Happy Birthday to John!!

May 7, 2009 by Debbie.

As the song says, “This is dedicated to the one  I love.” That he would willingly spend 35+ years of marriage plus almost 2 years prior with me still amazes me and I still wonder WHY? but I’m so glad, glad, glad he does.

As my gift to John, we spent my whole month’s paycheck on lunch out today, down in Addison (Dallas) at Texas de Brazil. OK, before anyone panics, let me explain that paycheck only had 2 half days on it!!! Still we blew the whole wad plus a little more (had to leave a good tip) which is very, very unusual for us. This was the type of restaurant that their throw away  ‘paper’ towels were more luxurious than our towels we keep. I know cause while I was in the restroom, I snuck 3 in my purse - how else would I remember the name of the place? I couldn’t help but think as I dried my hands, “Wow! These will work great drying the goats’ udders for milking.” I didn’t share that thought with anyone.

Getting ready to go I went through my closet 3 times. No question of which shoes as I have one good pair of sandals so I had to find something that went with brown sandal and a brown purse. I finally found a skirt but put on 3 tops before I settled on a tee that was only 5 years old and a light jacket that was only 15 years old. As I stood before the mirror, the same old feelings just about everyone feels when they step back to their old haunts came to me screaming, “Boy, are you out of style!” I used to work in the Dallas area and thought nothing of driving around Dallas to clients’ offices. Now I shut my eyes while John drives through McKinney, far north of Dallas and far less congested. It was only a moment with those feelings and I could have started to feel blue but another feeling screamed louder, “Yep, you’re way out of style, but you’re also way out of DEBT!” Living debt-free brings more freedom than anyone knows unless they’ve experienced it personally. Style had no hold on me - I was out to have a good time with my Lover.

I would have been a fool to let ‘fashion’ cast any shadow on a wonderful time out.  For I am so blessed to have a husband who lets me be me and he actually LIKES me that way. He was not surprised when I pulled those towels out of my purse later nor did I embarrass him by carrying two plates at a time from the salad bar then going back twice cause I forgot something. He didn’t blanch once when I asked the heavily accented waiter to slow down and explain something again.

John picked this restaurant and he did well. They had all the beef, lamb, pork and chicken you could eat. They said they had 50 different items on the salad bar but frankly the salad bar did nothing for me. To be fair, how do they top my home grown organic salad makings and home grown goat cheese? The meats more than made up for a so-so salad bar. And to end the meal the waiter brought John his choice of dessert (banana foster) with a lit candle.

I had pushed a dessert on John as this was probably the last time I’d go down into Dallas to eat unless drug in a hearse. I wanted him to have the full Texas de Brazil experience but when we got home we finished icing his real birthday cake - Italian Cream Cake. If you’ve never made one, google a recipe and try it. Be ready to freeze half of it because it’s just too rich to eat even over a week’s time. Ours had 5 farm fresh eggs, 3/4 pound of butter (1/4 pound in the icing), coconut, walnuts and 8 oz of cream cheese (icing). I’d weigh it but our kitchen scales only go to 5#.

Texas de Brazil for lunch and Italian Cream cake for supper - Happy Birthday, John! but I got the best present - you!

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