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I got the idea of doing the Year of Adventure from Shonda Rimes' Year of Yes project.
I celebrated a Very Significant Birthday this past weekend.
My last Very Significant Birthday took place during the height of the Covid epidemic, and I spent it alone, which sucked. I did a lot of thinking about how I wanted this birthday to be different.
This will be a significant year in several ways: I will be welcoming my first grandchild in June and will probably retire sometime within the next year.
I had a great example from my own parents on how to live a fulfilling life in retirement and beyond. My mom played her cello up until the age of 95. When my dad was in his 80s, he raised $45,000 with Rotary and used the money to go to the Dominican Republic and install biosand water filters to give people clean drinking water.
They showed me how important it is to have strong relationships as you age, to keep reaching out to people. And they showed me how important it is to keep learning, stretching, and trying new things.
With this in mind, I issued a challenge to my family, friends, and some acquaintances I would like to know better. I sent this message out in an email to about sixty people, and posted it on Facebook, and I am posting it here, too.
Image description: Background: inflated balloons in various colors. Center: Peg, smiling. Lower center: Peg's family, gathered around a table for her birthday luncheon, with a decorated birthday cake. Upper center: a vase full of tulips, with a wooden disk superimposed over it with the words "Oh the places you'll go."
Year of Adventure
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
My last Very Significant Birthday took place during the height of the Covid epidemic, and I spent it alone, which sucked. I did a lot of thinking about how I wanted this birthday to be different.
This will be a significant year in several ways: I will be welcoming my first grandchild in June and will probably retire sometime within the next year.
I had a great example from my own parents on how to live a fulfilling life in retirement and beyond. My mom played her cello up until the age of 95. When my dad was in his 80s, he raised $45,000 with Rotary and used the money to go to the Dominican Republic and install biosand water filters to give people clean drinking water.
They showed me how important it is to have strong relationships as you age, to keep reaching out to people. And they showed me how important it is to keep learning, stretching, and trying new things.
With this in mind, I issued a challenge to my family, friends, and some acquaintances I would like to know better. I sent this message out in an email to about sixty people, and posted it on Facebook, and I am posting it here, too.
Let's have an adventure together sometime this year.The response to this message so far has been great. I've been invited to go turkey hunting, tour the state capitol, do a volunteer stint planting trees, learn how to make pysanky eggs, spend an afternoon at a farm baling hay, do tabletop D&D gaming, learn how to cook an Indian dish, go out dancing, and more. Other plans are also in the works. If you're interested in joining the challenge, too, drop me a comment.
I am inviting you to think of something we can do, maybe that you already enjoy and think I might like to try that we can do together. Or maybe you would like to try it together for the first time with me. What can you come up with? Have you always wanted to take blacksmithing lessons? Do you want to spend an afternoon teaching me to play the banjo? Salsa dancing? Go rock climbing or make the apricot-torte that your great aunt learned how to make in Austria?
Possible questions:
Do you mean just me or is it okay to do something with me and my partner? Sure, include your partner, or better yet other friends, too. (Maybe I didn't have your partner's email address) Let's make it a party. Part of the point of this is that I want to make new friends.
But I don't live in the same city as you / I'm not going out because of health reasons. Use your imagination! Perhaps we can travel to a mutual point? Perhaps we could take a cooking class together on Zoom?
Peg, this is weird. I don't feel comfortable with this. Well, yes, it is little weird and frankly, I feel nervous about sending this challenge out, but I'm trying to stretch myself a bit! Maybe you might enjoy doing this, too? But if you are really not interested, no hard feelings or shame and I won't be offended if I don't hear back from you on this. But on the other hand, I am excited to see what ideas people might have.
Sorry, I'm busy this month. I'm looking forward to spreading adventures out over the coming year.
We're just passing acquaintances. Why are you asking me? Because I'd like to come to know you better and I think it might be fun to spend time with you.
What's the budget? Who pays for whatever I come up with? My budget is limited, but as I said, I am willing to stretch myself. I want to have a wonderful year. Let's talk.
You're like, old. Would you be up for what I have in mind? Are you up for doing a class of pole dancing/circus silks? I am in reasonable health and try to keep fit. I have a little arthritis in one hand, but that's about it.
