Saturday, June 7, 2014

Today...

was another birthday.  I'm using my sister's method of counting the years.  She says her 27th year was a good one, so she just celebrates that one over and over again.  Makes sense to me.  I am not fond of birthday parties.  For the grandkids, yes.  For me, no.  I do not like to be fussed over.  My family knows this.  So I had cards arrive in the mail, telephone calls and a visit from one of my daughters, who was at the same time running an errand for me.

I spent a relaxing day.  This morning my landlord, responding to my email, showed up and replaced the faucet on my kitchen sink and fixed the pipe beneath it that had sprung a leak.  It is possible to have a nice chat with someone who is laying on their back with their head in a kitchen cupboard.  He left when finished, munching on chocolate chip cookies.

Had a nice visit with my daughter.  I have three grandkids with June birthdays, and she picked up cards for me to give to them.  After I stuffed them with the appropriate amounts of cash and addressed the two to be mailed (one she took home for her son), she asked if I wanted to wait and mail them closer to the birth dates.  I replied that if she didn't take them with her, chances were excellent that by the time I need to mail them, I will have misplaced them.  I said that after I die and she and her siblings are cleaning out my apartment, they could count on finding at least five cards that I have put away for safekeeping, never to be seen again.  She mailed the cards.

I spent the rest of the day crocheting and watching old movies from the late 1930's and early 1940's that I found on YouTube.  I love old movies.  Sometimes they are funny without meaning to be.  Like one I watched that had to do with trains.  The train wreck was so obviously a model train and the rain storm had to be the sprayer from a garden hose, all of which I'm sure was state of the art for the times.  I found a couple of old Charlie Chan movies that were fun, just for the silly jokes if nothing else.  Sometimes the news of the here and now gets to be too much, and a day of doing other things is necessary to maintain my sanity, what there is left of it.  Today was such a day, and was truly enjoyed.

I topped off the day by treating myself to a pizza.  After eating my fill for supper, I put a couple of slices in the fridge for tomorrow and froze the rest for a quick meal later.

I joke about counting the years, but truth be known, age doesn't bother me except for the fact that my body doesn't work as well as it once did.  I'm not surprised, though, for I spent many of my 68 years doing physically demanding work, either while on the farm or in the various jobs I have held over the years.  Sometimes I am surprised that I can still do as much as I can, what with the arthritis and all.  I think it is all in the attitude.  I can make a choice each morning, to let life get me down or to get up and get on with it.

I've got a lot of living left to do, so I think I will continue to just get on with it.

16 comments:

  1. Do you ever have that thought: "If I'd known I was going to be around this long, I'd have taken better care of myself"?

    I do, but I know I wouldn't change a thing, if I did it all over.

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  2. Jess...I have often thought that very thing, but I probably wouldn't have been satisfied to take the safe route.

    There are things I wish I hadn't done and things I wish I had done. But in the end, good and bad combine to bring me to the place I am now. And I'm OK with that.

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  3. Sounds like a good day and a good attitude.

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  4. Thanks, Gorges. It was a really good day!

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  5. Many Happies Vicki.

    Yeah, birthdays are for being spoilt and for spoiling oneself - sounds like you had a lovely one.

    Getting older can be a fraught journey, but there is no avoiding it, so head down and shoulder to the wind... ;)

    Personally, I wouldn't trade my advancing years for what the young'uns call life. I reckon we had a more rounded childhood and one which stood us in good stead for the stage we're now at.

    Smiles to you across the miles :)

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  6. Thank you, Dani. The day was indeed lovely.

    I'm with you. I wouldn't trade even one minute of my advancing years for the stress and drama of youth. It took me all of these years to find the peace and contentment I now enjoy. That is worth more to me than any number of young years.

    Smiles right back at ya, along with a wee bit of a hug thrown in for good measure!

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  7. Happy Your Day. I too don't want any fuss. For Papa's Day I just want a cargo net for the back of my mini van. I wouldn't have changed anything either, I have thought about it though.

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  8. After reading you treated yourself to pizza, the craving started.

    It's cooling right now.

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  9. Thanks, Rob...I've never been comfortable with being the center of attention, so having people fuss over me is not fun. I'd rather keep things simple.

    I figure that I can't change anything from the past. But I can learn from my mistakes, and some of them have been spectacular, and just go on from here. Some of us, meaning me, seem to take longer to learn and then get to the place in life where they want to be. I'm just glad I finally reached it with a bit of time to spare to enjoy it! :)

    Hope you are doing OK.

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  10. Jess...Ah, the power of suggestion. It works both ways. Whenever you make your world famous vegetable beef soup, I have to make a batch of my own. Nothing else will do!

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  11. I gaff off birthdays too. I remember my kids with a little gift, but my wife and I prefer to just say "happy birthday" to one another and let it go at that.

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  12. Harry...When the grandkids are small, birthdays are a big deal for them. But when they get older, not so much. For me, I'm happy when each of my kids phones to wish me a happy birthday, but that's about all I the celebration I care about. Maybe that's because there have already been so many of them.....

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  13. Hi Vicki-
    I just wanted to say Happy Birthday from El Paso, TX. I know I am a day late but I am glad to hear you are doing well. Pizza sounds good to me too. Might just make one here soon. You are always in my prayers. God bless.

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  14. Jon...Thank you. Hope all is well with you and yours, too. And yep, you can never go wrong with pizza!! Blessings.

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  15. Happy Birth Day Vicki! Sorry it is late been gone all weekend! Xoxo

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  16. Thank you, Mary. And don't apologize. I pretty much ignore my birthdays these days!! Our weekend here has been sort of cool and rainy, off and on. Hope yours was warmer and drier. :)

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