THIRTY

Sarah got lots of fun gifts for her thirtieth birthday this weekend!

I know that most women my age have children who are in their forties, but it still feels odd that my firstborn is now thirty...as of today, October 27th. We celebrated her big day with a birthday dinner and party on Friday evening, two days ahead of her actual birthdate. It was made even more special when Jacob arranged to come up and join us, so all three siblings could celebrate together.

A huge bowl of Navopache Chicken Salad for dinner.

He didn't arrive until about 7:15, but dinner was all ready to dig in when he got here. Sarah had requested a Navopache Chicken Salad, so-called because I found the recipe on the back of our local electric co-op (called Navopache) way back when the kids were small. It's a chopped cabbage salad with lots of shredded chicken, green onions, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds thrown in.

Some sugar-free Crystal Light to mix with sparkling sodas.

For a beverage, she asked for a Crystal Light-and-soda blend. We had a gallon of strawberry-watermelon flavor drink to be mixed with a variety of sodas, according to each person's desire.

Sarah's stack of gifts, waiting to be opened.

After dinner, Dylan showed us a new video game, a very-much-updated version of the old Wii Fit. This one is called Ring Fit, and it's quite a workout! After Dylan demonstrated it, Jacob and Chris took turns, and they were both sweating! And moaning. And groaning. I think I need to own one of these, maybe after we get through the Christmas season. They assure me that I can set it for the less taxing "out-of-shape old woman" setting.

October 25, 2019: Sarah reads the sweet card from her dad.

Then Dylan decided it was time for dessert, so he urged Sarah to open her presents. And she did.

A better look at the cards from Mom ("30" on left) and Dad.

Gifts from Sarah's brothers and her dad.

Dylan and Jake gave her two boxes of Atkins Nutty Fudge Brownie Bars, which are delicious. She's really been sticking to eating better and has lost about fifty pounds already!

Jacob gave her a twenty-dollar bill, and her dad gave her a box of Atkins Peppermint Patties and a Bluetooth speaker she can use to listen to Spotify around her house. Chris, who is a trained masseuse, gave Sarah her annual birthday massage (but not at the party...).

My gifts to Sarah.

As for me, I gave Sarah a novel called Mutts and Mistletoe, which combines the two things she loves most in a book or movie: dogs and love stories. In fact, Jake jokingly called it a Hallmark-Movie-in-Book-Form. I also gave her a Jim Shore figurine of Lady and the Tramp, which is her favorite Disney cartoon-film.

The homemade cheesecake Sarah requested.

For dessert, Sarah wanted my homemade cheesecake with ice cream, so I baked the cheesecake on Thursday night and topped it on Friday. Both the cheesecake and our ice cream were sugar-free (with full-sugar ice cream selections for the guys). In fact, while Mark and I were in Mesa earlier this week, I snagged a tub of no-sugar-added Breyers Salted Caramel Swirl ice cream, which isn't available here in our community. We love it when we can get it!

When I tried to get a pic of my boys together at Walmart, Dylan ducked...

The fun continued on Saturday. Jacob decided to stay until Sunday morning, which meant another family dinner on Saturday evening (yes!). The kids had agreed upon a menu after the party on Friday, so Jacob and I drove to Walmart to get the needed supplies on Saturday morning. As we walked toward the produce section, Dylan ran up behind us, trying to surprise us. He'd just started his break and happened to see us as we came in the entrance.

...and then Jacob hid behind his sweatpants purchase...

When we passed the men's clothing, Jacob decided he needed to buy a pair of sweatpants, since he'd brought only shorts with him and quickly realized it was too cold for that. He's become a "flat-lander" so quickly! While he shopped, I wanted a picture of both my sons together, but they made me work for it!

While we were checking out, Sarah saw us from her place in customer service and managed to grab a quick break to come over for a short visit. It's fun getting to see my kids when I go shopping!

...and then I managed to get them together!

We ended the day with a family dinner featuring a big baking dish of Chicken Parmesan and another of Jalapeno Popper Casserole. I made the first, Jacob made the second, and Sarah assisted us both.

It's true that building and preserving family relationships requires a lot of work and attention, as well as open communication, mutual honesty and trust, a willingness to apologize and forgive, and an effort to see the world as others do. It's not always an easy thing, but there truly is no other endeavor in life that pays more abundantly than this. Family is everything!

My two goofy boys, Jacob (age 28) and Dylan (age 22).

Side by Side

October 13, 2019: Jacob with his new truck, a 2020 Toyota Tacoma.

(It was pretty dusty after a weekend of driving on our dirt roads.)

My older son, Jacob, and one of his roommates, Antonio, drove up from his home in the Valley on Friday evening. He had three purposes for the trip: 1) to return a truck he'd borrowed two weeks earlier from our family friends, the Halls; 2) to install new bedroom and bathroom doors in my bedroom, which Dylan and Jake had been helping me renovate for the previous three weeks; and 3) to have a little fun with family in the side-by-side Jacob won earlier this year.

