August 7, 2006
World Birthday Day
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
In honor of the anniversary of another trip around the sun, her own birth, Kat Caverly declares August 7th, World Birthday Day, and gives the staff the day off!
Kat will be taking the day off to celebrate and ponder all things birthday (which isn't much of anything new for the lady whose mission in life is to add celebration and joy to everyone's days, now is it?). She promises to "get back to the serious work of silly on Tuesday", but is taking the day off. She has given all us purr-mission (orders!) to do the same.
I'm not certain any of us know how to 'celebrate and ponder all things birthday' without making cards, sentiments, animations and art... or cake. There's just no way to have birthday on the brain and not have cake on your plate. (This job is to blame for all my weight gain!) But we'll give it a shot.
One thing is for sure though. While this Kat's away, the No Evil mice -- err, monkeys will surely play!
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:53 PM
June 23, 2006
"Things I Did on My Birthday"
By the Birthday Girl, DEANNA DAHLSAD
I wrote a masterpiece on 'the glories of motherhood' while I collected assorted hidden toys, dirty laundry, unidentifiable food items etc from 'round the house. 'Something something they are cute...' I don't remember most of it... Which is a real shame, because I really needed to know that stuff when I returned with clean load of laundry # 6 to find the the laundry I folded & placed in the baskets for each family member has been met with whines of 'do I hafta' by the children. My face says 'yes' so they proceed to mutilate the folding with shouts of 'hey, this isn't mine' -- full of hope that this means they will not need to put it away.
I ate a slice of cheese - noteworthy because folks from Wisconsin do not eat just one slice.
I rearranged knick-knacks. You call it dusting, but to me, it is an art form - presentation, esthetics, and setting up those vignettes (OK, it's a little like playing with dolls when you get right down to it.)
I made lunch for the kids, but I am still full after my mid-morning cheese.
I wrote the quintessential piece on "why I love my pets" in my head, while I vacuumed and scrubbed the floors. "Something something they are cute...." Again, I don't remember most of it. Which would have been nice to recall when the cats showered me with affection, their fur sticking to my sweaty legs, arms, and of course, the perennial favorite, the face.
I sneezed a few times; damn cat hair.
My body longed for bed, sleep, but I couldn't bear to put this body on top of the freshly laundered sheets (made with laundry from basket number 2) - But there is no time for a nap, not yet.
I sneezed again, this time I think I pulled something. A doosey of a headache looms before me anyway, so I took 3 Advils. I swear I am immune to that stuff. Does cheese counteract drug use?
All the cleaning, sweating, cat fur, sneezing, etc wins; I made the bed and ended up with a shower. I dried off, feeling refreshed. Damn second winds.
I began to work on a sketch for a friend. The fat cat kept trying to lay on my paper, the smaller one batted at my pencils.
Hubby, who was working either on the van or mowing the lawn for most of the day, came in to make dinner for the family, as he usually does, which is nice. Afterwards, I get to supervise children in the kitchen, which is not so nice. I use this break while he cooks to check and delete emails, reply to some urgent ones etc. And what should I find? A lovely birthday ecard!
A card, just for me -- a card extolling my virtues as a special person!
It's a turning point in my day.
I am more than a maid, more than a mom, more than a servant, I am special! I matter!
So when dinner was served, complete with rootbeer floats, I was ready for quality time with hubby and the kids.
No longer did I remember the less-than-satisfactory games of 'what was that?', the seemingly endless loads of laundry, the bickering, the sneezing. All I saw before me was the smiling laughing faces of those that I love.
The pets, each curled up in their own spots, watching for food to drop from the table, were as cute as can be. (I think they even stopped shedding for that period of time!)
It's amazing what a simple greeting card can do.
NOTE: Happy Birthday Deanna, a few days late but not forgotten!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 6:30 PM
June 19, 2006
Making Birthdays Special
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
My household has all its birthdays, five total, between May 30th and June 29th. Not only is this a mini-Christmas for our wallets, but it takes a bit of creativity to come up with ways to make everyone feel special.
Take birthday cakes, for example. How special is cake when we barely finish one cake before I have to make another? (And in this heat, I don't feel much like baking that much either.) With some of the birthdays just 4 days apart, we literally can have our cake and eat it too! But eating birthday cake twice daily for so many weeks isn't the fun you'd think it would be. So we had to come up with another plan.
In general, we have one birthday party for all three of the children. At that party, we may have a cake. This of course depends upon how many grandmas, great grandmas, aunties etc have already fed us cake when we visit them for the mandatory birthday visits. If we do not go to their houses, we invite them to our family party, and then we have a cake. That's "a cake". Just one.
But in order for each of us to feel special on our special day, we still have to do something different.
So we came up with a plan for each family member's birthday. The birthday boy or girl is allowed to open one present on the actual anniversary of their birth, saving the rest of the presents for the party day, and they are allowed to choose the family dinner that night. Not only does each person get their favorite meal, which varies from the youngest's macs & cheese to dad's pork chops, but each birthday dinner is accompanied by root beer floats.
Root beer floats are easy to make, require no use of the oven, satisfy the sweet-tooth, and feel special because it's something we just don't normally do. They also leave no leftovers, so having one on Saturday does not mean you are sick of them by Wednesday.
Now birthday root beer floats are our family tradition. It makes the day special, and as a mom, I love to hear our children talking with excitement over 'birthday season' and 'our root beer floats.'
