Happy Birthday to Me!

 

In just about two hours I will be sixty-six. I am amazed by the number. I don't feel whatever I once thought sixty-six would feel like. Yes, my right hip gets stiff and I have more scars than I ever thought I would have. I don't hear as well as I once did, but those are all relatively minor issues. I'm sitting in my air-conditioned apartment, typing and eating blueberries. I'm looking forward to travels, holidays, weddings and my 45th college reunion next May. The scale definitely tips in the balance of all that is good and fortunate. 

 

I know people visit Buttercupland -- another thing for which I am profoundly grateful -- for a fun, happy, upbeat time. I am pleased that for the last seven years and over 1600 posts, Buttercupland has been a friendly place to visit. I'm not going to change that in this post, but if I had one birthday wish I'd like the world to be a less contentious and more decent place. I'd like more talking and less screaming, and a lot, lot less violence. Despite all that is happening all over the world, or maybe because of it, Buttercupland will remain an upbeat place.  We need more places where everyone is welcome and we are kind to each other. In seven years there has been only one negative comment. Would that the rest of the world were able to say that.

 

The birthday donut above is from one of my favorite eateries, Glazed and Infused, in Chicago. My sixty-fifth year has been a year of much less sugar and very few donuts. But I am thinking of researching donuts in New York City and treating myself to one in the next week. Turning sixty-six definitely deserves one little sweet treat.

 

I would be remiss not to thank all of your for your friendship. My blog friends have become a very important part of my life and without all of you there would be no Buttercupland. Lots of love and thanks!

Celebrating National Doughnut Day

I've seen doughnuts everywhere I've looked today -- my Facebook feed, my inbox and even in messages popping up on my phone. I've been informed it's National Doughnut Day many, many times. As someone who tries to be pastry abstinent, this has been tough for me. Knowing that there are free doughnuts all over New York with my name on them and also knowing that I will regret every sweet, greasy bite after I've inhaled them. My compromise celebration is a virtual visit to Glazed and Infused in Chicago.

I was trying to stay pastry abstinent in Chicago and was only in search of the best coffee. I asked one of the staff at the hotel where I was staying about coffee and she responded that she had no recommendations for coffee, but the best doughnuts were only a block away. It was fate and I decided my treat for the trip would be a visit to Glazed and Infused. I found the coffee, from Kenya, was very good, but the doughnuts were sensational.

 

It was a temptation to buy a t-shirt or mug here, but my suitcase and carryon were already packed solid with books. 

I was overwhelmed by the assortment pictured below, but happily, there were miniature versions of the full-sized doughnuts. There were also mini cakeball size samples, which helped my selection process. I wanted to try every one of them, but knew that would go from ecstasy to awful quickly.

Doughnut lovers heaven!



These were my choices. From left to right: glazed doughnut, apple fritter doughnut and red velvet. In the back is the maple bacon doughnut. I probably wouldn't have ordered the latter, but the guide books were very enthusiastic about it. My favorites were the glazed -- I love a good glazed doughnut, which needs no embellishment -- and the red velvet. I'm glad I tried the maple bacon, but the slice of bacon really didn't do much for me. I'd go back for the glazed one again and again. While we're talking doughnut flavors, what's your favorite?

Since doughnuts are fun, I'm linking this post to one of the most fun places in BlogLand, Pink Saturday. I've got a quiet weekend ahead and hope to catch up on a couple of long overdue posts, get in some walking, make a museum visit, and drink coffee and read (of course!). What are your weekend plans?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a happy weekend.