Jacob seems to be a magnet for car problems. It began with a snowstorm in Utah in 2016, when a woman driving past their house slid on the ice and smashed into the back of Jacob's Buick LeSabre. For some inexplicable reason, the woman's insurance company (Progressive) decided to total the car, leaving Jacob with about $1,800 debt on the car not covered. (He now makes sure to carry gap insurance.) He couldn't afford a new second car but needed transportation for work, so he ended up getting a bad deal for a used black VW Jetta from the dealership where they'd purchased Jacob's then-wife's Nissan Sentra. They totally took advantage of Jacob's situation and inexperience. [Meanwhile, Dylan bought the LeSabre from his brother/the insurance company, replaced the smashed taillight, and has been driving it without issues for more than three years now...thus, the decision to total it is a complete mystery.]

When Jacob realized how little of his payments had been applied to the principal after owning the used Jetta for more than a year, he decided to get out of that deal by leasing a brand new red Volkswagen Jetta in 2017, with an option to buy at the end of a three-year contract. This was against my advice, but he felt he was up against a wall and this was the only solution. Things seemed to be fine until he took the Jetta to the dealership for a tuneup four months ago. When the service techs discovered the Jetta had been driven more than a prescribed number of miles, suddenly everything changed, with extra fees to be paid and the option to buy now in question. No one had explained these limitations when Jacob leased the car, and of course he hadn't read the fine print before signing. This is why I don't lease. It's not as if leasing a vehicle is cheaper than buying, so if I'm going to invest that much money every month, the car better be mine, with no one else telling me what I can or can't do with it.

They agreed to let Jacob out of the deal without penalties, in return for purchasing a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV in June. (Gosh, how generous of them.) Again, everything seemed fine...until August, when Jacob noticed a horribly noxious smell inside the Tiguan. It took the dealership a couple of weeks to figure out the cause. It turned out that Jacob had allowed a roommate's girlfriend to borrow the Tiguan so she could take her car's battery in to trade for a new one. Apparently, her battery overturned during the drive and poured a ton of battery acid into the back compartment, which then ran down into the spare tire compartment, under the third-row seat, and under the floor mats, where it was corroding everything it touched, including nuts and bolts under the floor.

I was surprised that Jacob's insurance covered the damage under "comprehensive." However, they spent 32 days investigating the situation before okaying the repairs, but only paid for Jacob's rental car for 30 days. This is why he needed to borrow a car. We were so grateful to the Halls for loaning Jacob their 2000 Toyota Tacoma for a couple of weeks so he could continue working while he awaited repairs (he travels all over the state for his sales job).

In the end, the damage was so far-reaching and expensive that Jacob's insurance company decided to total the three-month-old Tiguan. Fortunately, he now has gap insurance to cover the whole amount he owes. I'm not too thrilled that he's decided to once again lease a vehicle, with an option to buy at the end of the three-year contract, but he assures me that he asked more questions this time and won't have the same issues as before. He enjoyed the Halls' Tacoma so much that he chose a 2020 Toyota Tacoma as his new ride. He wanted something heavy enough to pull his trailer for his new side-by-side UTV.

I sincerely hope this will be the end of Jacob's issues with his vehicles!

Antonio and Sarah watch Jacob back his side-by-side off the trailer.

Friday night, October 11, 2019

At any rate, now that Jacob had his new truck, he needed to drive the Halls' loaner truck back here to the mountain so he could return it to them. One of Jacob's roommates, Antonio, came along so he could bring Jacob's new Tacoma. Since he was driving up here anyway, Jacob felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring along his side-by-side, which he'd been wanting to share with his family and try out in our rural area.

I'm the first to go for a ride with Jacob in the side-by-side.

On Friday, the guys arrived around 8:00 p.m. We were all here waiting for them, and Mark had grilled some steaks while Sarah had prepared a salad and I'd steamed some asparagus. We enjoyed a family dinner with all three of my kids and their spouses (plus a roommate) before Jacob unloaded the UTV and took us out to experience his new toy.

Sarah is next to take a night ride with her brother.

It was a lot of fun, but it was icy cold out! We'd been enjoying a mild autumn up until that very morning, when the temperature suddenly dropped to 28 degrees! It fell to 23 degrees the following morning, Saturday. So by the time Jacob drove me around the neighborhood and brought me back, even with a helmet and jacket, my teeth were chattering so badly that I could hardly talk!

On Saturday morning, we load the truck with new doors for my bedroom.

We finished up the joy-riding before 10:00 p.m. so the neighbors wouldn't report us to the sheriff's deputies. Sarah and Chris and Dylan and Jake headed home, while Jacob and Antonio stayed the night here.