What sorts of things do you do already? I like to read and study languages. I do digital collage. I like theater and concerts. I like most kinds of foods. I tend to find something I like and keep doing them over and over again. Help me get out of my rut! Will consider your proposal, but I reserve to right to reject ideas I consider too dangerous. I am not going to learn how to ride a motorcycle standing on my head.
Image description: Background: inflated balloons in various colors. Center: Peg, smiling. Lower center: Peg's family, gathered around a table for her birthday luncheon, with a decorated birthday cake. Upper center: a vase full of tulips, with a wooden disk superimposed over it with the words "Oh the places you'll go."
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
2024 52 Card Project: Week 17: Birthday
May. 1st, 2024 03:14 pmAgain, I'm doing this card a little early, as I will be away for a three-day work event this weekend.
One of the sentences that came up in my Scottish Gaelic practice in Duolingo this week was the sentence: 'S e mo cha-là-breith a th' ann!' (which means 'It's my birthday')
This was entirely apropos because it was, in fact, my 64th birthday. And it was an entirely lovely one.
I wore one of my favorite necklaces to note the occasion and met Fiona for brunch. Afterward, we went to browse around the newly open Tropes & Trifles bookstore. Later in the afternoon, I met my mom and sisters for coffee.
I was quite delighted with the gifts my family gave me. Fiona, Alona, and Delia gave me a lovely floaty wisp of a thing printed with irises, and the promise of tickets to the Guthrie's Shakespeare history play cycle: Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. My sisters gave me a couple of new plants for my collection and a loaf of Betsy's homemade sourdough bread. I can assure you that it is entirely delicious.
Thanks to everyone who helped to make my birthday an entirely delightful day.
Frame: a multistrand glass bead necklace. Upper center: a cartoon bear with a thought bubble that reads 'S e mo cha-là-breith a th' ann!' (Scottish Gaelic for 'It's my birthday'). Over the thought bubble are superimposed the words "Richard II," "Henry IV," and "Henry V." Center: a cup with a coffee latte with a currant scone. Lower right corner: two plants and a package wrapped in a dishtowel. Lower left: several semi-transparent figures of a woman (Peg) with a non-transparent picture of Peg on top, wearing a floaty scarf poncho, printed with irises.
Birthday
Click on the links to see the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
One of the sentences that came up in my Scottish Gaelic practice in Duolingo this week was the sentence: 'S e mo cha-là-breith a th' ann!' (which means 'It's my birthday')
This was entirely apropos because it was, in fact, my 64th birthday. And it was an entirely lovely one.
I wore one of my favorite necklaces to note the occasion and met Fiona for brunch. Afterward, we went to browse around the newly open Tropes & Trifles bookstore. Later in the afternoon, I met my mom and sisters for coffee.
I was quite delighted with the gifts my family gave me. Fiona, Alona, and Delia gave me a lovely floaty wisp of a thing printed with irises, and the promise of tickets to the Guthrie's Shakespeare history play cycle: Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. My sisters gave me a couple of new plants for my collection and a loaf of Betsy's homemade sourdough bread. I can assure you that it is entirely delicious.
Thanks to everyone who helped to make my birthday an entirely delightful day.
Frame: a multistrand glass bead necklace. Upper center: a cartoon bear with a thought bubble that reads 'S e mo cha-là-breith a th' ann!' (Scottish Gaelic for 'It's my birthday'). Over the thought bubble are superimposed the words "Richard II," "Henry IV," and "Henry V." Center: a cup with a coffee latte with a currant scone. Lower right corner: two plants and a package wrapped in a dishtowel. Lower left: several semi-transparent figures of a woman (Peg) with a non-transparent picture of Peg on top, wearing a floaty scarf poncho, printed with irises.
Click on the links to see the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
2023 52 Card Project: Week 35: Mom
Sep. 1st, 2023 12:56 pmToday is my mother Char Kerr's 95th birthday!
Happy birthday, Mom! Devoted wife for sixty years, raised four successful children (I'm the third), played the cello for over eighty-five years, career woman, golfer, wise, shrewd, funny, kind, and loving.
I am so proud to be your daughter.
