Birthday And The Big World

It wasn't the best birthday I ever had, but thanks to Ellen, it was bearable. Carolyn had suggested she bring Betty over at 10:00 and we'd sit outside, masked and six feet away from each other, and celebrate our birthday. I was looking forward to that. However, I woke up with a cold, called Carolyn to tell her. That seemed no problem, but she called back later to say she had talked to her husband and was uncomfortable coming. Boy, was I disappointed. We did do video messenger when Betty was at her place that was better than nothing, but I was still pretty down.

I did get lots of happy birthday e-mails (thanks, Patti), Facebook entries, and phone calls, including from immediate family, old friends, nieces and nephew, and my brother, Larry. (Sadly, he said Helen is sinking fast. She's not on hospice yes, but I'm afraid, it will be soon.) I perked up my ears to hear some of his children have made reservations for Japan for July. Larry wants to go, then go over to Bangkok to see our brother, Jim, who will be 95 next month.

I also told El I  had a cold. She came over, as planned, with Thai food (and plenty of it--had it for lunch and dinner, too) and we sat outside to eat. Luckily, the weather's been perfect--seventies and no humidity at all--and yesterday was no exception.

We talked about the CO-VID thing and El looked at her phone to see there was a "pop-up" testing site at the park. We drove over, but the information was erroneous, so we came back. We sat on the patio while I opened cards and presents. El gave me a pretty pendent, which will go perfectly with what I plan to wear for Christmas, plus six great big beautiful lemons from her tree. With the avocadoes Olivia had brought over earlier (I gave one to Ellen), I have some nice produce. Also got a gift card from Amazon and a picture of the Tokyo trio, plus an adorable card from Mr. K.: 

Note that he asked Dad to identify his fish and snail by name. 

Jim called to wish me a happy (I was surprised he remembered it) and we chatted, me nosy, he reticent as ever. My niece, Joan, her Jim, and their son and vintner DIL left a message of all of them singing the B.Day song. I called back to say I was a Hollywood agent and wanted to sign them. 

I got a delightful Facetime call from Mike and his gorgeous girls; compared to the crappy Zoom and video Messenger pictures, it was wonderfully clear and sharp. Their apartment is huge and beautifully decorated, nineteen floors up.  

Sometimes I forget what kind of life my granddaughters live. It's light years away from what mine was, the chubby little Catholic at St. James, oblivious to free thought and the big world that isn't Absecon Island. How I envy them.