I had a great birthday yesterday. I shopped for a couple of hours with my birthday money. Got my David Phelps CD, then made a stop at TJ Maxx. I had seen a heart-shaped red casserole dish with cover that I love several days ago, but couldn't justify buying another casserole dish. Until yesterday. I also found DKNY jeans for spring, $42 on the label, but a great bargain at TJ Maxx at $16.99, and a great fit. Of course, I do need ANOTHER PAIR OF JEANS! I sent Fr. Joe $25 for his veterans; not sure if Mario intended that with my birthday money, but it made me feel good to share it. Then I finished my day's shopping after lunch at a gift shop--found a Christmas clearance item--a small Flavia plaque with one of her beautiful and simple messages: Blessed are we who have love, for love is everything. I am such a sucker for these things! I have a few birthday dollars left and will apply them to the massage I am having today. (More on that later!)

Nolan spent yesterday at his house passing by the birthday cake several times that Carrie had purchased for me and saying, "My cake?"

"No, Nolan," she would say. It's Grandma's cake. It's Grandma's birthday."

So when they came for supper and the birthday party last night, I sat next to him on the bar stool and began cutting the cake. He looked around the kitchen and said, "Papa's birthday?"

"No, Nolan. It's Grandma's birthday."

Next he said, "Daddy's birthday?"

"No, Nolan. It's Grandma's birthday."

Finally, he granted the day to me. "Grandma's birthday?"

"Yes, Nolan. It's Grandma's birthday."

We have a 2-year old teaser on our hands.

It was just a great day. It ended as I attended a meeting at church. I have been invited to join a new committee--it is basically the party committee. The idea is to tie spiritual activities with social activities....providing gatherings at church that families will come to and enjoy and get to know each other, then go upstairs to church for the Stations of the Cross, etc. We are starting with the Fridays in Lent, and I am in charge, along with Fr. Dan, of developing some Catholic Trivia to get discussion going among families at tables. I used to do this trivia with my PSR kids, so I will resurrect some of that work and probably create some new stuff.

Today, I get to go to radiation, then another birthday party with my friend Judy and whoever she has invited to join us. In between, I have a Swedish massage. I got onto this when a fellow church member gave me a gift certificate when I was in chemotherapy. WOW! I decided that I will have this massage once a month. At Physical Therapy, they tell me the massage is therapeutic. It makes the lymphatic and immune systems function more efficiently according to them. Sounds good to me! It is absolutely a wonderful thing. If you have not had a Swedish massage, I highly recommend it.

So another good day looking me in the eye. It will end with Blake's indoor soccer game at 4. I might be too whooped to make it. We'll see.