Image description: Center figure: A smiling older woman stands behind a birthday cake, surrounded by smaller photographs of the same woman doing various things. Lower left: black and white smiling photo of a man in a junior lieutenant naval uniform with the same woman in a bridal gown on their wedding day. Center left: the woman is about to swing at a golf ball. Upper left corner: woman in a winter coat sits with a jar filled with colored paper slips on her lap. Upper right: the woman (slightly obscured by the central figure) loads cookie dough on a cookie tray. Center right: woman plays the cello. Lower right: the woman looks to one side, her left hand on her cheek (on the ferry to Washington Island).
Mom
Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.
Happy birthday, Mom! Devoted wife for sixty years, raised four successful children (I'm the third), played the cello for over eighty-five years, career woman, golfer, wise, shrewd, funny, kind, and loving.
I am so proud to be your daughter.
Image description: Center figure: A smiling older woman stands behind a birthday cake, surrounded by smaller photographs of the same woman doing various things. Lower left: black and white smiling photo of a man in a junior lieutenant naval uniform with the same woman in a bridal gown on their wedding day. Center left: the woman is about to swing at a golf ball. Upper left corner: woman in a winter coat sits with a jar filled with colored paper slips on her lap. Upper right: the woman (slightly obscured by the central figure) loads cookie dough on a cookie tray. Center right: woman plays the cello. Lower right: the woman looks to one side, her left hand on her cheek (on the ferry to Washington Island).
Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.
I could do another post about the unnamed life overhaul project that has been preoccupying me lately, but I'm not interested in yet another annoyingly cryptic post this week. Yes, I'm still working on this, but instead, this week's collage project is about the trip that Alona, Fiona, and I took to a tea shop to belatedly celebrate my birthday. Ordinarily, we would go to Cafe Latte in St. Paul, but alas, they discontinued their afternoon tea when the pandemic hit, and they do not plan to resume. So we took a drive to Northfield, MN, where we tried Cottage Tea Room and Fare and we were entirely pleased with the experience.
Image description: The image is surrounded by a gold flourish frame. At the top are the words "Cottage Tea Room and Fare." Three smiling women are gathered around a tea table. A three-tier stand in the center carries flower-decked foods for afternoon tea (scones, tea sandwiches, cake). Lower left corner: a rack of glass canisters labeled with various tea blends.
Teashop
Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.
Image description: The image is surrounded by a gold flourish frame. At the top are the words "Cottage Tea Room and Fare." Three smiling women are gathered around a tea table. A three-tier stand in the center carries flower-decked foods for afternoon tea (scones, tea sandwiches, cake). Lower left corner: a rack of glass canisters labeled with various tea blends.
Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.
52 Card Project 2022: Week 35: Celebration
Sep. 2nd, 2022 12:48 pmMy attempts to add fun to my life have been a big success. This week has been an absolute delight.
As a belated celebration of Delia's birthday, Fiona, a friend of Delia's (Anna) and I carpooled to Eau Claire where we met Delia, her boyfriend Chris, Chris' two brothers, and another friend of Delia's (Morgan). The eight of us then carpooled the next day to Wisconsin Dells, where we had a hugely enjoyable time eating lunch together and then exploring Wizard Quest. We ended the day with a ride on the Duck Boats. Seven young people in their 20s and me, which felt a little surreal but such fun. During the driving, many Jax songs were sung aloud, as well as the entire soundtrack to Hamilton. Both Morgan and Fiona handled driving through torrential rain with total aplomb.
I went out on Wednesday with some friends from my church to see Everything Everywhere All at Once, and then out to dinner at Buster's. Really loved the movie, which I heartily recommend.
My brother Chet is here from New York as yesterday was my Mom's 94th birthday. Mom, Chet and I went out for a lovely brunch, and then we had a few other family members (and Eric) join us for cocktails and a delicious dinner.
It was a week of celebrations, and I loved it.
Image description: Bottom: Eric, Peg, and Peg's Mom Char smile at the camera. Peg holds a candle flare in a bowl of ice cream. Center/right: Chris and Delia (on the Duck Boats) smile off to the left. Upper right: Delia blows out candles on a birthday cake. Upper left: against a background of Wizard's Quest t-shirts, Morgan, Fiona, Anna and Peg smile at the camera.
