You say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

The Beatles

I don’t think anyone will think that I’m tooting my own birthday horn or fishing for presents when I tell you that today is my birthday. After all, I’m not quite as happy about it as is my great niece Lilly as she looks forward to her birthday. Hers is over a month away, but countdown has already begun. She will be 7. I have 60 years on her, so the excitement level is much more subtle.

As for presents, I guess I have just about everything I could possibly want. Bill bought me the birthday gift of my dreams: a portable puzzle desk WITH DRAWERS. That way when Jen has to do that thing for which she is paid — that is, her JOB — I can take my puzzle with me to the kitchen to continue the fun. Bec got me a very cute Christmas top that I’ve already worn and gotten considerable number of compliments. Taking selfies is a painful experience for me, which is why it looks more like I’m grimacing than looking happy. Despite the look on my face, I love the shirt.,,,,

I wasn’t always this lackadaisical about my birthday. When I was turning 7, like Lilly, I too looked forward to my birthday. Sometimes I got a bakery cake, but more often I got an angel food cake with sprinkles in it made by my mother. With a dollop of Cool Whip, it was my favorite cake at that time. My birthday was two weeks before Christmas (well, it still is…) which was just enough before Christmas that I still got many presents. My brother didn’t fare quite as well. His birthday is December 28, and people were (and are) sick of everything by that point. I don’t think he got a homemade birthday cake his entire formative years. In fact, one year he got a cake baked and decorated at Gloor’s Bakery but not picked up by the person who ordered it. No Happy Birthday Dave. Instead, it said Happy Birthday Frank from Friends. Not only did we not know who Frank was, we were certainly not his friends.

My brother reminded me that we always picked up our Christmas tree on my birthday. It always seemed so long a wait until Christmas, he recalled the other day. Now it seems like Christmas is so close. So true. My birthday was always the focus point of the Christmas season. I, like my parents, always bought and put up my tree on my birthday. Back in the days when I sent out Christmas cards, they were sealed and ready to mail on my birthday. The Christmas card ship sailed a very long time ago.

Tonight Jen is preparing me my very favorite meal — short ribs. Short ribs are no one else in my family’s favorite meal, but that’s just too bad. Lilly is my mentor: Too bad, so sad. I will be more than happy to make your birthday favorite on your birthday. My sisters and brother, as well as my husband, will be there to celebrate with me.

Can’t really ask for anything more.