My 70th Extravaganza

First of all, it didn't start on my actual birthday, which was yesterday.

It started almost a month ago when I began to color again,

wanting to get back into that rhythm for my new decade.

Interestingly, on my birthday yesterday someone sent me this link on Facebook:

"It's official--grown-up colouring keeps you calm!"

I can so agree.

And since friends know this about me, look at one of my gifts received from England last week.

It's only 5"x7," making it a great travel book.
Thank you, Anne and Quinn!

Another English friend, Bill, custom made this card for me.

Bill and Ange were here with us two years ago, in June.

We're both Gemini.  :)

Then, surprise of surprise, a package arrived from sister Ruth 

with these 2 placemats and matching napkins.

She had already shown them on her blog, which I had seen,

little knowing they were for ME.  What a sneak!

(In fact, I clept these images from there.)

Remember, it wasn't even my birthday yet!

On Thursday, I gave myself the gift of eating at our nearby Malle Molen (Silly Mill).

Every Thursday evening they have "what the pot serves" for €7.75, including dessert.

A long story short, Astrid finagled with them to serve one of my favorites of theirs:

chicken with cream cheese and bacon.  How could I say NO to that.

 On my actual birthday, yesterday, I opened the laptop to this.

I don't remember that they've ever done this before.  Have they????

But then, Microsoft did just buy Facebook, right?!
Big Brother is watching me!

At 2p we went to Jeroen and Eva's for supposedly only birthday koffie and Astrid's famous appeltaart.

But it ended up becoming a BBQ, along with Astrid's ex, Jaap, and Eva's parents.

6.5 hours of birthday celebration.

It so happens that Eva's 25th birthday was 2 days before mine.

Another Gemini.

It was a perfect day for eating outside and taking photos.

Jeroen and Eva have been together since 2009, like Astrid and I.

And they bought me new felt pens for my coloring!

 Their cat, Mitzie, was her own person, at 11 years, doing her own thing.
The life of Riley, showing us how it's done!

This morning, the day after, I lined up all my cards thus far,

and the Kopke port that Jaap gave me for the occasion.

 And then this early evening, Astrid pulled out all the stops and treated me to a dinner outing
at our favorite Greek restaurant overlooking our city's main canal.
Orestis (top-left) is the host with the most, young and industrious,
the one who bought the flowers for the grand occasion.
He knew it was my 70th from previous planning with Astrid.
And our favorite waitress (bottom-right) knew exactly how to make everything just right.

Together, the 3 of them planned a 4-course dinner for us.
They didn't know that leg of lamb is pure bliss for me,
as well as stuffed sea bass, both of which Astrid and I shared.
And for dessert, obligatory baklava with ice cream!

Happy Birthday to moi!

And now this from my Big Sis in England, Lisl, making 70 sound like a good number.

Tomorrow I fly to England to spend the week with her and Michael in Bath,
with Astrid joining us on Wednesday.
It's my birthday gift to me!

That's why I've called this big number an extravaganza!
A gift that just keeps on giving....

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

It seems like it's been forever since I posted here...was that Thanksgiving? Yes! Wow. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then...and while I work on the photos from Sedona and the Grand Canyon, here's a pause as we prepare for Christmas!

We had been thinking about this a long time and finally asked Nicholas about two of his main boyhood toys: was he too old for them, and if so, would he be willing to give them away to some other boy for Christmas? The answer: YES.

So this morning Donica and Nicholas dismantled his toy train set in the basement....

...and then rounded up his 2-speed Jeep...

...and loaded them both onto the truck.

Nicholas then carried out all the train bits-n-pieces for Donica to take down to Aunt Sari's for her grandson, Joey, who is 4. The only stipulation is that when Joey is too big for them, he, too, will pass them on to another lucky boy.

I like that about Christmas...and any other time of the year when we can rummage through our stuff and give away what we no longer need or use. Besides, it helps to clean up the house and get things in order. That, too, is a gift that keeps on giving!

Rush Hour

Midst the loud cacophony of tootin' my own horn (last post), I totally neglected to tell you that WE'RE BACK in Atlanta! I flew back on Friday and Donica flew back yesterday. No amount of convincing or haggling at this holiday time of the year could get us back on the same flight or the same day. But we're back safe-n-sound, and that's all that matters.

Now, the holiday rush is on! We celebrate Christmas with the kids here at our house a week from today, the 23rd: Amy, Dennis (yes, flying in from LA), Mark and Nicholas.

This afternoon we'll bring up the two trees from the basement dungeon. The slim tree that you can see goes between the family room and breakfast nook/kitchen; the covered, bigger tree goes in the living room in front of the window, for the woods to see.
I love trimming the trees, year after year. The slim tree holds all our ornaments collected from everywhere. Memories. The big tree is the Walt Disney tree.

In the meantime, I'm working on our Holiday cards! God willing and the creek don't rise, they'll be done for the mail tomorrow. I enjoy that as well, thinking about all the people, one by one, whose names go on the envelopes. Christmas for me is a time of remembering!

Donica's job will be to stuff the stockings! Our kids know Donica as the Queen of hors-d'oeuvres AND the Queen of Christmas Stockings. And that's the truth, because she is! I didn't grow up with them so I didn't have a clue until she came into my life 10 years ago. But it's still her job. No one does it better!

Thankfully, I wrapped almost all the presents a month ago, so they're 95% done. Some still need their bows, but once the trees are up, they can go underneath and out of the upstairs hallways! They, too, are a reminder of the memories we have and why we give gifts in the first place. God was the one who thought up the idea of gifts, so I have no problem giving them. Neither does Donica...and in that regard again, she's the Queen!


Oh, yeah. Don't forget to mow the lawn and mulch in the leaves, Ginnie! I'll probably do that on Wednesday. Donica says that'll make everything look so nice for just before the kids come.

When I pace it like this, suddenly it doesn't feel so rushed any more! Good job, Ginnie and Donica. It'll be easier than you think. Donica will work only Monday and Tuesday this week before being OFF OFF OFF till she flies to Europe on January 6th (I'll be joining her on the 10th). That's a HOLIDAY, Folks! Almost 3 weeks of R&R for her. YAAAAAY!