52 Card Project 2022: Week 35: Celebration.
Celebration
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 gallery.
As a belated celebration of Delia's birthday, Fiona, a friend of Delia's (Anna) and I carpooled to Eau Claire where we met Delia, her boyfriend Chris, Chris' two brothers, and another friend of Delia's (Morgan). The eight of us then carpooled the next day to Wisconsin Dells, where we had a hugely enjoyable time eating lunch together and then exploring Wizard Quest. We ended the day with a ride on the Duck Boats. Seven young people in their 20s and me, which felt a little surreal but such fun. During the driving, many Jax songs were sung aloud, as well as the entire soundtrack to Hamilton. Both Morgan and Fiona handled driving through torrential rain with total aplomb.
I went out on Wednesday with some friends from my church to see Everything Everywhere All at Once, and then out to dinner at Buster's. Really loved the movie, which I heartily recommend.
My brother Chet is here from New York as yesterday was my Mom's 94th birthday. Mom, Chet and I went out for a lovely brunch, and then we had a few other family members (and Eric) join us for cocktails and a delicious dinner.
It was a week of celebrations, and I loved it.
Image description: Bottom: Eric, Peg, and Peg's Mom Char smile at the camera. Peg holds a candle flare in a bowl of ice cream. Center/right: Chris and Delia (on the Duck Boats) smile off to the left. Upper right: Delia blows out candles on a birthday cake. Upper left: against a background of Wizard's Quest t-shirts, Morgan, Fiona, Anna and Peg smile at the camera.
52 Card Project 2022: Week 35: Celebration.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 gallery.
Delia's off on an adventure!
Jun. 24th, 2022 07:50 pmToday is the birthday of my darling daughter Delia, but I won't be celebrating it with her as she's presently in LITHUANIA! She was asked to join one of her professors on his research trip abroad, using GIS technology to research and map Holocaust sites. The party will have to wait until she gets back.
So proud of you, honey.
Here's a picture she sent to me via snapchat:
So proud of you, honey.
Here's a picture she sent to me via snapchat:
My family made sure I could have a good day today, and I was so grateful. The first time, the first year of special dates are hard, but the people who love me made it as easy as possible.
My mom, my sister Betsy, Fiona and I went out for brunch. We dropped Fiona at a friend's and then went home and spent a couple of hours clearing stuff out of the garage--my plan is to get Rob's car out of storage and use that, getting rid of my Honda. Haven't decided whether I am going to try to sell it or donate it yet. We filled up the garbage and recycling with lots of stuff (and found various things in boxes that made us laugh. I found his driver's license that expired in 2008, his physics notebook from 1975, and a holographic Olympics calendar from 2002. Rob kept EVERYTHING.)
I also found a Valentine card he had given to me years ago. It was almost like getting a birthday card from him.
Then, we met Fiona again at the Riverview Theater where we went to see The Greatest Showman. Fiona and I had seen it before and enjoyed ourselves hugely, and Mom and Betsy loved seeing it for the first time.
Finally, we drove to my sister's home on Lake Minnetonka, where we ate a delicious dinner. I drove Mom home, and then Fiona. Fiona and I sang The Greatest Showman soundtrack all the way to her apartment.
Yes. I had a good day. I am thankful.
Believe it or not, it's actually an improvement:
My mom, my sister Betsy, Fiona and I went out for brunch. We dropped Fiona at a friend's and then went home and spent a couple of hours clearing stuff out of the garage--my plan is to get Rob's car out of storage and use that, getting rid of my Honda. Haven't decided whether I am going to try to sell it or donate it yet. We filled up the garbage and recycling with lots of stuff (and found various things in boxes that made us laugh. I found his driver's license that expired in 2008, his physics notebook from 1975, and a holographic Olympics calendar from 2002. Rob kept EVERYTHING.)
I also found a Valentine card he had given to me years ago. It was almost like getting a birthday card from him.
Then, we met Fiona again at the Riverview Theater where we went to see The Greatest Showman. Fiona and I had seen it before and enjoyed ourselves hugely, and Mom and Betsy loved seeing it for the first time.
