Thank you all so, so much for the birthday wishes via email and facebook! My facebook and email exploded – d’oh! So thoughtful of everyone! I had a very nice day. We started off with biking to bagels! I almost went somewhere else and had a different breakfast, but hey – it’s Sunday, which is the original bagel day in our household.
After that, it was down to Schenectady to the Rose Garden at Central Park. What a treat this park was! A little far from home, but the whole Central Park is very, very nice. The rose garden just has a first flush of blooms. I think in a couple weeks you could probably smell the garden a half mile away.
The only thing I didn’t like was that almost none of the roses were identified, so I really don’t know what they are. Pretty, though!
I was all up in this bee’s face. I don’t know if he was irritated at me, but he kept moving around a lot while I was trying to get his picture!
I think these are mountain laurels, but not sure. Very cool looking.
We stopped at Ambition Coffeehouse for lunch after the Rose Garden.
This is in a building that dates from 1815 and kind of interesting inside, complete with a ghost (not the guy in the yellow, but supposedly a real ghost).
I had a turkey sandwich with brie, walnuts and raspberry sauce. Tres good!
I did not get any coffee here, though (we stopped later for that).
I was supposed to have a birthday dinner out, but there was just no time at all, and we had a quick meal at home before company came over for presents and cake balls!
I keep seeing this recipe and figured I had to try it one. We used a boxed spice cake mix, made our own buttercream icing and mixed together. Then coated in white chocolate.
Only problem for birthdays? No place to put a candle!
Surprisingly, they were quite the hit!
John serenaded us with piano music.
I did receive a Magic Bullet (or close relative) from the parentals:
What a surprise! 
I was pretty happy and had waffles this morning.
John got me a watering can, which I desperately needed
And something so I can rock on!
Yay Journey!!! (None of the new stuff thankyouverymuch, just Steve Perry).
My sister’s family also brought me some bedding plants. Hooray!
All in all quite a nice day, and relatively quiet, too, which was quite nice. I still get to stretch it out, though. Must have a birthday dinner this week!
Question: Journey fan?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Looks like a great day (and I’m with you on the old Journey! Woot!). I have a magic bullet too and love making shakes in it.
Happy Birthday Girl!!!!
Happy belated birthday! Yep, I do like Journey but haven’t heard them in years. I’m one who likes quiet whenever I can get it, even in the car.
Looks like a wonderful birthday!!! Great music, great gifts…what more could you ask for?
Glad the cake balls were a success.
The roses are gorgeous!
I am a Journey fan!!!
Lovely day….aren’t you just loving your 40’s?
Oooh, cake balls. I read about them on Serious Eats last month and am just waiting for an appropriate occasion to make them. Happy to hear they were a hit, sure looked tasty.
Happy birthdaaaaayyyy!!!!
“Don’t stop belieeevin'”
(Yeah, but a bit of a closet fan…My husband can’t stand Journey!)
Glad you enjoyed your day…. Happy Birthday!
The first concert I ever saw was Journey – ahhh, the memories. 🙂
Looks like it was a nice day. Also? I can never read the words “cake balls” without giggling. You? 😉
Yes, John and I are pretty juvenile with stuff like that LOL. I can’t help but think of Alec Baldwin on SNL when talking about Cake Balls. 😀
Hee-hee! This is partially why I changed the name of my version to Cake Joys. Plus, it reflects my general life philosophy with regards to cake! 🙂
I’m so glad you had such a happy birthday! You certainly received great gifts! I’m curious to see how you like the MB-like product. I’ve hovered over it several times at JCP, but I wasn’t sure how well it worked. I have a Vitamix,a blender, and a food procssor, but those things are heavy and bulky on the countertop! I’d like to have something smaller for quick mixing.
(Now singing, “Any Way You Want It” :))
Welcome to 43, Lori!!! It’s been all good for me this year, so I hope the same for you!
Love your cake balls 🙂
Yesterday was my 44th birthday I had a wonderful day as well 🙂 I always enjoy your blog we have a lot in common 🙂
I was in a Dallas airport and saw Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain in the airport. To tell you the truth I didn’t know who they were, but my friend got a picture of me with them in the background. They quickly figured out what was happening and came over and posed with me. Funny memories and cool guys for playing along.
Happy Birthday! Those flowers are beautiful, and cake balls I love to make them!
Happy Birthday Lori!
Look how amazing you are at 43! You inspire me everyday. I’ll be turning 44 next month but feel so much better than I did in my 20s and 30s.
Flowers, music, presents, family and cake balls…what a great day!
Love Journey. Don’t stop believing…
Great day great gifts! SCORE! LOL
Yup, I love Journey.
What a fantastic birthday you’ve had! Great day Lori and a magic bullet, quelle surprise LOL
You know I didn’t really knew Journey until they used their music in Glee. After that I downloaded some of the original songs by them. Like it!
LOVE Journey! What a wonderful bday Lori! The garden pics are beautiful & those cake balls look quite yummy! I like saying that – cake balls! 😉
You got some great gifts! How fun!
I hope your cake balls were better than “Schwedy Balls.” HA! I crack myself up.
What a lovely day you had and I vote for stretching the birthday out as long as possible!
Looks like a fantastic birthday to me! Busy too complete with bagels, cake balls, sandwiches, bike riding, pretty flowers and a ghost! Love that John played the piano for y’all. Very cool. And I have that same Journey CD. One of the best. 🙂
Glad your birthday was wonderful. 🙂
What a great birthday! I love all the flower pics and your gifts are awesome!
One last Happy Birthday from me (til next year). Where are we having dinner this week, Wholly Crepe?
Another happy birthday Lori!!! Hope the year ahead is a great one. LOVE the roses! And REALLY LOVE Steve Perry!!!!!! Have a great day. Can’t wait to see what the blender produces!
Happy Birthday Lori!! Now you are as old as me! 😀
Looks like a wonderful day and some nice loot! 😀
Happy Belated Birthday! Looks like a fun day – and I adore cake balls!
And now that I have a cat of my “own”, I can quit coveting Pixie and start coveting your new watering can!
Firstly, Happy Birthday! So glad it was a great day for you!
Secondly, I LOVE that orange rose with the pink tipped petals. Gorgeous. It must’ve smelled amazing there.
And lastly, Journey’s Greatest Hits is one of my all time favorite CDs ever. I don’t know much of their other music off this particular CD, but gosh do I love that one, haha
Happy Birthday, looks like a great one! 🙂
I have that Journey CD…in high school an ex-boyfriend thought it would be a mean prank to fill out one of those Columbia House cards and bombard me with oldies music. The joke was on him, they told me to just keep the CDs and I happen to like Journey so score! lol!
Karma is so sweet, isn’t it? 😀
Looks like you had a fantastic birthday Lori! Glad to see you got a new Magic bullet so you can get back to your normal breakfast routine. 🙂
Pingback: I Pimped My Bike | My Bizzy Kitchen