February 17, 2023 — Are you an “It’s My Birthday!” sort of person? Or, are you more the “Keep it on the downlow” type?
Being the latter myself, it was a hoot to receive the large group email that dear friend and Contributing Cardie Candy Clausell sent a few weeks ago. Its subject line: “HAPPY Birthday to Me!” 🤣 That’s Candy in light pink on the right, with her best bud Madeline Stockbridge. The card was inspired by their lifelong friendship and is dedicated to them.
Now back to Candy’s email; it read, “Dear Friends & Family, I thought I’d write you to spread a little happiness. Play this song and clap along. It has the Minions in it, so what’s not to like?! And it’s my birthday, so you must indulge me. 😉”
You can learn more about this remarkably joyful Cardie in her Cardie Profile, and to wish her a belated birthday, here we thought we’d share what best bud Mad had to say.
“Candy and I were born into families who lived across the street from each other in New Jersey,” she explained, “and in the winter of 1951 became each other’s first friend. When Candy was seven, her mom died, and her family moved away. Long before email, text messages, social media, and zoom, we found ways to stay in touch. Through the years, we’d write, call and visit each other for weekends. We have been in each other’s weddings, traveled internationally together with our husbands, and supported each other through our own cancer battles. We have weathered many storms, grieved, shared a million laughs, and know that we can always pick up the phone to share our sorrows and joys without judgment. We are as close now as when we were seven.”
Counting the Best Buds design she and Madeline inspired, Contributing Cardie Candy now has eight cards to her credit. “I’ve always loved and sent a lot of cards,” she says, “but never appreciated how much that meant to people on the receiving end until I packed up my aunt’s house after she passed away. Under her bed I found a big box filled with two decades of cards from my late sister and me! Aunt Nippie was like a mother to me — raising us after our mother died — so you can imagine how moving the box was to see for my own eyes how much she cherished all those cards we’d sent over the years.”
Speaking of cards (ha, when aren’t we!?) we’d love to be able to send one to you on your day. So with one last “Happy Birthday to Candy!” we ask you to please let us know below, “When’s your birthday and what makes you happy on that day?”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
February 17, 2023 — Are you an “It’s My Birthday!” sort of person? Or, are you more the “Keep it on the downlow” type?
Being the latter myself, it was a hoot to receive the large group email that dear friend and Contributing Cardie Candy Clausell sent a few weeks ago. Its subject line: “HAPPY Birthday to Me!” 🤣 That’s Candy on the right above, with her best bud Madeline Stockbridge. The card was inspired by their lifelong friendship and is dedicated to them.
Now back to Candy’s email; it read, “Dear Friends & Family, I thought I’d write you to spread a little happiness. Play this song and clap along. It has the Minions in it, so what’s not to like?! And it’s my birthday, so you must indulge me. 😉”
You can learn more about this remarkably joyful Cardie in her Cardie Profile, and to wish her a belated birthday, here we thought we’d share what best bud Mad had to say.
“Candy and I were born into families who lived across the street from each other in New Jersey,” she explained, “and in the winter of 1951 became each other’s first friend. When Candy was seven, her mom died, and her family moved away. Long before email, text messages, social media, and zoom, we found ways to stay in touch. Through the years, we’d write, call and visit each other for weekends. We have been in each other’s weddings, traveled internationally together with our husbands, and supported each other through our own cancer battles. We have weathered many storms, grieved, shared a million laughs, and know that we can always pick up the phone to share our sorrows and joys without judgment. We are as close now as when we were seven.”
Counting the Best Buds design she and Madeline inspired, Contributing Cardie Candy now has eight cards to her credit. “I’ve always loved and sent a lot of cards,” she says, “but never appreciated how much that meant to people on the receiving end until I packed up my aunt’s house after she passed away. Under her bed I found a big box filled with two decades of cards from my late sister and me! Aunt Nippie was like a mother to me — raising us after our mother died — so you can imagine how moving the box was to see for my own eyes how much she cherished all those cards we’d sent over the years.”
Speaking of cards (ha, when aren’t we!?) we’d love to be able to send one to you on your day. So with one last “Happy Birthday to Candy!” we ask you to please let us know below, “When’s your birthday and what makes you happy on that day?”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
My Birthday is April 13. And what makes me happy is having people remember me on that special day, once a year.
Growing up, my mother always made it a special day. So I continue that tradition with friends, family, business clients & associates and acquaintances.
And of course, cards are most welcomed!
Marianne
How can I resist an offer to celebrate me?! (Perhaps I’m more like Candy than I thought!) Since my special day is Feb. 13, just four days ago, I already know that the love I feel then and even now, with some belated wishes arriving via text just this morning, make my heart overflow with warmth. Yes, social media contributes to birthday wishes; however, the most endearing are from those who call, text, send cards (yay!) and gifts (even more yay!), and share hugs. Here’s to me remembering to reciprocate birthday greetings to all those cherished peeps who acknowledged me!
