Forty Six and Counting

Not enough room on the cake
for all my candles!

Yesterday marked my 46th year on this planet. As I look back on the past years of my life, it has been a journey full of twists and turns, ups and downs and sometimes even upside downs for that matter. Steps forward were often marked with many more back and getting completely lost, and still other times, to be truthful a secret wish that the journey would just stop all together as I was just so tired of it all. It has been marked with huge life events and many little ones, not all good, but certainly not all bad. Some of the worst lead to new directions that turned out pretty terrific. Of course there is things I would like to re-do... I know we all would love a do-over pass for something in our lives, and many things we wish we could do over we probably should not as that would often ruin some of the small blessings that happened as a result. 

As I read some of my past posts, the very serious and often deep, dark and truthful one, I realize that though I do not embrace those things that happened that I was writing about, and never wish to go through them again, they had made me a much better person. I am on many levels the person I have always wanted to be, though I am far from the person I desire to be, confused.... me too at times. I am indeed a creature of re-invention, if I do not like who I am and who I have been I often just start from scratch, keep the parts I like and throw away what I do not and slowly start to form a new me. I am ever evolving, ever changing and ever trying to better who I am and could be. One thing that my 46 years has taught me is that each day , heck each moment is a brand new chance to get it right. 

If you have been following my blog from the beginning you have witnessed this first hand. I do not hold anything back and I open my heart and soul to you all each and every time I sit at the computer. Quite often I learn new things about myself in this process and am better for it... sometimes it is stuff I knew about myself and until I see it in print, well it I have just pushed it down. Either way in the time that I have been doing this blog, with all it's incarnations, I have grown and changed right along with it and that is a wonderful gift to be sure. 

One major thing is to roll with the punches, something I have gotten better at, not perfect at it, but hopefully I still have time to be so. That brings me round to how I celebrated my birthday this year. If you follow on the facebook fan page you know I had a tea party. It was something my middle daughter decided needed to happen so she could work on it to keep her mind off her then upcoming wedding. Of course I knew that, and worried that once the wedding had passed she would rather do anything but put on a large tea party... in the oldest daughter helped with decor, the youngest brought cheese and vegies and I actually provided the sweet treats. Not the plan originally, but once again life often throws new paths in our way. The other issue was whom to invite. I really do not have a lot of friends that are not related, ok really none. So I invited my hair dresser, my husbands friend's current wife and his ex wife as well (no worries they are actually friends) and, then a friend and co-worker of my youngest daughters and my now in-laws and then my Aunt and my Grandmother. I was happily surprised that I at least had a few of those invited actually come, so I actually had people not related to me there. 

The day was of course a hot one and the house with all the women in it was also hot, so serving hot tea was iffy, and only a couple indulged, the rest stuck to cooler beverages. It got off to a very late start, but once it was off and running everyone had a lovely time. We had finger sandwiches, warm scones, short bread cookies, meringues, cheese, fruit and vegies and a variety of drinks to choose from, from ice tea and hot as well as lemonade, and strawberry lemon water. Everything was a hit. Then it was time for games, 1920's slang, smell and guess the tea flavor and match the young actor, most from the 20's and 30's with who they grew up to be. Of course then we ended with my favorite part... the presents. I did get a few very delightful gifts! All in all it was a wonderful way to celebrate my 46th year. I thought I might share the photos of the party..so if interested keep scrolling. 

The table is set....

party favors of pink lemonade

Yummy treats both savory and sweet

Home spun cuteness all in
pale pink and spring green 

A proper lady is never with-
out her fan on a hot Summer's day.


Now on to the rest of the party!

Marveling at all the goodies

Delightful conversation was to
be had that day...

And plenty of giggles

My Aunt and I trying to guess the type of
tea simply by smelling... not as easy as
it sounds! 

Yes, you caught me wearing my cheaters..
needed to look at this beauty really close..

OOPS! It is tangled... with a little
help...

I proudly slipped on my authentic,
1920's Czech glass beads! 

Brown paper packages wrapped up with
string, these are some of my favorite
things...

And indeed it was... a book on Flappers
and...

A book on Lulu herself !

Friend's as well
as my Aunt discuss some of the text
on the back of the Flappers book and
get a good giggle...

A few pages inside distract me from
the next gift...

Am I a Flapper? Oh no! Not I...
I just like to read about them!

Upon opening a pretty sequined wallet
from my Grandmother, 

I discover 20 clams! This girl needs
to go shopping! 

There was a few more presents that were opened, but shall not go on ... but as youcan tell everyone had a delightful time including myself! 

All smiles! 

Tomorrow, day two of my birthday celebration...