Sunday, Mar. 17, 2024 12:08 pm

Birthday Celebrations

I made it through the birthday. Whew. I don't dread birthdays, but there is that anticipation and climax and I'm glad when I get through an occasion like that. It has been a lovely weekend.

I was off Friday and Z took me and my sister to lunch at Celebration. That's a restaurant that "hippies" started in the early 70s with farm-to-table food before that was a thing. It is still really fresh delicious food. I'd never been there. Salmon, salad, okra, zucchini, COBBLER. It was all so good. It was POURING rain when we left so no plant shopping, which had been the plan. My sister came here and we had a few cocktails and talked late into the afternoon.

I had my good nap and then Dateline and texting and messaging with a few friends for my birthday as expected. Very pleasant.

Yesterday, Saturday, I had brunch with a friend I hadn't seen since October. I love her and enjoy her company, but I never feel quite relaxed with her. She is a "yououghtta" kind of person, always offering advice and guidance. She was giving me the the "yououghtta" start a business making music playlists for business (like I do now, but freelance). She has no clue what's involved in that. I am a creative and not a marketer or salesperson. Although I could do the creative part, I don't want to go sell to people and I don't want to have to do the licensing and the many parts that people don't think about in my job. I get very tired of the "advisors" in my life. But she did buy me a lovely brunch and it was good to catch up with her.

The rest of my day took a HUGE unexpected turn. I stopped by my favorite thrift store on the way home. It was very crowded and the line was long so I had pretty much already decided I wouldn't buy anything. But the first thing I saw was some amazing outdoor furniture. Nothing like they sell at Walmart or Home Depot. These were bright and colorful and had tassels on the pillows and were purple/orange/pink and practically new, it seemed. They certainly hadn't been out in the sun like my furniture, fading every day. The price for the full set was $1500. Yikes. That is more than I would ever pay for lawn furniture... But, these were so ME ME ME. I came home and googled "bright colorful outdoor furniture" and finally found the brand. Check out MacKenzie-Childs. I'd never heard of them/her, but the outdoor loveseat was $4000 and a chair was $1500 and a teapot was $300! Prices that only the uber-wealthy would even consider. I thought about it some more and then drove back to the store and bought them. I was able to get a lot of it into my car. I brought it home and went back for another load. I should have measured the first time, but I hadn't and it was clear the loveseat would not fit in my car. I was willing to pay for delivery, which they do offer, but they said they would deliver it for free. They seemed thrilled to get the money for it. But they knew it was a great deal, too. Apparently a rich woman had donated TWO full sets of outdoor furniture by this designer. Someone else bought the other and already had it on Facebook for resale, trying to make a buck. They didn't charge me for the delivery, which was lovely, so I tipped the guys as much as I would have paid. So now all of this furniture is in my house until the porch gets finished. Today I will arrange it so I can enjoy it inside. It is awesome. It is like nothing I've ever seen before.

The porch, by the way, is no further, but my guy has checked in and is still working on getting the permit. It has been dumping down rain again so it is a lake once more.

Yesterday I was going in and out of the thrift store to my car to load it and get it home. I was soaked to the skin and my hair was soaking wet in the ponytail. I was so glad when the delivery men left and I took a hot shower and washed my hair and I put on flannel pajamas and took a good nap.

So now it is Sunday, St. Patrick's Day. A young friend, former coworker, that lives 10 minutes from me now, wished me a happy birthday by text Friday. I suggested we get together for breakfast again and he invited me to their home. So I just got home a while ago from their lovely place. They had a baby last year and I had not met him. He was a sweet, round-faced Gerber baby with two bottom teeth. He was pretty hesitant with me there, but he finally trusted that I wasn't there to babysit and he smiled and laughed and cooed. He went to take his nap then and we continued the coffee and talk. Their house if about the same early 60s era mine is, but he has done a lot of remodeling that is really nice. Their house had had an extension so they had a great den separate from the rest of the house. And their yard was much more overgrown and "old." In fact, wisteria was pulling down their pergola and the wines were a full 8 inches in diameter. Big tough vines.

We had a lovely breakfast and that is really what I need to do to entertain. Just have people over for a quiche and some fruit or a muffin and coffee and then we can end it before noon and be on our way. Of course, I came home to a houseful of furniture and clutter and realized I need to do a lot to be able to open my home to company!

I'm incredibly happy that it is now Sunday afternoon and I have NO MORE OBLIGATIONS. I'm tired and I need to refresh and be alone. I wish I had a couple more days off to recuperate. But it has been a lovely birthday and I'm happy to be healthy and 65 now!

Interesting note: no one under 85 years old has sent me a birthday card! No one under 70 has GIVEN me a card. Texts, gifs, memes, messages. In fact, only two e-mail happy birthdays.

Oops, I've gotten distracted and forgot to finish this. I don't want to do that with my taxes.... they are complete, I just haven't filed them. But, heck, there's still a month to go, right?

Before || After
Older Entries
Birthday Celebrations - Sunday, Mar. 17, 2024
Spring Break begins - Saturday, Mar. 09, 2024
It's March! - Sunday, Mar. 03, 2024
Dutch visitors - Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
Calm Saturday - Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
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