Socializing with friends and neighbors since we do not have family nearby. We recently moved and I was astounded and thrilled with the number of cards from new friends and neighbors.
My birthday was last Sunday, February 12th. I had lunch with friends and family on 4 different days since then. Love to spend time with friends laughing and reminiscing. Next year when I turn 80, I’ve warned everyone that we’re have a big blowout! I’ve not had a “birthday party” since I was 14 and it’s about time!
My birthday is January 23rd, a few days shy of 2 weeks before Candy’s. What a surprise Jodee to get a call from Candy this morning telling me our picture was in the cardie email. It hadn’t landed in my inbox yet. My friends & family all know how much I love cards & they all showered me with cards. Our kids & grandsons celebrated in person with me & our daughter Jen baked me a mocha cake, our family favorite. Guess what card Candy sent me. I feel celebrated all over today with the boost of the cardie email. Thank you Jodee.
May 21 is the day😃. Sometimes I even declare it my Birthweek, and for those numbers that make you think twice, we go for the Birthmonth😌! Just enjoy celebrating with the folks that are joyful to be around.
May 24! I have a rule, not just for my birthday, but for everyone, which is if it doesn’t fall on a weekend, the celebration is all week long. I was my parents first wedding anniversary gift, which made it extra special each year for us all.
Having a lifelong friend makes communication easy. The friend knows your whole life story so there is no need for me to explain my quirks :)
Thanks Madeline
O
M
G
What fun!!!! Love birthdays! I do not like surprise parties. For significant birthdays, such as 50 and 60, friends have done a 50 days to 50 or 60 days to 60 surprise! What’s that? Family and friends start well in advance and contact folks and assign them a day leading up to my/your big day. Each day leading up to it, someone surprises you with a call, a card, a gift, flowers, or whatever. Let me just say it makes for a joyous time leading up to the birthday. I love Harley Davidsons. Soooooo, for my 50th bday a close friend chose a unique gift. I was at work, (I work for a Catholic Church), and this biker shows up at the door and asks for me. He said your friend, Linda, asked me to take you for a ride on my bike. Suspiciously I said who are you and why should I get on the back of a Harley with you? He said no worries she gave me a note for you and I have my wife’s biker clothes for you to wear. I followed him across the street to his bike. Now, Linda had already sent a basket of warm muffins and coffee and plates earlier so I was a tad concerned. The note read…warm buns from the oven this morning and cute buns to take you for a ride on the Harley! Ride we did! He said, now I have to take you to the restaurant/bar where your friends are meeting you for lunch. He then laughed and said, first time in my life I picked a woman up at a church and dropped her off at a bar for lunch!!! Hoping this inspires Cardies to celebrate someone in such a unique way!
Happy Birthday, Candy! (And all you other outstanding Cardies)
May 26 for me. I prefer a quiet morning of reflection followed by my delivering little gifts or flowers to others –I am celebrating the gift of life. If I have more, I give more. Of course, I leave a card explaining how fortunate I am to have them in my life. The evening meal is with family.
My birthday is March 9 and I love that it is getting close to spring. I have always enjoyed celebrating my birthday all month long because you never know when you’ll be able to see your loved ones and friends. I always look forward to a card from my daughter and I used to always get one from my sweet mom. She is living with Alzheimer’s now, so I am sending her weekly cards instead 💛
My birthday is March 13. I am definitely a “cardie” and have been all my life. My Father was always sending cards for every occasion so I learned that from him and am always looking for the “right” card for friends and family.
Because I want the cards to arrive on time and I don’t trust our mail system I always send them early. BUT so people will wait until their actual birthday to open them I always write on the back of the envelope “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL AND THEIR BIRTH DATE ALONG WITH A BIG SMILEY FACE!”😃
And I always get a kick out of the fact that everyone assures me they do not open the card until their birthday.
The other thing I still do is phone and sing Happy Birthday to them! Have quite the reputation for both of those activities.
I absolutely LOVE Cardthartic – thank you for being in my life!🤗💕
Linda Abercrombie and just in case you want to send me a card by “snail mail” and write on it DO NOT OPEN – my address is
#6A, 133-25 Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2S 0K8 Canada
October 15th. I’m one of those who keep my birthday on the down low (no Facebook post), but very happy when I hear from family and friends. That means they really do remember my birthday with no prompts!
My birthday is January 24th. And I love birthdays – and baking! Though I am now retired, when working, my first two questions of each new team member were – when is your birthday? and what is your favorite cake? It was always my honor and delight to fest the co-worker with their favorite treat (which we all enjoyed!) on their day.
