Friday Five With a Bonus: Ten Simple Pleasures

Birthday Fiday Five: as seen at Songbird, RGBP:
1. Favorite birthday cake/ice cream/dessert I love all desserts. A favorite birthday cake is chocolate truffle torte, but since I'm the only one in my family who makes it, it appears only at other peoples' birthday parties. I'm also very fond of creme brulee, and things with almond flavors.
2. Surprise Parties -- have you ever given or received one? I've given a couple, but I'm not really a surprise party kind of gal. Too much of a control freak, I guess.
3. Favorite birthday present. My best presents weren't ones that came at "special" times, like birthdays, but the ones that utterly surprised me, like StrongOpinions being born a girl, after a family of four boys.
4. What do you think of those candles that won't blow out? Sadistic. Also rather hard on the cake.
5. Best. birthday. ever. Every one except my 40th, when my ex (who was otherwise involved at the time) was just miserable to me. Other than that, they're all good.

Ten Simple Pleasures (per Cheesehead)

1. PH making me omelettes on Sunday after church.
2. Going makeup shopping at Sephora with StrongOpinions.
3. Used books on Amazon.com.
4. Being able to reserve books online from my local library.
5. The smell of beeswax candles.
6. Granja San Francisco honey, which comes in the very best drip-proof dispensers and is at my local supermarket.
7. Steamed shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning.
8. Daffodils and grape hyacinths and Virginia bluebells in the springtime.
9. The National Botanic Garden right by the Capitol.
10. The love and support of family, near and far.

Bonus item: dark chocolate.