362/365 A Potrait

"My Two Lensbabies"

 Today is my 52nd birthday.  I'm not sure why disclosing one's age has always been on the socially unacceptable list.  It is what it is.  There are days when I look and feel far beyond my years; then there are those days when I feel much younger.  The truth is, no matter how young or old you look or feel,  where you are is where you are and it is much better than the alternative.

This is the first birthday that I have celebrated after having finally succumbed to Facebook.  I'm glad that a friend convinced me back in July that I needed to join.  It was a great feeling to wake up this morning to a number of birthday wishes on my timeline.  As the day progressed, the birthday wishes kept coming.  What a blessing to know that for at least a little bit of time today, so many people thought of me.  I am honored to be surrounded by so many friends both old and new and near and far.  

My own birthday wish was for a simple celebration with my family.  My beloved husband took me out for breakfast this morning.  This afternoon Erin and I did a little shopping while Brooke and Weber prepared the birthday meal that I requested - cauliflower macaroni and cheese with green chili sauce and cole slaw.  I know; it sounds strange.  Just consider the source.  It all makes sense now, right?  It was an awesome meal.  Rather than a birthday cake, I also asked for oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chip scones.  There is definitely an advantage to having a live-in baker.  (There are also some disadvantages, but we won't go there right now.)  Weber made the coffee to go with the scones.  It was an absolutely perfect birthday meal!

Those in my family are also great gift givers.  I received several books - some that I specifically asked for and others chosen "especially for me."  Brooke reads many literary blogs and keeps an eye out for things that she thinks that others might like.  She gave me two such things.  She did the same for Erin for Christmas.  Erin was thrilled because she has a hard time choosing what book to read next.  She suggested that her sister might start a "personal reader" service.  Always the mind of an entrepreneur.

For those who aren't as sure what to give, there were Amazon gift cards.   I suppose I could just turn them over to Brooke so that she can keep my bookshelf current.  Weber got me a jacket that I had asked for and, as it turns out, a new microwave.  The latter was neither requested or intended but as we were preparing for dinner and Brooke was trying to melt some chocolate, she chimed in with, "Um...chocolate melts at 88 degrees and this stuff has been in there for five minutes and nothing is happening."  Bad sign!  Weber did a little research and discovered that although we are not sure of the nature of the exact ailment from which the microwave is suffering, it is clear that it is going to be more expensive to fix it than replace it.  Hello....Amazon.com  Being the nice guy that he is, Weber didn't even ask for my Amazon gift card.

Erin went through my blog posts from the last year and collected her favorite pictures and had a photo book made for me.   She arranged the pictures into various categories: Capture Your Surroundings, Capture Nourishment, Capture Your Adventures, Capture Your Fellow Man, Capture the Everyday, Capture Family, Capture the Beauty of the Earth, Capture Your Love, Capture Whimsy and Capture Yourself.  Seeing the images from the past year collected in one place is an awesome way to reflect on all of the blessings that I received during 2013.

As a final gift, Erin and Weber both helped with the daily prompt.  They have both been such good sports when it comes to being in front of the camera.  Each has bailed me out many times over the year when I have needed a smiling face to accomplish the daily photo prompt.  You guys are awesome!

I had a great day!  Thank you to everyone who had a part in making that happen!