Birthday Bonanza

Yesterday I began my 58th (!) year, having completed 57 years on this mortal coil.  The day started out with a text message from my brother Bob; such a nice beginning to my 2011 "day of note."  Tom is down with the flu, and he croaked out, "Happy Birthday.  I know this is tacky, but I ordered a cake for you from Country Market; would you pick it up, please?"  So much for dinner out, but no matter.  I decided in the morning rather than be on the receiving end, I should celebrate by giving.  Not that there was all that much opportunity, but still, it's a better perspective to have on one's birthday. 

Went to morning Mass.  My "birthday twin" Mimi (who turned 80-something) and I were remembered in the intentions, and seranaded by the congregation at the end of Mass.  In turn, the three of us ladies in the office put candles in a doughnut and sang to Mimi when she and the ladies were finished stuffing the flyers into the bulletins. Dad & Claire called and sang Happy Birthday and chatted for a bit.  Dolores stopped by with a card and carnations.  Elizabeth came in with popcorn toppings, popcorn, and a carrot cupcake.  Cindy gave me a bottle of wine and bought my lunch.  Julie brought me a potted hyacinth.  Throughout the day there were greetings on Facebook, in my email, and more text messages.

When I picked up the birthday cake, I also got a steak and some snow peas, and fixed a nice dinner for Tom and me, complemented with the wine from Cindy.  The mail brought some cards and a package from Eva.  I got some more birthday calls, and talked for quite a while with Eva.  Tom and I ended the evening with cake.

It was low-key and wonderful, all around.  I truly, truly am blessed by good fortune and blessings, and all good gifts of friends and family and people who care.

I really want to thank you, Lord.  Amen.

Wow! No longer a walking zombie!

It's amazing how you can wake up after days of being ill and realize you actually feel like a member of the human race again!  Yay hooray!  However, I continue to have a pretty bad headache in the a.m.  Wonder if it's dust -- a horrifying amount of dust has accumulated on the carpeting under the bed.  Am in the guest room (didn't want to share the bugs with Tom once he got home).  Definitely something to be said for hardwood floors -- when our ship comes in I'm going to recommend we put hardwood floors down instead of wall-to-wall carpeting.

The guest room is next to Eva's room, and for the second morning in a row a musical alarm has gone off in her room.  There are Christmas boxes all over in there (guess what my project for the week was going to be!) and when I went in I couldn't find the alarm.  It must have been going off every morning since Christmas at 8 o'clock, the last time she slept in her bed and the time to get up to begin our annual Christmas ritual of being up, opening gifts, having breakfast and being out the door by 10 for the trek to PA.

Sick in Bed

I guess the tree falling over was a blessing in disguise, otherwise it would still be up.  As it is, the decorations are laying on tables in the kitchen and family room. 

Around 4:00-4:30 on Monday I had a sniffle that I could tell was not an allergy sniffle -- how is that? but I can tell.  Got home and felt myself sliding downhill.  Elizabeth came over for sewing, but after an hour of me sneezing an incredible amount, she offered to go home, and I readily agreed.  To bed immediately thereafter, and have been there since.  Lord, I hate being sick!