Birthdays

The new year barely begins and suddenly it is birthday time.  How could it be that another one has arrived when I just celebrated one not long ago.  Guess the older you get the quicker they seem to come.  Remember when you were young and you couldn't wait for the day and it seemed to take forever?  That was especially true if it was a "significant" one like turning 10 and being in the double digits, or being 16 so you could get a driver's license, or 21 so you could drink legally.  Somewhere along the way you reached a point where it wasn't so important anymore cause it just meant you were older and then there was that magic age when you could retire or receive Social Security.

Well, now I'm just grateful cause it means I'm still alive and enjoying life!!! There are still lots of new things to try, items to check off on my bucket list, friends to make, and experiences to share.
And that truly describes the last couple of days.  While my birthday was on Sunday, I've really "milked" that day and those around it for all it could offer :-)

Cards and calls have added joy to my life, three different bouquets of flowers have arrived adding beauty to our RV, lots of Facebook wishes have been posted, and friends have shared special moments making this just a wonderful week.

On Sunday, our choir director at church chose to include me in her birthday celebration (her birthday was the day after mine) by adding my name to hers on the birthday sheet cake she brought for coffee hour after the service.  What a surprise and how much fun to share the moment with her including having the choir sing happy birthday to both of us.

Good friends from Michigan, Bill and Elaine Patton, were heading to their place in Venice, Florida and called to arrange for us to meet them at the Cracker Barrel off I 75 for lunch after church.  So it was that we could enjoy a celebratory lunch with long time friends and catch up with all that has been happening in all of our lives before they continued on their way.

Our daughter Janet and her husband attended the playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on Sunday and cheered herself almost hoarse trying to give me the gift of a Lion's win. Alas it didn't happen but the score was very close and the first half  really went well for the Lion's. It was fun reading all the text and fb messages flying between our kids as they rooted them on.  Even though we were in 5 different states, we were a family with one hope all watching the same thing. Isn't our communication system something that we could connect so easily and enjoy it together?

Then, today a whole gang of us (19) in all gathered at bd Mongolian in Lakeland to enjoy a stir fry lunch and celebrate not only mine but Jim Wilson's birthday.  People came from a variety of points in the area to share an afternoon of conversation and fun together.  Truly friends are best gifts ever.