Leap Day Birthday?

Leap years. The day that only comes once every four years.  Let's start this post, then, with something totally unrelated.

I know someone who was born on July 4.  

Here in the United States, July 4th is our Independence Day.  It's celebrated with fireworks, outdoor BBQ's, and parades (not necessarily in that order).  In my youth, most people had the day off.  It's a national holiday.

I asked this person once, how old were you when you first realized all the celebrations weren't to celebrate your birthday?  She just chuckled.  Maybe she's been asked that a lot.

It makes me think, every February 29, about all those born on February 29.  Technically, they only have a birthday to celebrate once every four years.  It's kind of the opposite of the Fourth of July.  No fireworks.  No bonfires.  No parades.

They only get to celebrate their true birthdays once every four years.

So, what about these people?

Some talented people were born on February 29.

So what happens if you are born on February 29?

Congratulations!  You have the rarest birthday a person can have.  There's only a one in 1,461 chance a baby will be born on February 29. The link in the last sentence also explains why a leap day every four years in our Gregorian calendar.

Most people born on that date celebrate (except in leap years) either on February 28 or March 1.  

February 29 remains your legal birthdate for official IDs.

But you don't age 1/4 as fast as the rest of us.

And you have restaurants and other businesses celebrating with specials - like these.

So, if today is your birthday, celebrate it in style.  You are special!  (although maybe not as special as someone born on July 4th....only kidding!)

And if any of my readers happen to have a birthday today - happy birthday!

Happy 64th to Someone #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday.  It's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?

We are bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and Yours Truly.

Why not join our music loving folks?  It's so easy. All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video.  No music video? Your post may be removed, or may be labeled *NO MUSIC*.    

Today's theme is chosen by someone who remains anonymous:  We are to build a playlist from the 60s – 80 to celebrate someone special’s 64th birthday.  I know who this person is, but I'm keeping this information a surprise.  Here's my birthday message to our birthday person:

You're having a birthday!  You're going to have a good time!  Happy birthday to you! 

The first one is going to be a natural.  How about six songs, two from each decade?  

It was so tempting to include the Beatles When I'm 64 from 1967, but I thought that was a little too obvious.  Instead, let's start with a 1968 song that I heard, for the first time, at a sweet 16 party.

Although this was first recorded by the Beatles, I decided to start with a Birthday performance by Paul McCartney that was a lot more recent.  "Birthday" for our birthday person.

Next, from 1961, Neil Sedaka and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.  I know the birthday person is past their 16th birthday, but I'm picking this anyway..

For the 1970's I'm going to pick two of my favorite 70's songs.  Neither are about birthdays and one is long, but you can pick and choose here.

Elton John and Someone Saved My Life Tonight, from 1975.

From 1978, Donna Summer's cover of MacArthur Park.  I loved this song when it first came out but I love Donna's cover even more.  I'm going with another live performance.  RIP Donna; you were taken from us too soon.

And now for my favorite decade, the 80's. No birthday songs here just enjoyment.

From 1981, Soft Cell and Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go, both covers of 60's songs and, oh, that combination.

From 1984, Foreigner and I Want To Know What Love Is.  Let's enjoy one of the greatest songs ever.

I said six songs, right?  Well, I'm slipping in a seventh. 

Let's end this with one more Happy Birthday, this one from Weird Al Yankovic in 1982. 

Oh, one last thing.  If you loved Tony Bennett, here's a tribute I did to him on Saturday.

And that's a birthday wrap.  Hope the playlist met with the birthday person's approval.

Join us again next week for another episode of #MusicMovesMe.

Songs from A Special Month #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday. It's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head hostess is Cathy from Curious as a Cathy,  and she is joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and the world famous (not) me. 

Our founder, Marie aka Xmas Dolly, has stepped back from blogging for now, and would appreciate your good thoughts as she works through some health issues. The latest word from Marie is that she hopes to return to blogging sometime in the near future.  Let's hope so!

We'd love more music lovers to join our fun group.  All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video (there must be a music video or your post will be subject to removal or labeling "No Music").  So easy!

Each month, except December, we have a guest host. For June, we are welcoming Cathy from Curious as a Cathy one last time.  Her theme for this week is to build a playlist from from each of our 34th birthday years in honor of Cathy's DD#1's upcoming birthday.

Mine would be 1986.  I've chosen a playlist from a week in December of 1986.

I'm picking here from both the United States and the United Kingdom charts, just to have fun.  A couple of these I've had on my blog before, but I'm not going to complain if you don't.

This first song happens to be a song I love - The Way it Is, from Bruce Hornsby and The Range.

Everybody Have Fun Tonight from Wang Chung.

Walk Like an Egyptian from The Bangles

The Final Countdown - Europe

Berlin - Take My Breath Away is from the original Top Gun movie.

I'll end with this song - Amanda, from Boston.

Wishing Cathy's daughter a happy birthday later this week.  It sure was fun to take a trip through music of the year I turned 34 in.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Happy 90th Birthday!

This week, someone I've known for about 50 years turned 90.

Not long after my late mother in law and father in law moved into their new house, in a brand new small development in a then-rural suburb of New York City, a family moved next door:   J, his wife M, and their children.

J, M, and the family that became my inlaws stayed neighbors for some 50 years.  During that time, additional children were added, and their families grew.  

For both of the families, life wasn't always easy, but the friendship survived and grew deeper.  

