Mourning 36

Go Vote, then you can come back and read this. GO! Even YOU, MOM!

This is the first year that I honestly lost track of how old I was. Was I 37 already? About to turn 38? No way! Was I? Or maybe... I couldn't still be 35, could I? Wait...

I'd have to do Actual Math and count the years from 1974 to figure out the actual number. And once I figured it out, I might forget it the next day.

My birthday is really just the near-end of the group of celebrations that begin the larger group of celebrations spanning the end-of-the-year (Columbus day, Halloween, Election Day, Nov. 6th Birthdays, My Birthday, and Veteran's Day is the small group. Then Thanksgiving, Andy's Birthday, Christmas, and New Year's and the middle, and they count more because there are many time more celebrations for these things. Then the first Birthdays - Dad's, Nate's, and Anne-E's, which are ironically the last of the group.)

I was going to get all sentimental and talk about doing things, marking time, and maybe vow to start working at the soup kitchen (why haven't I started working there, already?) but honestly, I have a lot of things to do before Kindergarten is over for the morning.

Please enjoy the candles below. They aren't birthday candles, but were used during our power outage, and I loved the way they melted. (So did the boys - they played with them during the day, and globs of brittle candle wax is now sprinkled all over the house. ) It's funny - the power outages are so frustrating and stress-inducing, and yet if you can pause and realize some of the beauty in it, you've actually gained something.

Stop rolling your eyes! It's my birthday!