Happy Birthday Nora 🎂

 

"Every year on my birthday I give myself a gift. It's very simple, really.

One day to do whatever I choose. 

Whatever feels right to me."

Entranced

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unbekannt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

How do you feel about celebrating your birthday?

As my birthday rolls around this year, I’ve been thinking about how people feel about their birthday arriving and whether they treat it like a celebration or not.

 

I have friends who feel it’s nothing special and prefer to ignore it, others who acknowledge it but don’t like being made a fuss of, and then others who love an excuse to take the day off work and enjoy being spoilt.

Start With You

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“We’ll have to save room for it and the ice cream,” John said. “After the birthday dinner. We were going to get pizza, but you started those meatballs, so we adjusted.”

Everything went bright, as if the sun burst through the pounding rain. “You’re going to stay.”

“I repeat, it’s your birthday. No way I’m missing out on ice cream and cake. We’ll wait for the others for eats, but I think you should open your gifts now.”

“Really? It’s all right?”

“Obviously, the genius doesn’t comprehend the power of birthday. Here.”

The Witness

lá breithe shona duit NORA 🎉☘️🥂

 

It had been a lovely week, the perfect birthday present to give herself. Indulgent, she admitted, taking such a big chunk of her savings that way. But what were savings for if a woman couldn't use them to celebrate in a spectacular way her first quarter century of living.

Heart of The Sea

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Viktor Lazić, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Why A Solo Birthday Trip Is The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself

ELITE DAILY

Happy Nora's Day

 

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“It’s your birthday. And we got cake.”

“Cake.”

John set the box down on the table, flipped up the lid. 

“Double-chocolate fudge with buttercream icing.”

The Witness

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🥂 Happy

🥂 Happy NORA's Day 🍰

The one gift Ana always gave herself on her birthday was a completely free day.

She could be as lazy as she chose, or as industrious. She could get up at dawn

and gorge on ice cream for breakfast, or she could laze in bed until noon

watching old movies on television.

The single best plan for the one day of the year that belonged only to her was no

plan at all.

Entranced

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How Can I Tell What I Exactly Want For My Birthday?

What do you want for your birthday? Wait, don't tell me,
 I already know! If you also wanna know then play 
this surprising gift quiz.

ProProfs

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“Does your mother have a birthday coming up?”

“She stopped having them about ten years ago. 
We just call it Marlene’s Day.”

“Smart woman.”

Remember When

Happy Birthday Nora

The one gift Ana always gave herself on her birthday was a completely free day. She could be as lazy as she chose, or as industrious. She could get up at dawn and gorge on ice cream for breakfast, or she could laze in bed until noon watching old movies on television.

 The single best plan for the one day of the year that belonged only to her was no plan at all.

Charmed

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"St. Patricks Day mini cupcakes" by Kristin Ausk - 
originally posted to Flickr as St. Patricks Day mini cupcakes. 
Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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"Happy birthday."

 "How did you know it was my birthday?"

 "Nash told me. Aren't you going to open it?"

 "I certainly am." She tore the paper, revealing a box with the logo of Morgana's shop imprinted on the lid. "Excellent choice," she said. "You couldn't possibly go wrong buying me something from Wicca." She lifted the lid and, with a quiet sigh, drew out a delicate statue of a sorceress carved in amber.

 Her head was thrown back and exquisite tendrils of the dark gold hair tumbled down her cloak. Slender arms were raised, bent at the elbows, palms cupped and facing-mirroring the age-old position Ana had assumed over the chest that morning. In one elegant hand she held a small gleaming pearl, in the other a slender silver wand.

 "She's beautiful," Ana murmured. "Absolutely beautiful."

 "I stopped by the shop last week, and Morgana had just gotten it in. It reminded me of you."

 "Thank you." Still holding the statue, she lifted her free hand to his cheek. "You couldn't have found anything more perfect."

Charmed

Nora's Birthday,This Magical Moment

“Happy birthday!"

Ryan‟s eyes widened in surprise. Bess, still in costume, opened a bottle of champagne while Link did his best to catch the spurt of wine in a glass. Speechless, Ryan stared at them.
“Happy birthday, Ryan.” Pierce kissed her lightly.
“But how …” She broke off to look up at him. “How did you know?”
“Here you go.” Bess stuck a glass of champagne in Ryan‟s hand, then gave her a quick squeeze. “Drink up, sweetie. You only get one birthday a year. Thank God. The champagne‟s from me—a bottle for now and one for later.” She winked at Pierce.
“Thank you.” Ryan looked helplessly into her glass. “I don‟t know what to say.”
“Link‟s got something for you, too,” Bess told her.
The big man shifted uncomfortably as all eyes turned to him. “I got you a cake,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat. “You have to have a birthday cake.”
Ryan walked over to see a sheet cake decorated in delicate pinks and yellows. “Oh, Link! It‟s lovely.”
“You have to cut the first piece,” he instructed.
“Yes, I will in a minute.” Reaching up, Ryan drew his head down until she could reach it on tiptoe. She pressed a kiss on his mouth. “Thank you, Link.”
He turned pink, grinned, then sent Bess an agonized look. “Welcome.”
“I have something for you.” Still smiling, Ryan turned to Pierce. “Will you kiss me, too?” he demanded.
“After I get my present.”
“Greedy,” he decided and handed her a small wooden box.
It was old and carved. Ryan ran her finger over it to feel the places that had worn smooth with age and handling. “It‟s beautiful,” she murmured. She opened it and saw a tiny silver symbol on a chain. “Oh!”
“An ankh,” Pierce told her, slipping it out to fasten it around her neck. “An Egyptian symbol of life. Not a superstition,” he said gravely. “It‟s for luck.”

This Magic Moment

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Happy Birthday, Nora!!

 

On Nora's Birthday, let's go to the kitchen

"What the hell is apple brown betty?"

"It's delicious, that's what the hell it is. Go sit down, give me a minute and I'll prove it. 

She fixed the dessert, served it in the living area. 

"It's not sex,' she said, "but it's a nice end to a meal."

He took the first spoonful. "Where has this been all my life?"

"I learned to make it for my father. It was a favorite of his."

'"A man of good taste."

Angels Fall

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A cross between bread pudding and apple crumble, the Apple Brown Betty is a humble dessert made from day-old bread and sweetened fresh fruit (sometimes with berries instead of apples). 

 

In honor of National Apple Betty Day, we're serving up a batch with fresh whipped cream tonight! For the best betty, we consulted SAVEUR contributor Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (Knopf, 1990). She passed this along with the advice that you won't need the lemon juice if your apples are flavorful. 

FOOD NETWORK
(previous link is no longer available)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORA!