Happy Birthday!

First, a phone call from daughter Jeni filled with birthday greetings, updates on the kids and an exchange of news from our weekends. She has filled new planters with flowers for their porch, made some biker scarves for Dwayne, school is out in Colorado, Brittany will work as a life guard this summer and has just finished the necessary certification course, Megan will continue waitressing at the local cafe in Bailey, Matt will be spending his days in Denver riding his bike on the Cherry Creek Trail to a nearby skate park, she's glad her new car gets such good gas mileage (gas prices are $.50 less per gallon in Denver than here), life is great and happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday Mom. I love and miss you all!

Then in email:

From: Jennifer
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
To: 'Mom'
Subject: Happy Birthday

Mom,
Have a great Birthday today. I’m sure you’ve got an action packed day planned and I hope you have fun.
Love and miss you,
Jeni

Jeni's birthday is in one week too! Happy early birthday, Jen!

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An early morning phone call from neighbors Zhanpeng Lu and Han Jing Pan is next. It went something like this, "Hello, Rose, you are home? Open door please" (their English has improved!). Then the phone connection disconnects with a sudden click. This routine is familiar to me as we have repeated it numerous times over the last few years. This is my cue to open my apartment door and wait for them to come see me. I listen as they scurry out their door, an excited soft chatter in Chinese exchanged between them as they hurry down the hall to my door. I am presented with a cake, many bows, many smiles and many, many wishes for a very long life.

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With my birthday falling on a Tuesday this year, Sally and I joined about twenty other walkers for our Tuesday morning walking group. Today we looped through a portion of the interurban trail system in the Fairhaven area, up and down some of the residential streets of the Edgemore neighborhood, through the well-groomed grounds at the historical Lairmont Manor, past Fairhaven Park, on past Fairhaven Middle School, through a portion of downtown Fairhaven and returned to the Bellingham Tennis Club and Fairhaven Fitness, for a total distance walked of approximately three miles. Today, I considered our "10,000 Steps Walk" my birthday walk!

The Larrabee House at Lairmont Manor

Lairmont Manor, a registered historic place:

Larrabee House

Under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of October 16, 1966, this property possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating American history.

Placed on the National Register on May 30, 1975 by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

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Cousin Dan telephoned and sang birthday greetings in his Elvis impersonation, then switched to Mel Gibson. I didn't even know that people did Mel Gibson impersonations! Now I look forward to loading up my dog and spending next weekend exploring Camino Island from his ten acres there.

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Sally and I, with me looking a little like I just came from the gym (but that's okay, I practically did!), are hungry now, so it's off to the birthday party lunch.

With Sally and Fred.

Sally and Kriss.

Steve telephones during our party with birthday wishes and is able to chat with all of us, sharing some of the highlights from his vacation as we wait for our lunches to arrive. He's on the train with his two daughters, son and grandson, heading home from California, the last leg of his fun, family vacation. We've missed you, Steve! I'm sure we will celebrate again once you return. Weren't we planning on going to the Pike Place Market on the 21st?

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Thanks for those new guitar strings, Fred.

(I suspect my neighbors will appreciate them too!)

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And, yes, I'm sure I'll have a great 10th grade!

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