Finally, we drove to my sister's home on Lake Minnetonka, where we ate a delicious dinner. I drove Mom home, and then Fiona. Fiona and I sang The Greatest Showman soundtrack all the way to her apartment.
Yes. I had a good day. I am thankful.
Believe it or not, it's actually an improvement:
52 Week Collage Weeks 35 and 36
May. 19th, 2016 09:36 pmWeek 35: Campaign
This is my first marketing campaign!
This card is about how hard I worked, trying to learn everything I needed to know to launch a marketing campaign for EverTwixt.com. (I'm not linking to the compaign, because it's been suspended for now, in part because of my boss's injury. But we hope to resume it soon.)
Week 36: Birthday
To celebrate my birthday, Rob and I spent the night at a bed and breakfast.
The scene in this picture (from a magazine I cut out long, long ago) reminds me somewhat of the bay window dining nook where Rob and I had breakfast in this beautifully restored Victorian home (it was a built by a wealthy German immigrant, but he and his wife had no children. After they died, it was turned into a hospital, and then a nursing home, before it was restored for its present purpose.) The (slightly whiter) teapot and cups added to the picture on the table is actually taken from a screenshot from a promotional video for the bed and breakfast. As for the bunnies, they were one bunny, taken from the promotional video, too. (I cleaned up the image in PhotoShop--hey, I'm developing graphics skillz!--and flipped it for the second bunny). Rob and I have a Thing about bunnies, and I was delighted to see it there.
Rob asked me to be sure to tell you all that he demonstrated his undying love for me on my birthday, the night we arrived, by taking me to a restaurant called The Onion Grill. (He loathes onions, whereas I love them.) I enjoyed the onion soup along with the rest of my meal. Rob enjoyed his dinner, too--after he picked all the onions off.
The bed and breakfast really was lovely, as were our hosts. We stayed in the St. Croix room. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Here is the website, and ( here is the video that convinced us to stay there ) See if you can spot the bunny.
This is my first marketing campaign!
This card is about how hard I worked, trying to learn everything I needed to know to launch a marketing campaign for EverTwixt.com. (I'm not linking to the compaign, because it's been suspended for now, in part because of my boss's injury. But we hope to resume it soon.)
Week 36: Birthday
To celebrate my birthday, Rob and I spent the night at a bed and breakfast.
The scene in this picture (from a magazine I cut out long, long ago) reminds me somewhat of the bay window dining nook where Rob and I had breakfast in this beautifully restored Victorian home (it was a built by a wealthy German immigrant, but he and his wife had no children. After they died, it was turned into a hospital, and then a nursing home, before it was restored for its present purpose.) The (slightly whiter) teapot and cups added to the picture on the table is actually taken from a screenshot from a promotional video for the bed and breakfast. As for the bunnies, they were one bunny, taken from the promotional video, too. (I cleaned up the image in PhotoShop--hey, I'm developing graphics skillz!--and flipped it for the second bunny). Rob and I have a Thing about bunnies, and I was delighted to see it there.
Rob asked me to be sure to tell you all that he demonstrated his undying love for me on my birthday, the night we arrived, by taking me to a restaurant called The Onion Grill. (He loathes onions, whereas I love them.) I enjoyed the onion soup along with the rest of my meal. Rob enjoyed his dinner, too--after he picked all the onions off.
The bed and breakfast really was lovely, as were our hosts. We stayed in the St. Croix room. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Here is the website, and ( here is the video that convinced us to stay there ) See if you can spot the bunny.
52 Week Collage: Week 12
Nov. 24th, 2015 07:57 pmThe card for the week before last, of course, was obvious. And you've seen the picture before.
Week 12: Sixtieth
Rob celebrates his 60th birthday.
Actually, I'll admit I cheated a little. I bought a new color printer/scanner and printed this out on matte photo paper. However, by the time I glued it to the card, sprayed it with fixative and scanned THAT, the photo was blurred out. The original photo wasn't terribly good quality, either, which didn't help. So I just swapped out the original photo .jpg into the scan for posting this digital version. The actual card doesn't look quite as good.
So I just have last week's card to catch up and then...good heavens. That's thirteen cards. Which means we are already a quarter of the way through the year.
