32

I'm a warm weather kind of gal. I crave sunlight and feel deprived of a certain level of happiness when it's hidden from me. Still...if it's going to be freezing cold I suppose it's far more acceptable if there are cotton ball puffs of snow falling leisurely  from the sky....growing a blanket of white over the dead grass. On my birthday I woke up to a snow storm like I'd never seen before...and it gave me a little thrill. It was something different from the ugly, gray contaminated skies that have been haunting the valley for far too long. The cabin fever of winter had me yearning for a change...I considered dying my hair brown and cutting it as short as possible, moving to Poland ( wouldn't help much with the cold...but it was mentioned) or a weekend getaway to anywhere with sunlight and clean air. Yet somehow...cold in the form of swirling snow was difference enough for me. I was content to spend my day within the walls of my warm home.

Morgan shoveled the drive like a champ!

No one should ever prepare a meal on their birthday. It's a rule of life. I enjoyed a Costa Vida meal with my family and came home to place candles atop my Boston creme pie. Kate helped smoosh a 3 and a 2 into the chocolate frosting and Morgan helped light the candles. Then came my very most favorite part of the day, watching my daughters faces light up as they sang happy birthday to me. I know it wasn't, but it felt like the first time I'd ever experienced them all singing like that. A small knot may have formed in my throat... I swallowed it down and smiled back at their singing faces. 

Jon worked very hard at making my birthday special. He loves me a lot. He purchased a shiatsu back massaging thingy...there aren't many things I like better than back massages. A back massage in the sunshine while my daughters sing to me...sounds heavenly...and strange. Unfortunately my husband is carpal tunnel stricken these days so massages are a happy memory from my past. Just get surgery already so I can have my back rubs! ( totally kidding...sorta :)  He was so excited for me to open my gift that he had me do it on my birthday eve. I was so pleased that I set it up and let that apparatus work my back for a good hour. It hurt a bit...but I thought it was the good kind of hurt...working out knots of muscle hidden deep within the tissues of my back. The next day, I woke with this image in my mind... I had my back turned at a professional baseball game and every time a bat made contact with a ball, I would receive the ball full force into my back. I pictured circular bruises up and down my spine. I was sore all day. Jon will be returning his thoughtful gift...I love you honey.