lynda does and listen while you go for a walk - this may counteract the weight gain, :D

>115 Andrew-theQM: If you ever want to look at photos of food, you can browse my recipe blog: http://cookingwiththeforce.blogspot.com/. I haven't updated it in awhile, but I use it to make recipes accessible to my friends and family, rather than writing them down. I'm always looking for new stuff to try, so please share your favorites too!

The blog started as a way to help my sister - she's not an intuitive cook, and can't easily imagine what a recipe will taste like just from reading it. She's the only person I know who has ever managed to get mustard into a lasagna (it was awful). She would often call me from the grocery store, frantically shopping for a dinner party - this way she can find recipes from her phone. Luckily, she's the expert on plenty of other things, so together we have it covered :)

>119 Darth-Heather: - My husband is the cook in our family so he's taking a look at your blog. That French Toast looks mighty tasty. He's making individual Beef Wellington tonight with carrot cake cupcakes for dessert.

>120 Olivermagnus: Give me about an hour and half and I can be on your doorstep with no problems. Oh...I guess there is a problem...you've eaten it all!

November 14

Happy Birthday yesterday to Sushi. Hope your day was wonderful and all your books had happy endings:)

Happy Birthday, Sushi! Hope it's a great one!

Happy Birthday Sushi.......and many happy returns.

Best Wishes, Sushi! 🎂

Happy Birthday Sushicat 🍾🍰🍸🎉🎊🎀

November 18 -

Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to You...
Happy Birthday dear Andrew...
Happy Birthday to you.

Hope your day is special and filled with wonderful things. Have a good one!

And just because you are so much fun here are some games for your birthday. I think you might even be able to win:)

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/birthday/games.htm

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG GUY! 🎉

Happy Birthday, Andrew! Here are your birthday cakes which we can share while reading Beyond Recall. We may be out on the boat at Land's End in Cornwell for a while so there are two cakes and some fireworks! Enjoy!

http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/black-pepper-cake-balsamic-whipped-cream-stra...

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/456200637231128673/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/390898442627915108/

Happy Birthday Andrew! Here's a funny song my sister sends me every year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UyxNY20wcDw

Thanks everyone!

>127 Carol420: I'll try some of the games this weekend (around the Group Read - not even started today's section yet!)

>128 Sergeirocks: Thanks Sergei!

>129 EadieB: Reminded me how beautiful Cornwall is - a few years since I've been there but one of the most beautiful areas in England. Loved the strawberry 🍓 cake!

>130 Olivermagnus: Lol! Off to research my birth certificate! My dad died when I was six but based on pictures there is a striking resemblance!

>131 Andrew-theQM:
Hope your day is going good and not too much stress for your birthday! Get in a comfy chair and read the next section and Goddard will do the trick and dismiss any stress.

That's what I'm planning to do! Pure bliss!

Thanks everybody for the good wishes. I'm afraid I spent this one in bed with the flu :-( hope yours was better Andrew!

>134 sushicat:
Oh my! That's not too nice!

>134 sushicat: Oh dear, not the way to spend your birthday Sushicat. At least I wasn't ill on my birthday.

November 20

Happy Birthday to Heather. Yesterday was her day but I wasn't around to bake her a cake. Hope your day was wonderful, Heather ❤

Happy Birthday Heather. Hope you had a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Heather - so many birthdays in November!

>139 Andrew-theQM: Many good people were born in November...but I think April is the best. Although me, the Queen, and Hitler maybe are a strange trio:)

>140 Carol420: Who is the odd one out in that list Carol!

>140 Carol420:
Hitler was good - then you probably like Trump too! lol

thanks for the birthday wishes, you guys. I actually spent the day doing housework, but feel good now that it's done and I can focus on the cooking.

My brother sent me some interesting books, which is always a lovely surprise to get in the mail. He also sent me a jar of big green olives stuffed with tiny pickles - he knows I love olives and pickles, and finally found a way to combine them :)

>142 EadieB: I didn't count Hitler with the "good" just the people that I get to share my April birthday with. No comment about Trump:)

Well Donald Trump's birthday is in June!

>145 Andrew-theQM: You can bake him a cake, Andrew:)

>146 Carol420: I think I'll pass! I'll never get it over that wall!

>147 Andrew-theQM:
That's alright, I already made him a cake and sent it to Trump Towers.

>148 EadieB: Watch out for those body guards or the cast from the musical Hamilton!

>149 Andrew-theQM:
You have been reading the newspapers! I'm going to New York for another charity event. On Friday, 12/9 there is a reception at The View which is a Revolving Restaurant on the 48th floor at the Marriott Marquis. On Saturday, 12/10 we are going to a Matinee Performance of ON YOUR FEET and then a Reception and Dinner at the '21' Club where Trump ditched the press and had dinner with his wife last week. We are staying at The Muse Hotel around the corner from Times Square.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/theater/review-on-your-feet-rides-the-rhythm-o...

>150 EadieB: Yep also know about him fooling the press and eating out at the '21' Club. The BBC website keeps me fully updated! Although puzzled as it still shows one state's election result hasn't been declared, surely two weeks on that must be wrong!