Week 12: Sixtieth
Rob celebrates his 60th birthday.
Actually, I'll admit I cheated a little. I bought a new color printer/scanner and printed this out on matte photo paper. However, by the time I glued it to the card, sprayed it with fixative and scanned THAT, the photo was blurred out. The original photo wasn't terribly good quality, either, which didn't help. So I just swapped out the original photo .jpg into the scan for posting this digital version. The actual card doesn't look quite as good.
So I just have last week's card to catch up and then...good heavens. That's thirteen cards. Which means we are already a quarter of the way through the year.
Happy birthday to Rob
Nov. 15th, 2015 10:14 pmHappy birthday to Rob on his 60th birthday!
We brought Delia home from college for the occasion for the weekend. Today, my mom took us out for lunch to The Cheesecake Factory, where we indulged. Thanks, Mom! It was a lovely weekend spent with the girls, and a quiet celebration which suited Rob exactly.
We brought Delia home from college for the occasion for the weekend. Today, my mom took us out for lunch to The Cheesecake Factory, where we indulged. Thanks, Mom! It was a lovely weekend spent with the girls, and a quiet celebration which suited Rob exactly.
She's been playing cello for over seventy-five years. And hey! Tomorrow is her birthday! Happy birthday, Mom.
It's been a weekend of frustrations
Nov. 16th, 2014 10:36 pmIt's been a weekend of some good, but plenty of frustrations.
Rob's car has been flashing a low oil light. Fine, I figured, I would go and get the oil changed before putting it into winter storage. Yesterday was Rob's birthday, and the family was gathering in his hospital room--including Delia, whose Uncle Phil drove her from Eau Claire for the occasion--and I missed some of it because I spent four and a half hours stuck at the oil change place. And I didn't get out without spending over $200 for an oil change, an air filter, new wiper blades...and a broken hood latch, which is what prevented them from getting the work done. And it still isn't really fixed. There's a wire that has to be pulled with a pair of pliers to open the hood.
That was just one of a series of petty frustrations and setbacks.
I have chilblains. I am washing my hands frequently, both to keep from getting sick, and because you have to wash before and after visiting the hospital unit (I wear a paper mask when I visit him, too--he has a white blood count that is practically zero). My hands are dry, cracked, red, swollen and painful. How do health workers deal with this, washing their hands forty times a day?
But some good things have happened, too. It was good to see family yesterday, and that they could see Rob on his birthday. I ran the girls home for a quick look at all the work that's being done in the house, and they were delighted and impressed with the progress. The futon is now delivered! And it fits perfectly in the space. I had a good visit with Rob today. We've been reading aloud to each other from Robert Gilbraith (J.K. Rowling's) The Silkworm and we're almost finished with it.
Rob's car has been flashing a low oil light. Fine, I figured, I would go and get the oil changed before putting it into winter storage. Yesterday was Rob's birthday, and the family was gathering in his hospital room--including Delia, whose Uncle Phil drove her from Eau Claire for the occasion--and I missed some of it because I spent four and a half hours stuck at the oil change place. And I didn't get out without spending over $200 for an oil change, an air filter, new wiper blades...and a broken hood latch, which is what prevented them from getting the work done. And it still isn't really fixed. There's a wire that has to be pulled with a pair of pliers to open the hood.
That was just one of a series of petty frustrations and setbacks.
I have chilblains. I am washing my hands frequently, both to keep from getting sick, and because you have to wash before and after visiting the hospital unit (I wear a paper mask when I visit him, too--he has a white blood count that is practically zero). My hands are dry, cracked, red, swollen and painful. How do health workers deal with this, washing their hands forty times a day?
But some good things have happened, too. It was good to see family yesterday, and that they could see Rob on his birthday. I ran the girls home for a quick look at all the work that's being done in the house, and they were delighted and impressed with the progress. The futon is now delivered! And it fits perfectly in the space. I had a good visit with Rob today. We've been reading aloud to each other from Robert Gilbraith (J.K. Rowling's) The Silkworm and we're almost finished with it.
Happy birthday, Delia!
Jun. 24th, 2014 05:40 pmWe can't spend this VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY with her because Miss Delia is off on a mission trip with kids from her church in Colorado. But we'll celebrate when she gets back!
