Where did 58 years go?

She was a beautiful baby. There was already an older brother and sister in her family, but she had an edge on the two of them. You see, she was born on her grandma's birthday. And let me tell you - those two knew how to celebrate.

They'd share in family celebrations and then they'd head off on their own - just the two of them. They'd take the bus uptown and head to Woolworth's Dime Store. Her grandma didn't have much money to spare. She suspected the banana split and the bus trip they shared was her grandma's one big splurge of the year. And she treasured every second of the time they spent together. You see, she was her grandma's brown eyed darling.

When she was 24 her grandma died. The banana split trips had long before been abandoned, but the shared birthday is forever.

At that point in her life, she really didn't want to celebrate birthdays any longer. The fun had gone plumb out of it. But for years she went through the motion for the benefit of her own family and friends.

She really doesn't know when this turned around and she actually started celebrating again - I mean really celebrating and meaning it. There is not a birthday that goes by that she doesn't go down memory lane and smile at the lucky sign of Taurus the Bull and Grandma "Maggie" that she had been born under.

This year, it seems I returned to the week long birthday celebrations of my childhood. Two of the granddaughters spent a couple of days with us. My friend, Rita, invited me to a wonderful lunch at her house. We sat and visited, as only two old friends can, for quite a long time. The two younger grandson's spent the night with us on my birthday. Jim took us out for Pizza that night. I was showered with presents and cards. The kids called. The grandkids called. And then we topped it all off with a trip to our friends', Patti and Gerard's, cabin at the lake for an evening of catching up, boating, eating, drinking, and fun. Heading back home yesterday, we stopped at the outlet malls where I didn't buy a single thing! You heard me right - I didn't buy anything! More on that story Wednesday.

I was supposed to go to a jewelry party last night, but stomach problems made the decision for me that I was to stay home, curled up in my recliner, with a good book.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. So far, 58 is all good!

There was supposed to be current pictures in this post, but the camera stayed behind at the lake, out boating with the younger set when we headed home yesterday.