Gloria Estefan , there's a blast from the past!

>151 Andrew-theQM:
You will have to ask Carol about that since she lives in Michigan. It won't make a difference but I think by law they have to finish the count. Trump tweeted yesterday that he would like to see Nigel Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the US. He said that he would do a great job!

>151 Andrew-theQM: Those of us in the U.K. (Farage) think that's hilarious! Ain't going to happen unless they want to see the back of him!

You might want to watch this video following the Brexit vote, some of it is hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3sFQq22Yjw

How can two weeks on a state not have finished the count!

>153 Andrew-theQM:
That you tube video is pretty funny! He wasn't very endearing!

I think this is the final vote - very close.
President
CANDIDATE PARTY VOTES PCT.
Donald J. Trump Republican 2,279,805 47.6%
Hillary Clinton Democrat 2,268,193 47.3
Gary Johnson Libertarian 173,057 3.6
Jill Stein Green 50,700 1.1
Others 19,162 0.4
100% reporting (4,830 of 4,830 precincts)

>153 Andrew-theQM: There are a couple of professors urging Hillary Clinton to request a recount. I don't think anything is going to come of it. It isn't just Michigan but Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well. I understand that Hillary would have to request it. Here are the links to this.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/23/hillary-clinton-election-vote-re...

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/fair-election-serious-hard-explain-questio...

>155 Carol420:
Hillary and her followers need to accept the election results. lol Donald Trump has accepted them.

>155 Carol420: >156 EadieB: I find it strange that the person who got the most votes across the US didn't win, and I am not pushing for one person or another (that's none of my business), I'm talking from a theoretical perspective. Surely it should be about pure number of votes not allocating electoral votes for each state. Surely the fairest system is the person with most votes across the US wins. Just an interested outsider looking in :)

And yes we have similar systems that mean it's about number of votes in an area rather than across the country. I just don't see that as democratic in it's purest sense!

>157 Andrew-theQM:
Hillary got most of her votes in the coastal states like California, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota, Illinois, and Hawaii.

The electoral vote is the most fairest as every state has a play. If it was the popular vote then the candidates would focus all their campaigning in the states with the most population (like major cities). The people in the rural areas would probably not want to vote as they would feel like their votes wouldn't count.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/lessons/davidwalbert7232004-02/electoralcollege....

How Many Popular Votes Did Clinton & Trump Win in Each State?

Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States, but Hillary Clinton is expected to win the popular vote.

Trump was able to pull off the most stunning upset in American political history thanks to the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, but it also helped that Hillary Clinton lost millions of votes that Obama won in 2008 and 2012.

The result in Pennsylvania was particularly surprising, and Trump won about 80,000 more votes there than Barack Obama did in 2012. Trump also took the state of Wisconsin, even though nobody thought of it as being a potential swing state even a week ago. The Republican candidate won the state with 47.9 percent of the vote, though this falls short of Obama’s decisive victory in the state in 2012, when he earned 52.8 percent of the vote.

In total, Hillary Clinton won 59,739,748 votes, while Donald Trump won 59,521,401 votes. Ballots are still being counted, though, so it’s highly possible Clinton’s margin over Trump will wind up being even higher than that.

Here are the number of popular votes cast in each state, via data from The New York Times.

STATE Donald Trump Hillary Clinton
Alabama 1,306,925 (62.9%) 718,084 (34.6%)
Alaska 130,415 (52.9%) 93,007 (37.7%)
Arizona 972,900 (49.6%) 888,374 (45.3%)
Arkansas 677,904(60.4%) 378,729 (33.8%)
California 2,970,470 (33.3%) 5,488,776 (61.5%)
Colorado 1,136,354 (44.4%) 1,208,095 (47.2%)
Connecticut 637,919 (41.7%) 823,360 (53.9%)
Delaware 185,103 (41.9%) 235,581 (53.4%)
Florida 4,605,515 (49.1%) 4,485,745 (47.8%)
Georgia 2,068,623 (51.3%) 1,837,300 (45.6%)
Hawaii 128,815 (30.0%) 266,827 (62.2%)
Idaho 407,199 (59.2%) 189,677 (27.6%)
Illinois 2,118,179 (39.4%) 2,977,498 (55.4%)
Indiana 1,556,220 (57.2%) 1,031,953 (37.9%)
Iowa 798,923 (51.8%) 650,790 (42.2%)
Kansas 656,009 (57.2%) 414,788 (36.2%)
Kentucky 1,202,942 (62.5%) 628,834 (32.7%)
Louisiana 1,178,004 (58.1%) 779,535 (38.4%)
Maine 334,838 (45.2%) 354,873 (47.9%)
Maryland 873,646 (35.3%) 1,497,951 (60.5%)
Massachusetts 1,083,069 (33.5%) 1,964,768 (60.8%)
Michigan 2,279,210 (47.6%) 2,267,373 (47.3%)
Minnesota 1,322,871 (45.4%) 1,366,653 (46.9%)
Mississippi 678,457 (58.3%) 462,001 (39.7%)
Missouri 1,585,753 (57.1%) 1,054,889 (38.0%)
Montana 274,120 (56.5%) 174,521 (36.0%)
Nebraska 485,819 (60.3%) 273,858 (34.0%)
Nevada 511,319 (45.3%) 537,753 (47.9%)
New Hampshire 345,598 (47.3%) 348,126 (47.6%)
New Jersey 1,535,513 (41.8%) 2,021,756 (55.0%)
New Mexico 315,875 (40.0%) 380,724 (48.3%)
New York 2,640,570 (37.5%) 4,143,874 (58.8%)
North Carolina 2,339,603 (50.5%) 2,162,074 (46.7%)
North Dakota 216,133 (64.1%) 93,526 (27.8%)
Ohio 2,771,984 (52.1%) 2,317,001 (43.5%)
Oklahoma 947,934 (65.3%) 419,788 (28.9%)
Oregon 742,506 (41.1%) 934,631 (51.7%)
Pennsylvania 2,912,941 (48.8%) 2,844,705 (47.6%)
Rhode Island 166,590 (40.3%) 227,052 (54.9%)
South Carolina 1,143,611 (54.9%) 849,469 (40.8%)
South Dakota 227,701 (61.5%) 117,442 (31.7%)
Tennessee 1,517,402 (61.1%) 867,110 (34.9%)
Texas 4,681,590 (52.6%) 3,867,816 (43.4%)
Utah 375,006 (46.8%) 222,858 (27.8%)
Vermont 95,050 (32.6%) 178,117 (61.1%)
Virginia 1,731,155 (45.0%) 1,916,845 (49.9%)
Washington 835,385 (38.1%) 1,221,435 (55.7%)
West Virginia 486,198 (68.7%) 187,457 (26.5%)
Wisconsin 1,409,467 (47.9%) 1,382,210 (46.9%)
Wyoming 174,248 (70.1%) 55,949 (22.5%)