In the meantime, here are some pictures that we displayed during her graduation party, both of the adorable baby she was, and the beautiful young woman she has become. So proud of you, honey!
In the meantime, here are some pictures that we displayed during her graduation party, both of the adorable baby she was, and the beautiful young woman she has become. So proud of you, honey!
Happy birthday, Fiona!
Mar. 30th, 2014 07:21 pmRob and Delia are off on a college tour, so it was just Fiona and me celebrating her reaching her milestone birthday. Twenty-one years old today! I took her to see Cyrano at the Park Square Theater and then to Highland Grill, where she ordered her first legal hard cider. (Legal here in the States, that is; she ordered over in England, too, where the drinking age is 18).
It's been a fabulous twenty-one years, hon! Love you so much.
( And here she is the day she was born )
It's been a fabulous twenty-one years, hon! Love you so much.
( And here she is the day she was born )
Quiet birthday
Apr. 28th, 2013 09:11 pmThis last week was so exhausting that I spent my birthday in the way that suited me best: staying quietly at home, mostly reading. I did a few light clean up chores, enough to make me feel better about the downstairs and get some guilt off my back. I took a bath.
Went out to dinner with Rob, the girls and Mom. The girls were in a good mood, with much giddy laughter.
Tired. Very low key birthday. But it suited me.
It reached over 80 degrees today.
Four days ago, there was snow on the ground. This is rather confusing.
Went out to dinner with Rob, the girls and Mom. The girls were in a good mood, with much giddy laughter.
Tired. Very low key birthday. But it suited me.
It reached over 80 degrees today.
Four days ago, there was snow on the ground. This is rather confusing.
Happy birthday, Fiona!
Mar. 30th, 2013 03:27 am2:45 a.m. at Minicon:
Me: Happy birthday, my love!
Fiona: Thank you, Mommy.
Me: Welcome to your twenties.
Fiona: Thanks. So far, they've been okay.
Me: I thought your teen years went rather well.
Fiona: At least I didn't turn into a raging bitch.
Yep. Adorable as ever.
Me: Happy birthday, my love!
Fiona: Thank you, Mommy.
Me: Welcome to your twenties.
Fiona: Thanks. So far, they've been okay.
Me: I thought your teen years went rather well.
Fiona: At least I didn't turn into a raging bitch.
Yep. Adorable as ever.
Happy birthday to Rob!
Nov. 15th, 2012 10:25 pmWe did something rather unusual yet fun to celebrate. I picked up Fiona from school, brought her home for dinner, and then we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for their special visiting exhibit of the Terracotta warriors of the Qin Dynasty. A once in a lifetime opportunity, and exceedingly interesting. There were 120 objects from the tomb, including eight warriors and two terracotta horses. Since this was the Third Thursday event, the tickets to get in to see the exhibit, ordinarily $18 for adults and $9 for students, were free. Such a deal! The exhibit will be at the museum until January 20.
We all really enjoyed it, although after we saw the Terracotta warriors, Delia, my avaricious art lover, spent much of her time in the museum gift shop rather than wandering the rest of the museum.
We all really enjoyed it, although after we saw the Terracotta warriors, Delia, my avaricious art lover, spent much of her time in the museum gift shop rather than wandering the rest of the museum.
Happy birthday, Dad
Nov. 13th, 2012 06:40 amWe've had a wonderful long weekend with my brother, Chet, visiting us in Minneapolis (Chet lives in New York). We've had a chance to help Mom go through Dad's belongings, as well as hearing Mom's concert on Saturday night with the Golden Valley Orchestra. Today we are marking what would have been Dad's 84th birthday. We are so grateful for the wonderful friends and family that continue to surround our family. (Left to right: Chet, Betsy, Mom, me, Cindy).
Happy Sweet Sixteen for Delia!
Jun. 24th, 2012 10:44 amToday is Delia's Sweet Sixteenth birthday! We went out for breakfast this morning, and we have plans for this afternoon, and tonight, we'll be joining Nana and Granddaddy for dinner.
Happy birthday to my beautiful, talented, creative, mercurial daughter.
Happy birthday to my beautiful, talented, creative, mercurial daughter.
