Not A Pity Party

I'll be 43 in two days.

These years I can barely remember how old I am because, who cares really? After forty, does it matter until you get close to fifty? I am just one of those people I used to think of as SO OLD! And like most folks, I don't feel old on the inside at all. Same old me in here, dealing with a more challenging body.

But I won't use this blog to kvetch about my sinuses, hashimoto's, plantar fascitis...etc.  I will not complain here about the insane amounts of driving I am compelled to do, or the craziness of helping ARG with high school. Moaning about money and schedules and annoying people....not today!

Instead, I decided on this upbeat, positive way to be grateful for my blessings:


10 Things That Don't Stink About My Life
(in no particular order)

- Where I live. Though it can be a mixed blessing (can you say fog?) living on the northern CA coast in a fairly rural feeling neighborhood is supreme. Many days it is gorgeous enough to stop me in my tracks.

- Watching my teenage son and preteen daughter as they evolve into adulthood. It is so deeply gratifying to see how strong they are, how original, and how creative. Seeing myself and Hubby in them is fun, but it is a joy to watch ARG and Rosie emerge as their unique selves. Getting deeply involved in fencing and ballet because of them is a cool life experience that I would never have gotten on my own.

- Lucy. Being greeted by an ecstatic sausage when I get home is lovely. She wags so hard her whole body wiggles and you can see the joy on her face. Sometimes she's so happy she whines.

- Ice cream. Specifically Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch and Americone Dream. I know this is totally sacreligious, but sometimes I feel life wouldn't be worth living without ice cream. Sad, isn't it.

- The warm, loving feelings and delicious sensations of cuddling and playing with my youngest daughter who is still soft, cuddly, innocent and silly (not to mention, she doesn't stink yet).


- The fact that my parents and Hubby's are alive and kicking. That is precious.


- Project Runway. I can't help it! I love that show! I've got Heidi Klum's lines memorized and I chant along each episode in my version of her German accent, "As you know, in fashion one week you're in, and the next week you're out!" I hate proliferation of the word "sexy" and the fact that the designers can't deal with real-life bodies. But that show is pure fun.

- Knowing that Hubby's got my back all the time, that he knows how to support me as I flail through life, that he loves me unconditionally with all my craziness.

- Fantasies about vacations. We may not end up going on all of them, but dreaming about future family vacations makes me to happy. Oh, the trips I could plan if we had enough dough. Current fantasies include Hawaii, Tahoe and Europe.

- Laughing. I love it. I need more of it. It is good medicine. Sharing a belly laugh with a loved one is just about my favorite thing in the world.

That's it! My official 43rd birthday Not-a-Pity-Party.