Wow Eadie! Your reading must have taken a hit. How slow are they at counting if they are still ciunting 15 days later. Pretty close overall by the look of it.

I always find voting very interesting! Opinion polls have been very wrong in this election, Brexit and the last UK election. Pollsters need to relook at how they are carrying these out!

>159 Andrew-theQM:
I said from the start that I knew Trump was winning and everyone told me I was crazy. I could tell by the number of people coming out to his rallies. It really was a movement, as he called it. Of course, it was very close and I could have been wrong but I could just feel the momentum. I really think people need to give him a chance. He is not the most likable person and the least expected to be president of the United States but I still think in the end he will do a tremendous job.

>160 EadieB: Same with Brexit, I always had the feeling the vote would be leave but everyone was saying the opposite!

>161 Andrew-theQM:
Of course it depends on what benefits people the most and everyone has their own reasons for liking certain candidates or certain situations. It's like books, some you like and some you hate while others do not feel the same way. lol

>158 EadieB: the population density was cited as the reason for the origin of the electoral college, so that candidates wouldn't only campaign in big cities.

I agree that probably made sense in the days when campaigning was done on a horse-drawn wagon, but in these times where we all have a television and see the debates broadcast live and the endless months of campaigning, it seems like maybe the time has come to change to a "popular vote" system.

>163 Darth-Heather:
I doubt if the vote were taken to change it that it would pass. You would need 3/4 of the states to pass it and that's after the vote is taken in both Houses of Congress in order to amend the constitution. Or the states would have to vote for a constitutional convention.

>163 Darth-Heather: >164 EadieB: Never say never! We should regularly examine our democracy and what we do to see if it fits in with current times. If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got! One of my stock phrases, some times you need to think outside the box.

>164 EadieB:
It has nothing to do with current times or past times. It levels the playing field between large populated states and small populated states and you have to amend the constitution.

But if it was every vote counts it doesn't matter whether you live in a large state or a less populous state. Each vote is equal and every single vote counts.

>167 Andrew-theQM:
Yes that is true but then all the elections would be determined by California, Florida and New York which are the most populous states. Since we are a republic not a democracy and there is a distinct difference between the two, every citizen has to have a proportional and equal say in government. That's why the founding fathers established the electoral college. In Congress, the House of Representatives is determined by population but each state only has 2 representatives in the Senate to even the balance. That's what the electoral college does too - even the balance.

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Electoral_Vote_vs_Popular_Vote

November 30 -

Happy Birthday wishes to Brenda. Have a wonderful, fun-filled day and eat cake for all of us:)

Happy Birthday, Brenda! I wish you the best birthday and reading day ever! May you receive many books! lol

Happy Birthday Brenda!

Happy Birthday Brenda! Lots of cool people have November bdays!

>172 Darth-Heather: Is one of them named Heather by any chance? I agree. I think we have friends with birhdays in every month.

>172 Darth-Heather: I agree November is a busy month.

Happy Birthday Brenda. 🎂🍾🍸🍷

Happy Birthday, Brenda! :D

Happy Birthday, Brenda!

December 1

"Woof, Arf, arf, ruff" . That is Canine for Happy Birthday and the wishes are for our little furry mascot...OLIVER. Have great day Oliver and feel free to taste the postman if you'd like...my birthday treat to you...but TODAY ONLY...and not too hard.