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:31 AM | Comments (1)
March 30, 2006
Let Loose!
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
"It's your birthday, let loose" features an older woman, with a beehive
of pink cotton candy hair and ample proportions, removing her bra, and
letting herself loose. What ensues is a mockery of bouncing breasts.
Funny to watch, but more amusing is the feedback. Feedback from men who
are worried that women might be offended.
I find it highly hilarious that men honestly believe that we women don't
find out own breasts humorous. How can we not? Even those of us in the
Itty Bitty Tittie Committee are aware of our own breasts. We're as up
front about our breasts as we can be, and that includes being able to
hoot and holler over extremely animated hooters.
And men, aren't you the first to laugh at a movie where a man is hit in
the crotch? Entire movies have been built on this premise -- movies that men love.
OK, women too. And we don't watch these movies wondering if men are
offended, we just laugh at them. We don't need to have the same
equipment to share a laugh.
Obviously, if you don't think the recipient is likely to bust out in
laughter at receiving a "Let Loose" ecard, don't send them the card and
make a boob of yourself. But don't think that just because she's a
woman she's not going to laugh. Most of us will find it udderly
amusing.
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:59 AM
January 17, 2006
Save a Tree
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Have you made a New Year's resolution to be kinder to all living
things? Have you decided that from this moment on, you'll make choices
which better the health of our planet?
Or perhaps you are being pressured to become a tree-hugger by a family
member or friend who insists that you should make such a change in your
life. To make matters worse, this person has a birthday this week!
If any of this applies to you, boy, do we have a card for you! In fact,
we have many ecards for you.
For the ecologically conscious, ecards are the practical alternative to
paper greeting cards.
With ecards, you not only spare a tree, but you spare the hurt feelings
you would otherwise create by not acknowledging a love-one's special
day. Ecards allow you to both save a tree and save a relationship.
No longer must you hem and haw over the ethical dilemma of kill-a-tree or
hurt-a-friend. Now, the answer's easy: send an ecard!
Just another one of the world's problems solved by No Evil Productions.
(However, when it comes to the 'paper or plastic' question at the
grocery store, you are on your own.)
Posted by photocartoonist at 7:53 PM | Comments (2)
December 14, 2005
The Bureau of Birthdays::Enforcement Division
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Finally, a greeting card that acknowledges the feelings of the person
who has missed sending a timely birthday card!
No one likes to admit failure. We'd rather live in denial. But we
can't forget about it. Not sending a birthday card is a major slight,
and slighting someone dear, makes us sweat. We worry about the
repercussions of being a bad friend - a bad person! Forgetting to send
a birthday card on time, oh, what will the punishment be?!
While we know our friend or family member will understand, we feel
guilty. Maybe even too guilty to send a belated card - it's admitting
we were late, and perhaps just moving past the whole issue is a better
thing to do...
Perhaps a visit to the Bureau of Birthdays, Enforcement Division, will
help you change your mind!
When the Sargent says, "When I'm finished with you, you won't be on a
single Christmas card list from here to Honolulu!" you'll realize,
sending a greeting late is better than sending none at all.
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:30 AM
December 2, 2005
December Birthdays
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
My sister's birthday is in December (the 16th) and she's sort of
resented that fact. I've listened long and well over the years, and
I think I have her top 5 reasons December birthdays suck.
#5 You can't have an outside party at the beach. I have a June
birthday, and had plenty of those as a kid, so I heard her complain
about this for at least 16 years. Mom tried skating parties, but those
are cold & girls can't show off pretty dresses.
#4 Too many sweaters! Sweaters being a top holiday gift, as well as
top winter birthday gift, well, let's just say she has enough to wear
each sweater only one day of the winter fashion season.
#3 No time for a birthday party. Between office parties, family
celebrations, the holiday school programs, neighborhood round robins
etc, there is no time for another party to celebrate her day - even if
she threw it herself, she wouldn't have the time!
#2 Combined gifts. People buy her one gift for both her birthday and
Christmas. Sure, it's a bigger gift, but she misses the attention on
her own special day - and combined with the next one Yikes!
#1 No birthday cards! Along with the combined gift giving, busy people
forget her birthday and then 'include' her birthday well wishes as a
line on their holiday cards. No birthday cards - now there's a way for
a person to feel slighted!
The Big December Birthday Parade
So, this year, send your dear December-born friends and family birthday
cards marking their special days.
Even if it's a belated birthday greeting, it's all about them! Believe
me, not only do the December born understand being busy this time of
year, but they'll appreciate any special thing you do for them to
acknowledge their special day - even if it's several days late!
(And by fixing complaint #1, you'll be able to slide on complaints 2-5!)
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:46 PM | Comments (2)
November 22, 2005
Is some-bunny you love getting another year older?
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Don't play it by ear - plan to get a jump on their special day with
adorable bunny ecards!
For those that age gracefully - or those who wish they did - here's a
greeting card that uses humor to gently make a point: All those
birthdays; only one grey hare.
(Hey, at least it's only one hare & not a row of rabbits moving
backwards - you know, a receding hare line! :wink:)
Would you rather send an ecard to have the birthday boy or girl paws &
reflect on how special their day is? Send an ecard that illustrates the
magic of birthday wishes!
This cute bunny plants the seeds & while he waits, his dreams rabbit-ly
become reality: a giant carrot tree!
Another birthday is nothing to wrinkle your nose at, so hop to it! Send
your special some-bunny a special ecard now!
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:47 PM