Well, well, well… who’d a thunk turning 70 could be this painless, or this much FUN?
What a wonderful day my birthday has been for me…
My sister, Jackie, is away in Arizona playing pickleball with the snowbirds who usually live up here most of the year, but she didn’t forget my birthday. She sent me a birthday card and an Amazon gift card with a dollar on it for every year of my existence on earth.
Next I got a little notification from Amazon that my favorite writing client (and these days, dear, dear friend) had sent me an Amazon gift card, too… so I redeemed them both by getting some new clothes that will fit me after my April 10th panniculectomy surgery, because I will lose at least two sizes when that happens…
Over the past few days I’ve received birthday cards in the mail from Sue Rossetti and Tammy Armstrong. Today three more were added: Jackie’s, Lisa’s and (later this evening) the McNivens.
Early this morning I video chatted with Helen Schofield in Auckland NZ for a little while. She asked me, cryptically, if I could hear the front door if someone stopped by, and I said, “Oh, yes, there’s a musical signal in my living room that goes off when anyone rings the doorbell.” That seemed to satisfy her; she said, “Good!”
So, then I asked, “Why do you ask?” and she just smiled…
After we hung up at close to 11:30 a.m., I got into bed and covered up, because it was chilly in the house and I didn’t sleep all that great last night, so I felt a short nap would be helpful. Within moments, I fell fast asleep … until Lisa knocked on the back door at about 2 p.m. When I let her in, she greeted me with a “Don’t laugh!” and a bag of licorice candies (“in lieu of your real present, which hasn’t arrived in the mail yet!”) and a birthday card. (I didn’t laugh. I LOVE these licorice candies!!!)
It was while I was letting Lisa in that I spotted (on a kitchen counter) a vase of roses and a box of candies. I said, “Oh, my! I bet those are from Helen.” Lisa said (because she was in the know), “I bet you’re right!” They were also from Debbie, Helen’s best friend, I discovered upon reading the card that came with them.
Turns out Casey (my grand niece), who is staying on Jackie’s end of this duplex while Jackie is in Arizona, saw the flower delivery person standing outside looking undecided, so she went out and verified that I lived here, so they gave her the vase of flowers and the candy. She brought them over and, noticing I was asleep, placed both on the kitchen counter. So, that’s why I didn’t hear the doorbell ring…
We video-called Helen right away to let her know the roses and candy arrived so I could thank her for them. Turns out she had just received notice that they had been delivered about ten minutes before, so she hadn’t been stewing for hours wondering why I hadn’t mentioned receiving them. (Thankfully!)
The McNivens made me a dairy-free chocolate birthday cake that tastes like the yummiest brownie (with chocolate frosting) on the planet. I was only able to eat a small piece of it tonight, though, because Lisa took me to Mama Stortini’s for an early dinner this afternoon and I scarfed down an enormous prime rib plus sides of vegetables and potatoes (super YUMMY!) and then the server brought me a complimentary chocolate sundae as a birthday extra, so Lisa and I scarfed that down.
When we got back home, the McNivens came over to sing Happy Birthday to me and delivered the homemade cake, which I then asked Wendy to slice and serve, and to give Lisa and me just tiny pieces, because we had just returned from eating dinner. She did that. It is YUMMY and there is still half a cake left for us to enjoy tomorrow and Sunday. WHEEE!
And then there were the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of well wishers on Facebook who took the time to wish me a happy birthday, and some of them cracked me up with the images that accompanied their messages; goats, cats, William Shatner emoting (as only he can) about why everyone should be SHOUTING “KRIS” on my big day, Bones McCoy, Enterprise cakes… you name it, they all made me smile.
Helen said she and Debbie wanted to get me a plant instead of roses, but they couldn’t find anything that suited me, so they settled for roses. They’re glorious. I love them! I especially love the two people who sent them. They are my kiwi treasures, and I can’t wait to meet and spend some serious quality time with them someday when COVID dies down and becomes just a bad memory in the rearview mirror. It can’t happen soon enough for me. I am so ready for this nightmare to end so we can start truly living again.
Today was a very good start. I’m feeling very blessed and much loved.