Well we may be able to celebrate my new granddaughter. Her mom went to the hospital this morning at 3:00 am. She is still in labor and I am babysitting my grandson so stay tuned and I'll be back with an update later.

>178 EadieB: We wait with baited breath Eadie, not a November birthday after all. :)

>177 Carol420: Happy Birthday Oliver!🐶

>178 EadieB: Good luck Grandma:)

December 1

A little birdie told me that today was also LibraryCin's birthday. Have a great one Cin.

Happy Birthday Cin. 🍸🍾🎂🎉

Woof! Woof! to Oliver.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIBRARYCIN!

Still awaiting news update from Eadie, :)

Magnolia Pearl was born at 4:05 pm. She was 9 lb. 1 oz and 21 inches long. Mother and baby are doing great! Big brother, Finn, is looking forward to his mom and sister coming home on Saturday.

Congratulations Eadie!

Happy Birthday Cindy!

I saw Oliver briefly this morning before I abandoned him and his father. I'm in Ft. Lauderdale for five days to visit my brother. I'm sure they're having fun without me.

>184 EadieB: Congratulations to Mother, Baby and doting Grandma!
Love the names chosen for the new arrival.

>184 EadieB: Congratulations to you and Mr. Eadie as well as to the new parents. Glad everyone is doing well and the names are beautiful.

Congratulations Eadie on the successful birth of another grandchild! 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍸🍸🍸🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KF4uf4zBNVM/VX_1lMKOMDI/AAAAAAAAPzM/oE8jvEjKZug/s1600/...

If you are my long lost sister does that make me a great uncle to Magnolia Pearl! 😀

Thanks everyone for your congrats!

>188 Andrew-theQM:
You can never have enough uncles. Didn't they ever tell you that before your dad met your mum that your dad went to America and met my mom. It's one of those stories where your dad had to go back to England and 9 months later.........

>189 EadieB: Now that explains that time unaccounted for when we tracked back on the family history... My dad died when I was six so could never ask him! :)

>190 Andrew-theQM:
That's so sad! You mean "our dad" - How old was he when he died?

>190 Andrew-theQM: That is so true! 42, he had a massive stroke in the middle of the night.

>192 Andrew-theQM:
Definitely too young! Must have really been tough for you and your mum.

It was but we survived. Especially tough for my mum with the 4 of us and then a fifth from a brief relationship later on. She never remarried or had any relationship of note after that.

>194 Andrew-theQM:
Did your mom work and if so, who watched you after school?

>195 EadieB: Worked as a cleaner at school across the road before school in the morning and after school in the evening. At first supervision fell on my elder sister, when the baby came along it fell to me, I'd get up in the morning when mum went to work at 6.30 and come straight home after school and look after from 4.00 - 6.30. Even though I had a brother and sister who were older than me. I was 11 when my younger brother came along.

>196 Andrew-theQM:
At least your mum was just across the road. That's why you turned out to be such a responsible person because you had early training!

>197 EadieB: Indeed! Always a mature and responsible outlook! A lot of similarities between my mum and I in terms of intelligence and interest in history. Most of others took up trades using their hands, I don't have these traits! Do think I have very strong autistic traits which accounts for a lot of this. Even today I can be very tunnel visioned which can be both a strength and a weakness, the strength shows itself in the three group reads a month - these will happen regardless of other commitments! Also shows itself when preparing for key things at school, where I can focus on tasks at exclusion of everything else!

>198 Andrew-theQM:
Well, we definitely do benefit from the positive side of your tunnel vision and I'm sure your school does too. Thanks for sharing. I find people's backgrounds to be very interesting as to how certain events in someone's life help mold them for the future.

>199 EadieB: They definitely do that, but shaped also by their own traits.

>200 Andrew-theQM:
I agree it is a combination of both. Also fascinating how children in the same family live through same circumstances and it affects them differently.

>201 EadieB: Totally, and you see that a lot!

December 14

A very Happy Birthday to Jaret. Hope your day is special and all your wishes come true.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JARET!

:D

Have a great one, Jaret!

Happy Birthday Jaret!
🎶🎴🎹🎺🎻👑

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jaret. 🎂🍸🍾🎉🍰

Thanks so much! I appreciate the kind wishes.

December 30

I am so sorry that I missed posting birthday wishes to Brenda. Hope you had a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Brenda, I hope you had a great day. 🍾🎉🎂🥂🎊🍰

Happy b-day Brenda! Hope it was a great one!

Happy Birthday!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRENDA! :D

Happy Belated Birthday Brenda! Hope you had a wonderful day.

January 1

A very Happy Birthday to our own little furry meerkat. Hope your day is wonderful and you get all 5 star reads. Save some cake and ice cream for your friends also ...please.

Happy Birthday Sergei, a birthday on New Year's Day that must be a good start to the year. 🎂🍰🍾🎉🎊

Happy Birthday!! What a way to start 2017!

Happy Birthday Sergie! Definitely a good way to start the year!

Somehow, I've managed to miss out on this entire thread! (Missing shelfari, again...)

Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone!

And Happy birthday to Sergei!

Happy Birthday Sergei! Hope you get lots of presents.

