A Giveaway!



 

Today is my birthday so I am sponsoring a give-away as part of my celebration!

 



My friend, Kristin Repp, is a talented photographer (I use her photos often on this blog) with an eye for catching nature at its best. She put together a calendar for 2013 with her gorgeous shots of country life.

The calendar is big (14" x 12") with lots of room for jotting down reminders.

 

I have one hanging in my kitchen area but am giving away one, as well, to someone who becomes (or is) a follower and leaves a comment on this post.  Don't be shy - I will ship anywhere!  On Sunday, January 13, I will pick a random number and the corresponding commenter will be the winner. 

 

Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me!   Here's to another interesting trip around the sun.

Look Who's Fifty!

The James Bond film series has been alive and well for fifty years.  The first movie, Dr. No, came out in the UK during the fall of 1962.  The latest thriller, Skyfall, opened in theaters just a couple weeks ago.  I have yet to see it but my local newspaper gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.  The main character is aging along with the rest of us, perhaps a bit slower than most of us, but the film industry is certainly not done with him yet.  There is even an official James Bond 007 website, if you would like to know even more about these exciting, entertaining movies.

 

Another fifty candles can be lit for the iconic Rolling Stones.  They started playing half a century ago in London and have managed to retain 3/4 of their most notable original members.  The new guy, Ron Wood, has been with the band for 37 years!  At their start, they were dubbed the "Anti-Beatles" for being the bad guys compared with the fab-four's shining reputation in the early sixties.  The Stones have a 50th anniversary tour coming up and a new documentary out on HBO titled "Crossfire Hurricane."  If you are a fan, or just interested in cultural longevity, you must check them out.

Both of these events make 50 look like more of a stopping point than a large number.  And don't we all love a Happy Birthday?!

52 Weeks

me at the Grand Canyon in Nov. 2011

My husband is celebrating his birthday today but in one year he will hit a milestone, the big five-oh.  He decided that he wants to spend it at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Now, he has gone up and down and all around this natural treasure many times.  I have enjoyed the view but always from the rim or a short distance from it.  But I would love to stand at the bottom, see the stars from down there, and add the hike to my list of things I've done.  So, in order to be with him on this special day, I'm going to have to get myself in shape.  I have to be mentally and physically prepared to make the trek down and back up the canyon walls.  The Grand Canyon!  The good news is that I have 52 weeks, one whole year.  I need to exercise, train, lose some weight, and, most of all, commit myself to doing this. Let me know if you have any tips or suggestions. 

A Happy Birthday List

I love to celebrate other people's birthdays (not my own, though) and usually try to give them a handmade card or unique gift.  But, since I'm not the best at time management, the date often sneaks up on me and I don't have anything on hand. 

That's what happened last week when one of my best friends had a birthday.  She is so special to me so I knew I wanted to do something for her.  That morning I got up a few minutes early and wrote her an email, just an email.  She turned 41 (a youngster!) so I made a list of 41 reasons why she deserves to be celebrated.  At first it seemed like a daunting task to come up with so many items but it really didn't take much time. I wrote about her character ("You are always full of energy and enthusiasm."), about our past together ("You were my student teacher!" and "You were with me when my nephews were born and on 9/11."), and some of the reasons she means so much to me ("You stuck with me during a very big change in my life and continued to support me.")  Then I sent it off.  She let me know later in the day how much she loved reading my birthday email that made her both laugh and cry. 

It was easy.  It was immediate.  It made us both feel good.  The next time you want to honor someone on their birthday, I suggest you make them a special list.