First There was a Birthday...

Last Tuesday I hit the big 5-0.  I was actually quite excited about the day and was not disappointed.  Doug brought me coffee in bed, and when I finally did get up, there were 50 roses on the table, cards, gifts, and breakfast cooking.  Doug's breakfast beat the Denny's Grand Slam any day!

 Tuesdays are my tennis mornings so I took my 50 year old legs to the court where I did proceed to win 3 sets of doubles!  Afterward, my lovely tennis lady friends had arranged for a lunch and Wendy served a beautiful cake that she had made and decorated.  It was beautiful and delicious. I arrived home to flowers and gifts that included some home made beer with special labels made for the occasion, that were awaiting me on our kitchen table.  Our house looked so beautiful with all of the lovely flowers that were gracing our presence.  By the time this full morning and early afternoon was over, I was ready for a nap.  So I took one!  How delicious to crawl into bed on a Tuesday afternoon and take a little snooze!  After some time, Doug appeared with a card and a bottle of champagne.  He had earlier informed me that we had to leave for dinner at 5.30 and now he was revealing why...he had also purchased tickets to the Swan Lake ballet at the Opera House!  It's one of my favorites.  In the end, we skipped dinner, relaxed, got dressed up and walked down to the Opera House and enjoyed a very moving, incredibly powerful performance of this amazing ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  It was just breathtakingly beautiful.  Throughout the day my phone buzzed with text messages, phone calls came in and my Facebook page was one big, happy greeting from people who I have known from so many different walks of life.  It was a full and rich day and I was feeling very blessed.
After a short walk home, I hopped into bed and landed on yet another card and another gift.  Doug revealed to me that there would be a party on Friday night.  Sounded great to me!  But the absolute top of the birthday cake came when I opened a calendar of photographs of New York with a little note saying, "We'll be there in January.  Our good friends the Cowgers are meeting us there.  Happy 50th Birthday sweetheart."  I was ecstatic!  I have ever been to New York and have dreamed of the day when I might have the chance to wander around Manhattan.  At 50, that dream will come true!
Thanks to my wonderful husband, I enjoyed a truly special birthday.