Thanks, everyone, I've had a great day!
Hope you've all had a good start to this new year, too, :)

January 8

A very warm and Happy Birthday to RaspberryMocha. Hope your day is special, Rasp, and all your reads are 5 stars. I suppose you know that you share your birthday with Elvis Presley.

Happy Birthday RM. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday raspberry! Elvis would be 82 today!

>225 EadieB: Does show how much life was lost if he would still only be 81!

Happy Bitrhday RM! 🎂🍾🎉🍰🎊

I would say that Elvis didn't own enough books!

Happy Birthday, RM!!!!

Happy birthday, RM!

January 31

Happy Birthday wishes to Dusty. Hope you have a really great day and do something that you really enjoy:)

Happy Birthday Dusty! Hope it's a great one!

Happy Birthday, Dusty.

Happy Birthday Dusty! Hope you have a wonderful and fun day.

Happy Birthday Dusty 🎊🎂🍡🍫🥂🍹🍩🍰

Happy birthday to Dusty!!!

February 14

Warmest wishes for a very Happy Birthday to our very own valentine....Lynda. Have a wonderful day and do something special.

Happy Birthday Lynda! Hope it's sweet!

Happy Birthday, Lynda!

(If you want the song you'll have to go to today's book discussion page, :) http://www.librarything.com/topic/248446#5931446 )

Happy Birthday Lynda. 🍾🍰🍡🥂🍢🍹🎂

Happy Have-Your-Cake-And-Eat-It-Too Day! Don't forget to share with Oliver :)

Thanks everyone. My husband is planning on fixing my favorite dinner......shrimp ceviche appetizer, beef Wellington and a homemade key lime pie for dessert. Hope you all are having a wonderful Valentine's Day.

>242 Olivermagnus: You should be here. It's 52 degrees on the 14th of February in Michigan. Hope no one scares it away:) Enjoy your special birthday dinner.

>242 Olivermagnus: Hope there is some left over key lime pie to bring to the boat!

April 4

A very Happy Anniversary to Dusty and Mr. Dusty. Have a wonderful day.

Happy Anniversary Dusty and Mr. Dusty!

Happy Anniversary to the Dusties!

Happy Anniversary 🍾🎉🎊🎁

Happy Anniversary to you both...

A very Happy Birthday to Carol - one of our fearless leaders of our Mystery Groups! Hope you enjoyed your visit with your family!

Happy BirthdayCarol, hope you are enjoying your family time! 🎊🍾🎉🍾🎂🍭🍰🍿🍫🍩🍦🥂

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!

Have a great day, Funny Lady, ;D

Happy Birthday Carol! Have a great day with your family.

>253 Olivermagnus: Now that's what I call a chocolate cake! Who's got the plates?

Thank you all so very much. Just hold that chocolate baby in your hand, Andrew. Don't stand on formalities for me:) Having a great time with the kids. The son and daughter-i-law go home tomorrow and the daughter goes back to hot Arizona on Sunday. She's leaving out of Grand Rapids so we'll go to lunch bfor she leaves.

Happy birthday, Carol!

>256 LibraryCin: Thanks Cin.

Belated happy birthday, Carol!

>258 sushicat: Thanks, Sushi:)

July 21
Happy Anniversary to Lynda and Mr. Lynda. Hope you have a really great day.

Happy Anniversary Lynda.

🍾💐 Mr & Mrs Lynda, :)

September 10

Warmest wishes to Eadie for a very Happy Birthday! Have a good one and do something fun.

Happy birthday Eadie. 🎉🎊🍾🥂🎂🍰🍫🍷Have a great one.

>264 Andrew-theQM: Thanks, Andrew!

Happy birthday to Eadie!

>266 LibraryCin: Thanks!

Another birthday, Eadie - if yours are like mine, they come round too quickly, :D

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Best Wishes from Sergei 🎈💐🎈

>268 Sergeirocks: Yes and you can't escape them when everyone reminds you. Where have you been hiding the past couple of days? Are you reading the Steve Berry group read?

>268 Sergeirocks: Hello!!! We are about to send out the Mounties. Where have you been hiding???

>269 EadieB: Just do what I do...choose a number that you like or just stay 39 perpetually.

>268 Sergeirocks: I was going to send Mitch Rapp out again!

You know I'll always be around somewhere - and it has to be a very good reason to keep me away from our group reads...! :D

October 18

I'm a day late...and I so very much apologize. Happy Anniversary, yesterday, to Eadie and Mr. Eadie. Hope you had a wonderful day. I'll go to the boat now and try to repair my faulty memory.

>273 Carol420: >274 Olivermagnus: Thanks! We went out to dinner last Sunday for a German Octoberfest dinner. It was great! I got some bratwurst, red cabbage and spaetzle for the boat. Also Wienerschnitzel and Black Forest Cake. So hope you enjoy it!

Belated Anniversary Greetings Eadie. :) 🍾

>276 Andrew-theQM: Thanks!

Happy Birthday to Andrew, our Question-Master - November 18th!

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_...

Hope you have a wonderful birthday Andrew!

