Remembering the joy of my birthdays, past and present

I turned 79 years old on January 17th, and it didn’t hurt a bit! As the 16th turned into the 17th I felt like I was 16 years old – until I stood up. At that point it became clear to me that I am a few years older than 16, but that as far as adding another year to my life, it didn’t hurt a bit. I had a nice, quiet birthday and Michelle treated me to a nice supper that night. And in keeping with our tradition, on Sunday after my birthday, Dawn cooked a wonderful supper, topped off by a birthday cake that makes my taste buds water just thinking about it.

I have just returned home from that wonderful “day after” birthday meal. The food was beyond description delicious, served on Ma Hughes’ Blue Willow dishes that Dawn’s Uncle Jim and Aunt Shirley gave her last year. There was only one thing that made the celebration less than perfect. Anna is sick and it is possibly the flu, so she and Dyllan didn’t come for fear they would infect the family with that dreaded malady. I felt their presence even though they weren’t there in person.