IT"S A GREAT DAY!

I owe an apology to some people for the tone of yesterday's blog. Apparently two people thought I was really depressed and one person even told me I had depressed her! People gave me lists of why I should love the fall, and one person was good enough to write and tell me she totally agreed with me! Anyway, it was really supposed to be sort of tongue in cheek. After all, I get to go home to a never-ending summer in a few weeks. Sorry, you guys.

 If that wasn't depressing enough, today is my birthday.

I am only kidding. I LOVE  birthdays!

Birthdays were always a big deal growing up in my house. And with a summer birthday I never got to bring cupcakes into school so I had to make up for that in always having a grand time on the big day. Old habits die hard. Now I tell as many people as I can when it's my birthday. At work I used to tell everyone for a month ahead of time so they wouldn't forget. I don't understand people who don't want anybody to know that they are having a birthday. Do they think we don't know that they were ever born? I never really thought about birthdays as marking how old I am as much as I think of them as my special day. I mean, come on, people!

My sisters-in-law Kathy and Susan are August birthday gals too. We celebrate them whenever we are together in August.

If there is one day each year when you can feel like a star, why not advertise it? I mean it's not like everybody else doesn't get the same chance at some point. I think it's a fabulous invention!

Ed's 60th was a blast a few years ago.

I love how kids look forward to and celebrate not just on the actual day but for months leading up to it. And now they have these things called 'half birthdays'. I think that's a cute idea. Nobody expects gifts on a half birthday, I don't think, but it breaks the very long year up for those wee ones who have a hard time waiting. It makes them realize that they are so special that their parents even mark the halfway point to their next birthday. I love it. Anything that can make us feel special is a good thing, don't you think?

Dooger, at about 2 I think.

Yup, it's a great day today.  And it's not about presents. It's not even about the cake, although I like cake. I  have been known to bring my own cake to the party on my birthday.  probably a throwback from not bringing cupcakes to school. One year I brought my birthday cake into the office to have everyone celebrate. It was great! Nobody had to bake and we got to take a little longer lunch than usual. One year we went to a cookout at my friend Melinda's house around my birthday and I brought a wonderful Alden Merrill chocolate cake with candles. It sort of melted on the trip there. Then The cake fell out of her refrigerator when we were getting ready to serve it. We couldn't really fix it.

So we improvised. It made for a great memory!

Cake and gifts are great, but the best part of having a birthday is you are allowed to say things like, "I can do that today because it's my birthday." Or "I get to choose which one because I'm the birthday girl." You know what I mean.  It may seem self-centered, but that's okay, BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

And I get to make a wish and wear a funny hat if I want to. And I talk to and visit with my family and friends. My sister Cindy and her husband and whoever else is in the house at the time (kids, grandkids) always call and sing 'Happy Birthday' to me. The whole song. Steve puts on his operatic voice, usually. I never answer Cindy's call on my birthday. I let it go to voice mail so I have a recording of the Kahn Family Singers. Then I call back.

Two of the Kahn Family Singers

And this year, Lily is even counting down to my birthday. I don't know if I will see her and her baby brother Owen on the exact date, but she knows that Grammy's is the next birthday coming up. Maybe they'll Facetime me. I bet they will!

Owen's birthday this summer was the social event of the season.

Yes, it's a great day today. And not just for me. It's a great day for Madonna, and Steve Carell;

and Eydie Gorme (oh, well maybe not this year) and Leslie Ann Warren and James Cameron and Kathie Lee Gifford and her cheating husband, Frank; And Elvis, who is said to have died on this date in 1977, but we all know that's not really true and he lives on. So it's a good day for him too!

I don't care how old you are, if it's your day whoop it up! It's your day and you should be the star! 

Becky's 50th was so much fun!

Anyway, if any of you are having "YOUR" day today or soon, I hope it's a fantastic one! I am sure mine will be. Happy Birthday, Me!

Thanks to my sis-in-law Susan for the hat! I love it!

Have a great day! 

Love, 

Suz