Happy birthday, Andrew!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, QM! :) 🎂

>278 EadieB: >279 gaylebutz: >280 LibraryCin: >281 Sergeirocks: Thanks everyone, and thanks for the Tigger videos. Am sharing my cake with all of you. 🍰🍰🍰🍰

>282 Andrew-theQM: Cake is delicious! Thanks!

>282 Andrew-theQM: Mmmmm, cake! :-)

Happy Birthday Andrew! My husband is making a Pinata cake so I'll save a piece for you. It's four layer cake with a center filled with candy. When you slice a piece, all the candy pours out...just like hitting a pinata.

Happy belated birthday Oh Great QM! You don't look a day over 25...but then I'm near sighted and blind as a bat:)

>285 Olivermagnus: Thanks Lynda, I look forward to the candy.

>286 Carol420: Lol! Thanks Carol.

I saved enough cake for both of you and Oliver. 🍰🍰🍰

November 30



Happy Birthday wishes to Brenda. Have wonderful day!

Happy Birthday, Brenda! :D

Happy Birthday, Brenda! I wish you many good reads for the coming year!

Happy Birthday Brenda!

Happy Birthday Brenda 🎉🎊🥂🍾🍰🎂🎁

December 1



Ruff, ruff gerrrr..arf. Oliver will understand that sentiment perfectly...but for all you people that don't speak fluent dog....HAPPY BIRTHDAY little friend! Make Mom and Dad take you out for dinner.

I'm not positive but I think today is Cindy aka LibraryCin's birthday too.

>294 Olivermagnus: Yes, it is! Wasn't sure how many people read the extraneous stuff on those challenges! I see you did! LOL! :-) Thank you!

Happy Birthday, Cindy! Hope you enjoyed your day!

>295 LibraryCin: - I always read them even if I don't copy them over. I hope I'm never too old to learn something new.

>297 Olivermagnus: I have to admit, I don't always. Usually it depends how much extra time I have when I'm copying them.

I always eventually read the extraneous stuff...maybe not right at the time I paste it...but I do read it. Don't know how I missed your birthday being in December...I had it in January. So sorry about that. Hope it was great and maybe this card will give you some idea about what you can train your cats to do for you.

>299 Carol420: Haha! Thanks, again, Carol! No worries!

>299 Carol420: - I love that photo!

>301 Olivermagnus: I had two cats when I was a kid that looked just like the orange one. Scamper and Little Joe (I was in love with Michael Landon) :) The other cat looks like my Margie but she would never have stooped that low:)

Belated Birthday Wishes, Cindy! Hope you've had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend - with lots of treats, :D

>303 Sergeirocks: Thank you!

I took Thursday and Friday off work for an extra-long weekend. Unfortunately, that did NOT mean I got more reading done! I managed to plan lots to do and didn't get as much reading done as I'd hoped. Oh, well...

Wishing you the best of everything. Have a wonderful birthday, Jaret...and read a good book!

Happy Birthday, Jaret!
That cake (>305 Carol420:) looks very appetising...

Happy Birthday, Jaret! And a Merry Christmas too!

>306 Sergeirocks: You can't cut it until Jaret gets here.

Happy Birthday Jaret!

Happy Birthday Jaret. 🎉🎊🍾🥂🎂🍰🎁👍

>308 Carol420: Of course! Jaret will have to blow out the candle and make wish before allowing anyone to have a slice, :D

Happy birthday, Jaret!

January 1

Wishes for a very Happy Birthday to our own little furry meerkat...SERGEI! Couldn't find you any mice but I thought ,"Hey" ...how about a "hot chick" and a tall cold one. Slainte!

>313 Carol420: If i’m going to sergei’s party I think I’d rather have the chicken! 😂

Happy Birthday Sergei, have a great day. If you listen carefully you might hear the world celebrating your birthday at midnight! 🎂🎉🎊🍾🥂🎆🎁

Happy Birthday, Sergei! Enjoy the goodies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2HJ1X51OhY

Have a wonderful day Sergei!

LOL. CHEERS, EVERYBODY! 👍😀

Another year older, :D

>317 Sergeirocks: Another year wiser!

Happy (belated?) birthday, Sergei! (Depending when you see this. It's still Jan. 1 as I type this where I am for another hour!)

>317 Sergeirocks: And another year richer I'm sure:)

February 14



Happy Birthday to our Lynda. Have a big piece of cake and remember all of us while you are eating that special birthday dinner your husband will make for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LYNDA!
:D

Happy Birthday Lynda 🎊🎊🎉🎉🎊🎊🎉🎉🍾🥂🎂🍰

Happy Birthday, Lynda! Enjoy your dinner!

Happy Valentines Day to all my "Reading Buddies".

Happy Valentines Day to all my lovely reading friends!

Happy Valentines Day everybody! Eat some chocolate (that's what I'm doing) or whatever candy you like and enjoy the day!

>327 gaylebutz: just had a chocolate covered pretzel topped with Reese’s pieces.

Happy birthday, Lynda!

>327 gaylebutz: Excellent advise. I like the way you think. I'll take you up on that right away!

>328 EadieB: You ate the whole thing???? Where's mine?

>330 Carol420: I'll send you yours in the mail. I got chocolate covered cherries too but I'm not going to share those. lol

>331 EadieB: I don't blame you for that:)

Thanks everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day!

