Reaching the Median of Life.

Hi! My name is Margaret and I'm officially 'middle-aged'.

I just had a birthday this last weekend and if I live to be ninety-six then I've hit the median of my years. Hey, it could happen! My mom is still alive and kicking at eighty-eight. And though my dad died at eighty-four (complications due to diabetes) the rest of his sibs lived to be pretty darn old!

Well, I've been technically middle-aged for a few years now, but I don't feel like it. Okay, I'll the be the first to admit that joints in the knees and ankles creak and crack as I walk down the stairs. And sometimes I'll get those mysterious hip pains or groan when I roll out of bed. *There ain't no sitting up and then exiting the bed anymore--I roll.* Uhm, it's easier, plus it doesn't disturb the hubster too much.

And what makes a good birthday has changed over the years, too. I'm the youngest of nine so we didn't get much as a kid. We got one present and we chose what we wanted to eat for our birthday meal and Mom made a cake. I used to always choose hamburgers, until I turned twelve and got smart--I asked for steak. And yes, as poor as we were Mom always managed to find a reasonably priced tenderloin that we sliced and grilled on the barbecue.

One year, I was in Innsbruck, Austria--probably the most depressing birthday of all. I was backpacking alone after attending my brother's wedding in Chaumont, France. Now, THAT was a party! It was at the end of my travels and I think I was a little homesick by that time, but it didn't help that I was hit on by two, yes TWO, old men. When you turn twenty-seven, any dude over thirty is old!

In the recent past, we've traveled to Silver Dollar City and rode rollercoasters, but this year we had a lot of yard work to finish up so we stayed home.

On Friday night, our kiddo was asked to go to a Wizard's of Waverly Place advance viewing, so hubster and I went to Michael Fusco's Riverside Grill. My one request--steak. And what a lovely meal! A bottle of wine and a steak that was actually cooked correctly--medium rare. It moo'd as I chew'd. Mmmm. And I finished off the meal with a Molten Lava chocolate cake. Hubster had a chocolate mousse gateau. *sigh*

On Saturday, my actual birthday, we went shopping. Our first stop was Lowe's, and guess what is close to Lowe's? Yes! Krispy Kreme donuts! Woohoo! We visited Lowe's got some grass seed, but also looked at plants. Best Buy to return the Wii that fried for the second time--got a new Wii (under extended warranty) and also picked up the new Wii Resort games. PetsMart for all sorts of stuff, plus a new beta. Our old beta finally died after two agonizing weeks. The new beta is called Blinky. Can anyone guess where we got the name?? Then home to drop everything off, lunch at Wendy's and out to Sander's Nursery. And I mean out...of town about ten miles from our house. This place is HUGE, like five football fields huge. Bought plants. Went home dropped them off, then back to Lowe's --they had a nicer butterfly bush (Naho Blue) than at Sanders--and to Southwood nursery. Southwood had a crepe myrtle that we needed, Raspberry Sundae. When the blooms open they look like popcorn as the deep pink has white edges. I made chicken fajitas and margaritas for dinner, played Wii resorts and had a Turtle Cake from Merritt's bakery. *sinful*

What more can I say? It was the perfect birthday for me. Oh, and I WATCHED my hubster plant the $600-700 worth of plants on Sunday. Watching is so much better than doing. :-) Of course, I was called away from doing laundry to consult with the plant locations. I had him move an evergreen shrub to a better place and this cause some shuffling of plantage.

I feel rejuvenated enough to get seriously down to writing again.
Oh, and I started daily walks again. Last Friday, I solved two story issues that I had on FF. So after I walk the kiddo to school and finish a nice 45 minute walk, I'll . . .

Write on!