Eventually, I married into one of the families and became friends with the other family.  I especially became close with M, who grew up in the same part of the Bronx as I did.  We went to different schools and are of different generations, but there was a lot we had in common.

In the 1990's, both my father in law and J passed away.  In widowhood, the friendship between my mother in law and M. grew even stronger.

Eventually, in 2015, my mother in law moved to be closer to two of her sons, but she and M. never lost that friendship.  My spouse and I visited M. several times, the last time in September of 2019.  We spent wonderful afternoons with her.  M. is a great cook and insisted on cooking for us.

M. remains healthy and active into her 90th year. She still drives. She's maintained her house with help, and still lives alone. You would never, ever know her age.  She texts and uses social media. We keep in touch with texts, in fact.  

M. remains so busy, with her far flung family, that we never did arrange a visit in 2021.  This year, we hope to finally see each other again when the weather moderates.

This past week, her family, which has grown quite large by now, gathered in California, where one of M's daughters lives, and celebrated her birthday.   Pictures, of course, were posted on social media.

Happy belated birthday, M.   You've aged with grace, and have a zest for life I admire.   Here are some virtual flowers for you.

Happy 110th Birthday To Oreo Cookies

In March of 2012, I blogged about Oreos, which was then celebrating its 100th birthday.  Since then, there has been an absolute parade of short term flavors.  There's been almost every flavor you can imagine.

One of many flavors over the years - this is from 2018

Now, for  Oreo's 110th birthday, there will be a new limited edition flavor.  You can pre order them now (no, I am not being compensated in any way for blogging about Oreos and this is not a sponsored post) and there is a website (which I am not linking to) to enter various sweepstakes in honor of the birthday.

I haven't purchased Oreos in quite a while, but, in my earlier years, I loved them.  Here are some of my previous blog posts about limited edition flavors.  There are actually few limited edition flavors I've tried and liked, so not all of these are positive reviews.

Fireworks Oreos

Peeps Oreos 

Watermelon Oreos

Then there was my favorite flavor ever - Strawberry Milkshake Oreos. 

Facts about Oreos. 

There's even a short street in New York City named for Oreos, where an Oreo bakery used to stand.

There are the flavors sold only in other countries. I would love the coconut Oreos, I suspect.

Ironically, in a way, it all started with Hydrox sandwich cookies, once made by Sunshine, which predate Oreos by some four years (1908 vs Oreos 1912).  In my childhood, growing up in a Jewish home that kept kosher, my Mom didn't buy Oreos.  (At the time, Oreos were not kosher.  They are now). Rather, I grew up with Hydrox but, thanks to friends, was well acquainted for Oreos.

It may be heresy, but I liked the Oreos better than the Hydrox cookies.  For all I know, it was the (forbidden for me) lard, which was used in the cookies until 1997.  

There are so many ways to eat them, too.  My method?  Pull the cookie apart, nibble around the cream, then eat the cream, then eat the rest of the cookie.  I don't like to dunk them.

If you eat sandwich cookies, how do you like to eat them?

I am looking forward to trying the 110th birthday flavor, Chocolate Confetti Cookie Cake, which will be released on January 31.  I'll let you know if I can get hold of a package and try it. Two flavors of cream, and sprinkles both in and out. Hoping they are a winner.

I like playing "yea or nay" games with Facebook friends over flavors when I run into new flavors in the supermarket.

I hope this one is a "yea".

A Holiday Birthday

Were you born near a major holiday?  I was.  My late mother in law was.  My sister in law was. One of my grandfathers was.  All of were born in the week before Christmas.

This is a partial repeat of a post I first wrote in 2018 but it's still relevant.

It's an interesting experience, having a birthday just before Christmas.  You learn, at an early age, that your birthday is going to be swallowed up in the greater festivities.  In other words, you learn to share.  Your birthday.  Attention paid to you.  That kind of thing.

We aren't the only ones who share birthdays with holidays, of course.

One of my managers at work was born on the fourth of July (our Independence Day in the United States).  She was in elementary school before she realized that the parades and the fireworks on July 4th were not meant to celebrate her.

But back to Christmas....this year, everything has been so strange, including holiday and birthday celebrations.  But let's think of the past for a minute.

A near-Christmas child learns early that most people get presents on their birthday and on Christmas.  We - well, we are lucky if we even get noticed.  Not quite the same situation as the person in the last paragraph, but it's similar in some ways.

Even born and raised in a Jewish household, I was not immune from the Great Christmas Takeover. (Also, back when I was young, Hanukkah was not the "major" holiday it is now.)  But it also offered me an escape answer, when I was young, to the inevitable question "what did you get for Christmas"? (I didn't grow up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood.)  I would simply name my birthday gift.

In a way, when I married into my (Christian) spouse's family and became related by marriage to two people in the same Christmas/birthday boat (so to speak) as I was in, I met other fellow sufferers.  We'd been there, done (or not done) that.  We always made sure we gave each other separate presents and cards for both occasions.  

Since my late mother in law's birthday was the day after mine (25 years minus 1 day) we would celebrate milestone birthdays at the same time.  That was interesting, too, but it never bothered me.  Double the pleasure, double the fun....

We learned to live with this constant birthday sharing, the three of us.  Now, things are different, along with so much else.

Do you or another family member share a near-birthday or birthday with a major holiday?