Another Trip around the Sun

Happy Birthday to me!

It didn't start off too well, but the day did get better and the ending was fantastic!

I awoke around 5, crying because the poison ivy on my arms was hurting, was weeping, and I felt terrible!  Gary was watching television in the living room, but he returned to bed so I could lie on his shoulder and sleep.  I finally fell asleep and stayed asleep until 8.  Not the way I wanted to begin my birthday.  It was worse after my shower when the poison ivy seemed to be red, swollen, and weepy--again.  I did coat all of the spots with the new Calamine lotion so that helped. 

As Gary and I were making the bed, Landon, Tessa, Owen, and Hilary burst through the doors, coming in from the hall and the bathroom. Landon was carrying a box of donuts from Flour Mill and there was also a gift of a canvas with a painting of a wreath, three cardinals (with the names of Landon, Tessa, and Owen under them) and a note that said "We Love You, Mamaw!  I loved it!  And the donuts.

There were TWO donuts with maple icing and nuts.  Oh my!  Delicious!  I also ate a glazed tiger tail that just melted in my mouth.  SOOOOO good!  It was fun to sit with Landon at the island and enjoy the pastries.  SOOOOOO good!

After donuts we sat on the deck for a while.  The morning sun was really hot.  The kids played in the yard, Gary was around with the truck and looking at the pigs and goats, and Landon was walking the pigs. My legs were really hot, and after Hilary and the crew left, I looked at my legs and patches of red had appeared on them. It seemed like the sun had burned the skin through the fabric of my denim pants.

Time to open cards and gifts!  There were cards in the mailbox from Karen and Clay (and a gift card for dinner from Cheddars!), Tina Davis, Susan Gift, and Jane Ann.  I opened the box from Greta which contained some shower gel and soap, SIX packets of YEAST!!! and a card.

The afternoon was a little depressing.  Suddenly it hit me that I am now 69.  That seemed to be just SO old!  Poison ivy on my arms.  Burned skin on my legs.  I felt like I was just falling apart.  What was happening?  If I felt this way now, how would I even make it through next year?  Yikes!  VERY depressing!  
I spent some time in the sewing room.  I watched a little bit of the Game Show Network.  I searched for fabric online with no success.   Then the people came!

Not just people, but Megan, Matt, Cooper, and Lynnlee.  They brought a chocolate cake with white icing (my favorite) and sprinkles on top!  I also received a hanging basket for the front porch (really my Mother's Day gift).  Catastrophe for the night happened when Lynnlee was at the swing and it came toward her, she didn't move out of the way quickly enough, and it hit her on the nose.  Matt returned her to the deck.  Megan was holding her.  Then the blood began to flow! A bloody nose!  There is still a few marks on her nose, but she bounced back and I don't think it was broken.  Fortunately.

Then Hilary, Blaine, Landon, Tessa, and Owen arrived.  The FOOD!  Hilary had been to Olive Garden to pick up take out for our dinner.  Suddenly there were take out containers everywhere.  Ten salads.  A huge box of breadsticks.  Entrees to reheat everywhere.  A bottle of wine.  A discussion about the Party Barn and not wanting to eat in the dining room (mainly because there wasn't enough room for all of us and we didn't want to re-carry everything out to the PB) resulted in the suggestion of moving the cars out of the garage, the tables from the PB TO the garage, and having dinner out there.  It was perfect.  Tessa and Owen at the little kids table.  Landon and Cooper ate at the end of one of the big tables.  Lynnlee moved from Megan to Matt to eat.   The rest of us enjoyed salads, then entrees, and breadsticks.  It was great!  The salads were huge.  Since it was 'buy one, take one' we had plenty of things to eat including the kids dishes.  The end of the meal was chocolate cake with white icing---and sprinkles.  It was perfect.

After dinner the kids went out to the barn.  The best part was seeing ALL of the kids with show sticks, Cooper showing a pig, and Lynnlee following Uncle Blaine and Landon around with her show stick trying to hit the pigs to keep them walking. Owen was showing one of the pigs too.   It was great!  Later they were all in the goat run with Dotti and Junior.  All of them had so much fun playing with the animals. I think Dotti and Junior enjoyed it too because after everyone left, Dotti was standing at the gate, wistfully looking toward the house as if she were wondering what had happened to everyone.

When it was time to go, the tables and chairs were loaded into the pick-up,  moved to the Party Barn again, the garage was swept out, and the Escapes returned to their spots.  Everyone piled into their cars to return home.

It was a great evening.  It was the first time we had ALL been together in over 8 weeks.  Even on Easter we were not all altogether.  Megan and Hilary and the kids had been here on Saturday to give me the lilac bush for my birthday, but that was for a short time and the guys were not here.  

Even though the social distancing is still a factor, none of us felt like we had been infected and that there would be danger in having dinner together in the garage.  Hugs were given by the kids, but not the adults, and that was fine.  Megan had hand sanitizer and that worked for everyone.

I loved my birthday!  It was just a good day.  Between the FB posts, messages, and texts, I read close to 200 birthday wishes today.  That was amazing!

One more trip around the sun.  As my sister always says, you have never been this age before, so enjoy it!  Embrace it!  Make it the best!

But 69?  Geesh!  That still sounds old!