grow older better

Tag: birthday

  • Birthday Thoughts [for our adult kids]

    newborn

    35 years ago, at 3:55AM in Boston Massachusetts, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy!

    Then, about 20+ years ago, when he was a teenager, we went to see City Slickers.

    There is a scene where Billy Crystal is awoken at 5:16AM by his mother who reminisces about his birth.

    She does this every year – and Billy Crystal mouths her exact words as she says them.

    “Oh no” said my son, “I can see it now!”

    Well – I never did start the reminiscing calls – because for one thing – 3:55AM and I have become strangers in these 35 years. But it keeps him wondering if I will!

    But I can schedule this to appear at 3:55AM EDT 🙄

    And for most of his birthdays, he calls me and says…”yes, mom, you HAVE aged [whatever age he is] years…because I tend to say how can you be [x age] when I have not aged that many years….

    happy birthday

    Do you have a birthday custom that has gone on as your kids grew into adulthood?

     

    Please comment below and thank you.

  • Rocking on the River!

    karaoke from hell

     

    A friend had a 60th birthday bash for her hubby and our moorage plus were invited.

    A group called Karaoke From Hell played for 6 [or more hours] while we partied late into the evening…

    And in case you are wondering:

    • No – we never fall in the river at parties
    • No – we don't do this kind of partying very often

    The band set up on one deck and the food, liquids, chairs and tables were set up across what we call our lagoon or backyard.

    We have frequent potlucks and parties in the neighborhood but this bash outdid all of those and will go down in the annals of Bridgeton lore.

    Enjoy the movie:  see my neighbors, friends and moorage and rock to the music!

    PS – my house can be seen at about 1:14 into the clip

    Comments? Thank you.

  • On birthdays, social media and friends

    girl scouts 1950's

     

     

     

    NYC girl scouts circa early 1950's – some of whom I am still in contact with

     

    Yesterday was my birthday…

    Starting over the weekend, many friends on Facebook wished me a happy birthday. 

    [FYI – Facebook posts the date of your birth if you want it to show.  Twitter and other sites do not.]

    Some of those on Facebook I have met in real life [or IRL as we say] – but most I have never met – or rather – I should say have not yet met.  I am sure I will meet many in the future as we have a lot in common.

    Some of my non-social media friends wonder why I call my online friends – friends!  Well to me they are friends.

    They were there for me in my depression when my pets died and in my joy when I announced that my son was getting married. 

    They are ardent supporters of my writing and my thoughts about politics and life – and they sometimes enjoy my videos and photographs [and even my knitting projects ]

    So – what is a friend?

    I have friends I see every day, I have friends from years ago that I stay in contact with via phone and visits, and some with whom I am in contact only via email or online.  And of course, my online-only friends.

    Is there a difference in these friends?  Yes.  For those from the far ago pasts, and even my not-so-far-ago pasts – we may have different points of view and events on life now – but we once shared a history and that can't be discarded. 

    Those histories forge a bond of friendship.  And the social media friends? We are creating our own history and forging a different kind of friendship…

    But to me – they are all friends!

     

    Comments? Thank you!

  • Look at my mail!

    good grief!

    When you get "old" and are near a birthday –  this is the kind of mail you get

    cremation anyone?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Making it flowery probably got some guru big bucks!

    It's an offer to learn about cremation services and letting me know all the advantages of this service.

    YUCK!!

  • The “fat and uglies”

    I had a good friend, sadly one who died 2 years ago, who would say she was having "one of those fat and ugly" days.  She was neither fat nor ugly – but I knew what she meant – [after all we were both psychologists.]

    Thought of her the other day – probably as I have an old medicine bottle she once gave me and I was dusting it…

    For old medicine bottlethose who like old bottles – here are two photos:  It was from a physician's home/office on Beacon Street in Boston.


     

     

    It's 2010 – a new year, a new decade and the year I turn 70.  Lately I've begun to think I am having some of those "fat and ugly" days;  but sometimes mine feel more like "old and cranky." 

    The time period between Thanksgiving and my birthday is always a not-so-good-time for me as it's usually cold, dark, wet or snowy [or all of the above] depending on where I have lived.  And it's a time for self-reflecting for all sorts of reasons – new year, new age, holidays, etc.

    With several friends having died in the last few years, I have that mixed brain of being glad I am still here and then quickly wondering if I'll ever finish all the projects I started in the last few years.

    This is one of those paradoxes of human development.  Being happy and sad at the same moment for the very same reason.

    But then Janus – for whom January is named – looked forward and backwards at the same time so I guess I can do that too.  Sad about who died and what did not get done; happy that I am still here and able to write.

    Happy 2010!!

    P.S. The parenting e-book is nearing completion and yes I did start the e-book on aging. 

    [I was told a second e-book is quicker to do than the first so the aging book should be a piece of cake so to speak.]