>328 EadieB: That sounds pretty decadent - that's the way to take Valentine's Day seriously! I'm impressed.

>334 gaylebutz: My daughter bought the pretzels home from the grocery store for her family and my grandson gave me one while I was babysitting. They are good and when I got home my husband had my favorite chocolate covered cherries waiting for me.

April 4



Happy Anniversary to Dusty and Mr. Dusty. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy Anniversary Dusty and Mr. Dusty! Have a great day!

Happy Anniversary Dusty 💐🌹🌷💐🌹🌷💐🌹🌷

Happy anniversary, Dusty!

Happy Birthday Carol!

Happy Bithday, Carol! Enjoy your day. My daughter's birthday was yesterday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D 🍾

Thank you everyone. >341 EadieB: at least I have someone to share a close birthday with besides Queen Elizabeth and Adolph Hitler:) I don't mind Queen Elizabeth but that other one I could do without.

Happy Birthday, Heather. Do something you have always wanted to do and never had time for...like read War and Peace :)

Happy Birthday, Heather! Hope you have a great one!

>344 Carol420: I am listening right now to War and Peace audio! lol

>345 EadieB: That is a coincidence. I believe you are the first and only person I know that has ever attempted to read or to listen to it.

>346 Carol420: It’s a really good story. I’m really enjoying it.

Happy Birthday Heather!

Happy Birthday Heather! 🎉🍾 🎂 🥂 🍰 🎁

Happy birthday, Heather!!

Happy Birthday! :D

July 21



Happy Anniversary to Lynda and Mr. Lynda. Little Oliver too so he won't feel left out:) Have a wonderful day.

Happy Anniversary, Lynda! 💐

Happy anniversary to Lynda!!

Thanks everyone!

September 10



Have a really great birthday. Do lots of fun things and read lots of good books. As if you need any encouragement:)

>356 Carol420: Thanks, Carol!

Happy Birthday Eadie! 🍾🎉🍾🎉🍾 🎂 🎁 🎈 🍰 🥂

>358 Andrew-theQM: Thanks!

Happy birthday, Eadie!

>360 LibraryCin: Thanks!

Woo, Woo! Birthday cake! 🎂 😀

>362 Sergeirocks: I'll have a piece of your cake since all I got for my birthday was breakfast, gigantic tea mugs (which I love because you get 2 cups in one) and $150 in gift cards to buy more books. No cake!

>363 EadieB: Who needs cake when you have tea AND the prospect of more books?

>364 Carol420: I agree!

>364 Carol420: >365 EadieB: No even better if have tea, books AND cake!

>366 Andrew-theQM: >364 Carol420: >362 Sergeirocks: We are going to eat the cake that Sergei and Andrew gave me.

>367 EadieB: Can’t have a birthday without cake, even if you have to buy it yourself!

>367 EadieB: Always need cake on your birthday even if you have to buy it yourself.

https://www.cadbury.co.uk/recipes/delicious-cadbury-dairy-milk-buttons-owl-cake-...

>369 Andrew-theQM: That Cadbury cake looks good. I've got plenty of ice cream so that makes me happy! Also have these chocolate donuts which are my favorite:

https://www.google.com/search?q=entenmann%27s+chocolate+donuts&oq=entenmenn%...

I tend to bake my own birthday cake. :-)

>367 EadieB: >368 Andrew-theQM: >371 LibraryCin: Just send me a piece no matter what kind it is or who baked it:) The Cadbury cake does look yummy.

>372 Carol420: >367 EadieB: >371 LibraryCin: Cadbury cakes and chocolate is always yummy!

October 18



Happy Anniversary to Eadie and Mr. Eadie. Hope your special day is wonderful.

Best Wishes to you both, Eadie, 🍾🍾

Happy anniversary to the Eadies!

>376 LibraryCin: >375 Sergeirocks: >374 Carol420: Thanks All!

Happy Belated Anniversary Eadie!

>378 Olivermagnus: Thanks!

Belated Anniversary greetings Eadie. Hope you had a great day! 🍾

>380 Andrew-theQM: Thanks!

November 18



Andrew,
I hope I have the right date. If I'm right and today is indeed your birthday...have a great one and do something fun...like eat some chocolate cake and think about me. If I'm wrong...just have a great day anyway...and don't forget that cake:)

Hi Carol, you were very close, my birthday is on the 18th. Thanks for the message and the lovely chocolate cake. Yum!

Happy Birthday! 🎂

Hope you had a good one, Andrew! :D

>383 Andrew-theQM: Hope you saved some of that cake for the rest of us...and I'll get it right next year.

Happy Belated Birthday Andrew! Hope you enjoyed it and best wishes for another good year of reading and other good stuff!

November 30



Happy Birthday, Brenda. Hope it's the best one ever.

Happy Birthday, Brenda! :D 🎉

Happy Birthday Brenda! Enjoy your cake and other fun stuff!

Happy Birthday Brenda!

Happy Birthday Brenda!

December 1



Woof, Woof ! Happy Birthday little Oliver. Make Mom read your favorite book to you…play whatever game you want…fix your favorite dinner…just enjoy your day.

