Post Birthday After Glow

One nice thing about being old and self-sufficient is that you can pretty much do what you want, when you want, and no one is upset about it.  So I am still celebrating with home-baked refrigerator cookies for breakfast and Mr. Wonderful surprised me with a turned wooden pen from his wood lathe.  He had been promising to make one for me since last year.  I must say that the finished product is amazing and well worth the wait. The blank is what it looked like originally.  I am proud and pleased to have the prototype and totally love homemade gifts that take time and originality. Thank you, Charlie!

My best friend, Karen, introduced me to the fern head figurine. I was so thrilled to have kept mine alive for a year that I asked if she could buy me another one.  I told her that I would name it Karen and would keep both in my kitchen window so we would always be together.    When the box arrived it had a handwritten note that said, Hi, I'm Karen.  Mr. Wonderful looked at the note and at the dark pink figurine and said, "I didn't know Karen was native American.   I laughed and said, "She isn't, she's just tickled pink to be here.

I had a long talk this afternoon with Auntie Anne from Colorado.  We must have talked and giggled for over an hour.  She told me some new stories about her baby brother that I had never heard.  I had to laugh because after 47 years I was pretty sure I had heard them all.  Auntie Anne is the family historian and saved every gift that Charlie ever made her.  She told me she still has the "praying hands" that he made her out of orange juice cans when he was 8 years old.  Charlie doesn't remember them at all.

I also got a special "God Wink" today.  I was able to reconnect with a very dear friend that I had not heard or talked to for over 20 years.  Her daughter contacted me through Facebook and told me Caroline was going through a very hard time and really needed to talk to someone and have a good cry.  She gave me her phone number so I called her and we laughed, cried and prayed together.  Best Birthday Ever!

How could I forget my handwritten, and illustrated birthday cards from my three very talented grandsons, Oscar, Charlie, and Henry.  I am one blessed Diva.