It has been a lovely 38th birthday. It's strange getting older, I must say. Not that I'm all *that* old but I used to always be the youngest one in any crowd I hung with and now I'm among the oldest in most crowds I'm in and it's unsettling. But I'll get over it. :-)

I've gotten some lovely gifts and phone calls and cards this year. My older sister bought me a ticket to see M@m@ Mi@ in July with her and Amy (she bought Amy's ticket, too). It will be a fun chicks' night out to look forward to. Stacey gave me a beautiful bracelet that tinkles and has big beautiful stones and glass beads on it. I love it. Joey gave me a big marble mortar and pestle that I was very excited about. I've been wanting one for some time but never found one the right size--they were all too small and white. This is pretty gray marble and it's quite hefty. It doubles as a self-defense tool in an emergency.

Ed gave me glassware. (I asked for it so don't ding him for being unromantic.) I got new water goblets, tumblers and squatty tumblers. And the very best martini glasses ever. They're beautiful with 4 parallel carved lines near the bottom of the glass. I've been pining over them for 2 years but never bought them for myself. He didn't know which ones I wanted but he picked out the exact right ones. I'm so very impressed with his perspicacity. So now I have lots of really kewl new glassware. I need to have a dinner party. Since I'm a teetotaler, I won't be drinking actual martinis from my martini glasses but I will be drinking some non-alcoholic cocktails from them and serving wonderful desserts like mousses and sorbets and things of that nature. I'm quite excited. I'm seriously itching to throw a dinner party now.

One of my favorite gifts was from Amy. She gave me an antique French-style telephone. It's pretty old--it has a cloth covered cord and a neat old dial but the cord was converted to a modern plug so it actually works! How excellent is that? It makes a very kewl chimy noise when it rings and I can actual DIAL up my sister's phone number and talk to her on it. It looks smashing on my 1932 floor-model radio. It's just wonderful!

Friday night, Ed took me out to dinner at one of my very favorite restaurants (H!ggins) in Portland and then we went to see the new Sweet H0me Al@bama. After the movie (which was quite cute but which inspired a day and a half of unintentional southern accents around this house), we went across the street to the He@thman Hotel restaurant for my favorite creme brulee dessert. It was quite a decadent night--I loved it!

I got to see Amy 4 days in a row last week--Wed, Thurs, Fri and Saturday. That *never* happens. Never! That alone was a birthday present. It was great fun to go antiquing with her on Saturday and especially fun when she bought the telephone I'd been admiring.

I like it when the birthday fun seems to last all week.

Today, Ed made me my chosen birthday dinner--cheddar cheese bratwurst and cake. Mmmm. Now doesn't that say birthday to you? Stacey and Baylee joined us for the victuals so it was extra fun. I'm feeling kind of porky, though. I also have a big giant chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart from my friend Cheryl to eat and on Tuesday, Jamie is bringing me my annual key lime pie. I think I'm going to have to do a lot of exercise this week to account for all these sweet goodies. I wish I could freeze that cookie to make it last. Perhaps I'll share it with some other people so that it gets eaten and appreciated.

Well, my eyes are watering so I know it's time to wash off my makeup and put on my fleece jammies. I have to take the car in to get something fixed. They sent us a recall notice for something or other and tomorrow's the day I have to take care of it. At least I have Jamie to rescue me and take me out to lunch while the car is being fixed.

Later...

--L