Happy Birthday, Little Dude!!! :D

Happy Birthday Ollie! Hope you get lots of good biscuits!

Happy Birthday Oliver! 🐶 🐕 🍪

Thanks everyone! He had a great day. Dog park and extra treats. He might be nine now but he'll always be my little puppy boy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW BOOK LOVERS! MAY 2019 BRING THE BEST OF EVERYTHING TO EACH OF YOU AND LOTS OF GOOD READS.

>398 Carol420: Merry Christmas to you too! Hope 2019 is kind to you too and may you have the best reads ever next year!

January 1



Happy Birthday to my favorite little meerkat. Have a great one, Sergei.

Happy birthday, Sergei!

>400 Carol420: >401 LibraryCin: Thank you, Ladies. I had a very enjoyable birthday, I'm pleased to say, :)

February 14
Today is Lynda's Birthday!!!



Have a wonderful birthday and tell Oliver to please not drool on the cake.

Happy Birthday Lynda 🎂 🍰 🎁

Happy Birthday, Lynda! Hope you have a good day!

Thanks all. I'm having a really nice day. My husband and grandson are making me a really tasty dinner, followed by my favorite, Key Lime Pie. Not a bad way to get another year older.

Just seeing this now! Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Lynda! :D

Happy Belated Birthday Lynda! Sounds like it was yummy!

October 18



Happy Anniversary to Eadie and Mr. Eadie. Have a wonderful day!

>410 Carol420: Thanks!

November 20

Today is Heather's Birthday!





Happy Birthday, Heather. Have a great one.

I saw this a few hours too late, but I hope you enjoyed your birthday, Heather! 😀🎉

Ok, as my music is on random, just as I opened this thread, it (loading the thread) paused at the top of the page as it loaded. This thread is called "IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANNA:)"

Guess what song just started up as it was paused at the top of the page while it loaded... LOL!

>414 LibraryCin: LibraryThing spooks:) I could say that I planned it that way to see if anyone would notice..

NOVEMBER 30

It's Brenda's Birthday!!!



Have a great birthday, Brenda.

thanks for the birthday wishes, you guys, and sending some birthday hugs to Brenda!

DECEMBER 1



Happy Birthday to our little furry, four-legged member. Have a good one little Oliver.

Have posted birthday greetings elsewhere for Brenda and the little guy, 😀

Oliver says Thanks!

January 1

It's Sergei's Birthday!!!



Have a great birthday, my friend. Wishing you all the best of everything.

Happy birthday, Sergei!!

50 minutes to go, Carol, I'm counting them down, 😀! Looking forward to that midnight firework display...

Happy Birthday >424 Sergeirocks:

🥳 🎁 🎂 🍰 🎇 🎆

Have a great year.

Thanks, Andrew, 😀.

February 14...Guess what today is? Besides being Valentine's Day...IT"S LYNDA's BIRTHDAY!!!



Hope your day is filled with good things for you. Have a great one!

Happy Birthday to my favorite human Mom...Oh that's right...you're my only human Mom. Anyway Happy Birthday. Love from Oliver.

Happy Birthday Lynda! Hope it’s a great day for you and Oliver!

Happy belated, Lynda!

HAPPY 244th BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

Happy 4th of July to all my American reading buddies, 😀.

JULY 21 - IT"S LYNDA"S ANNIVERSARY!!!



Happy Anniversary! Have a special day.

NOVEMBER 18 ANDREW's BIRTHDAY



Andrew...I didn't forget your birthday but I was away from a way to say HAPPY BITHDAY! Hope your day was special and that you ate lots of ice cream and cake while reading a really good book. Be safe and stay well. Things HAVE to get better soon.

Happy belated to Andrew!!

Thanks 😍 >434 Carol420: >435 LibraryCin: Have to say the biggest non event ever as we are in Lockdown. No cake, no family gathering, no meal out, or no chance to go away this weekend. But am free of COvID! Work also so busy not much chance to read. Despite Lockdown schools fully open, and insanely tiring and hectic! At least news of a vaccine are positive and start of vaccination may not be too long away! 🤞That would be a great Christmas present!

>436 Andrew-theQM: Free of COVID is good.

I live alone and always bake my own birthday cake! :-)

JANUARY 1 - Today is our Sergei's Birthday!!!


Happy Birthday! Hope you have a really great day and do everything that you want to do. Just don’t get arrested :)

Thought I'd send it a little early since it will be January 1 where you are before it is here. Happy Birthday...my friend.

Happy birthday, Sergei!

>438 Carol420: >439 LibraryCin: Thank you, and a Happy New Year to you both, ☺️.

Happiest of birthday wishes being sent to Carol, who always takes good care of us and keeps us in order… ☺️

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL! 🎉

>441 Sergeirocks:

You're a hard bunch to corral but I keep trying:)) You're a good bunch. Thank you so very much for the birthday wishes.

Oh, Happy birthday, Carol! Hope you're having a great day!

>443 LibraryCin: Thank you Cindy. I've had a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Carol! Hope you had a lovely day, a good book and yummy cake!

>445 gaylebutz: Thanks, Gayle. I had all of the above.