My own birthday, a few weeks ago, was highlighted – and delighted – by two near-simultaneous calls from my college best buds (and yes, we successfully merged the calls on the first attempt). We laughed till we cried, just as it it were 40 years ago. Nothing warms the heart like a call – or card – from those still in our hearts.
Happy Birthday!
My birthday is January 9th and like a new snowfall, a January birthday is a new year starting over full of possibilities. I treasure birthday wishes like little prayers from loved ones reminding me I am special…and I have always been a “cardie” making time to send happy birthday wishes to those I love reminding them of what a gift they are not only to my life, but to others.
I always put a little Swarovski crystal and garnet cake out for the month of January. My mother and I shared a January birthday and since she passed a few years ago, I feel especially close to her in January…and take special delight with the little crystal cake and candle as a reminder for birthdays past and those to come.
As I read through the comments, I was noting that most respondents were born in the first half of the year. I, however, like Toni, was born in October (October 4th, to be exact).
As an anxious and reserved person, partying has never been my thing. I typically choose to spend my special day at home, just me and the cat. I prefer handwritten notes in cards (for their permanence – the ability to be revisited when I just need a little boost of hope or encouragement), but do occasionally meet a friend one-to-one for a meal out.
I’m not one to make a big deal out of my birthday for the sake of my being celebrated, but it serves as a milestone on my challenging journey with chronic illness, so I use that day as a marker, a reason to give glory to God. This year, I reach the big 4-0 and while so many people dread that, I am exceedingly grateful for the gift of life. I have been abundantly blessed.
Like Lauren, I was reading through these comments and marveling that so many are in February. Happy late Birthday to you all you fellow February people! I LOVE to celebrate my birthday. It’s not that I feel the need to be celebrated myself, but rather that I feel an extra glow in that day. I find that I want to share it. My uncle Douggie used to say a mother should be the one to receive gifts on her kids’ birthdays, and he may be right.
While due in December, I wasn’t born until February 29th, Leap Day. One big brother, John, was born five years before me, on the 28th, and he’s always been sweet enough to share his birthday with me in the meantime.
My idea of celebration might sound rather tame to some. We’ ve never been ones for parties. The first birthday I can remember was when I turned 6. (So of course it wasn’t a real birthday.) I got a book (Little House in the Big Woods), a Quick Curl Barbie doll and a Hershey bar. Who could ask for more?
Some of the best moments that stand out were exactly that–moments. For instance, one favorite was when my 6th grade teacher asked if she could give me a hug, because she’d never hugged a leap year baby. Another was going out for pizza for my birthday supper and then taking the box of leftovers to my brother, where he was working overnight. One birthday it was snowing–flakes as huge as silver dollars. The next birthday it was so warm that we ended up walking around The Plaza (in KC) after lunch.
One birthday, Mother planned a surprise party for me. She invited my dear uncle Bud and aunt Norma and a special friend. When Aunt June heard about it, she wanted to come, too. It would have been lovely. But it didn’t work out. My friend couldn’t get away from work. Uncle Bud was sick. Since no one else could come, Aunt June put off her visit until later. Oh well. It was nice just to know it was planned.
For 2020 Leap Day we had our first family birthday party. Really, it started because I wanted to celebrate John’s birthday, too. A priest we’ve known since I was five usually joins us on Leap Days. He was invited, of course. Then I wondered if Cousin Denny could come. And how about Carolyn? We had a great time together at Old Chicago. They put tables together for us in a long row. My sister-in-law couldn’t be there, but she’d sent a dessert she made, and the restaurant was nice to bring out plates for us to serve it up. Afterward, Denny took group pictures outside the door. He’s so good at that. He set his phone up on the hood of his van and set the timer to get a couple of photos of all of us.
Right after that, Covid hit. We spent that whole year saying what a good thing it was that we’d had that special day. Together. I’d hoped to repeat it that December for my mother’s 80th birthday, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
I only got to see and hug Cousin Denny one more time after that birthday. He passed away last November 16th. I couldn’t go see him that last day, when we knew he was dying, but I was able to talk to him a little–to tell him how much I loved him and to thank him for being so good to me, always. I wish I’d told him again how much I appreciated him being there for my birthday.
My favorite part of birthdays? The birthday cards. Of course. (I remember once talking with another cousin, and we agreed on that.) When we were little, Mother always saved them from the mail to give to us on our day. I still do that myself. Ones that come early get set aside. I like to have quiet time to read every one and to think of all the ones before.
October 27th is when I was born. I love having an autumn birthday. Just enjoying the season makes it special. I love to celebrate with family—especially the grands, and a nice dinner and birthday cake, (white decorated with vanilla buttercream frosting), does it for me!😋