The next morning, Antonio kindly drove Mark to work for me. Then he took Jacob and me out to breakfast at Denny's, where we got to see Mark on the job. We also returned the Halls' loaner truck to them and then stopped by Home Depot to purchase doors, hardware, and trim for the job I'd asked Jacob to do. He'd agreed to install the two doors for me when he came back to Lakeside to return the loaner.

Jacob removes my old bedroom door on Saturday morning.

Once we had loaded our purchases in the back of the truck, we stopped in at Walmart to visit with Dylan while he was on break (he works in the auto center, installing tires and doing oil changes and such). Jacob also got to visit with some of his former co-workers from the two years he worked as a manager at our Walmart, 2013-2015. Finally, it was time to head back to the house and get those doors installed!

Jacob backs out of the driveway while Dylan waits his turn to take the wheel.

October 12, 2019

Dylan came over a little before 2:00 to spend time with his brother on his lunch hour. They took out the side-by-side for awhile. Dylan talked me into riding once around the neighborhood with him at the wheel so he could show me the thrills of "drifting." It was thrilling, all right! Yes, I had fun, but it's not an experience I'll plan to do again any time soon. [You can see a three-minute video of my experience on my Facebook page.]

That evening, we had the whole family together again for dinner. This time I roasted a couple of turkey breasts, which I served with green beans, mashed cauliflower, and mashed potatoes and gravy. The cauliflower (which will never really replace mashed potatoes for me) was for Sarah's and my diet, but it was unexpectedly popular with the whole family. It got eaten up rather quickly!

Before the kids returned to their homes at the end of the night, they took out the side-by-side again and had a great time. All in all, they only got yelled at two or three times by the neighbors for driving it around the area during Jacob's stay. (One neighbor accused them, inaccurately, of "throwing rocks at my house.")

The side-by-side UTV was a lot of fun for everyone, but I have to say that my favorite part of the weekend was being side-by-side with all three my children! I love life best when we can all be together.

With the side-by-side loaded back on the trailer, Jacob and Antonio

are ready to head back home to Mesa around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning, Jacob and Antonio got the last of the trim up around my new doors. Sarah came over after church to spend a little more time with her brother. Then the guys collected their stuff, loaded up the side-by-side UTV, and headed back down the mountain. I'm always so sad to see Jacob leave, but this time I knew we'd be seeing him again in less than three weeks. That's when we'll be spending a whole week together for our family vacation to Southern California and Disneyland!

Come and Listen

President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor to our Prophet, Russell M. Nelson,

spoke to thousands during a devotional here in our area on September 14.

Here in the White Mountains, on a Saturday evening, we had the rare opportunity to gather and listen to a visiting leader, a member of the First Presidency of our church. Once upon a time, when I was a youngster, it wasn't that unusual to be visited in person by the general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the membership has grown so large now (more than sixteen million members in more than 30,500 congregations in more than 160 countries) that it doesn't happen so often anymore.

The Church is organized with a president (whom we believe to be a prophet of God) and fourteen apostles (each one a prophet, seer, and revelator) to serve, inspire, and lead the Church and its members. Essentially, there are fifteen apostles in all, when you include the prophet and the two apostles he calls to be his counselors, along with "The Twelve" who have been called as special witnesses of Christ. There are other leaders called to assist in church-wide work, from Seventies to the Presiding Bishopric to Mission Presidents to localized Stake leaders and  Ward Bishoprics.

Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has called as his two counselors Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring, from among the apostles. It happens that President Oaks is the senior member of the apostles (meaning he has served in that capacity the longest, other than the Prophet himself), and is therefore likely to become our next prophet if he is still living when President Nelson is called home. Which isn't as much of a sure thing as one might suppose, given that President Nelson recently celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday. You see, the man is in excellent health, extremely energetic and active, regularly traveling the world to serve the membership and the Lord.

As President Oaks stated at the devotional that night, regarding our Prophet, "There aren't many ninety-five-year-olds of whom you can say, the best is yet to come!"

It was a beautiful, blustery day as monsoon season begins to wind down.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Late on Saturday afternoon, Sarah, Chris, and I made the almost-hour-long drive from Pinetop-Lakeside to the neighboring towns of Springerville-Eagar, where the devotional was held in the Round Valley Dome. The Dome was built to house the local high school's football field, but it's also used for many civic events. In fact, when we were evacuated during the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in June 2002, we spent our first day in the dome with thousands of other refugees, until a local family opened their home to us for the rest of our week-long displacement.

A nice shot of Round Valley Dome in Springerville-Eagar, by Jill Adair.

Photo "borrowed" from ChurchofJesusChrist.org website.

The drive was gorgeous, weaving through the thick forests of the northern part of the Fort Apache reservation, but the heavens poured rain down, heavily, for half of the trip. We're approaching the end of monsoon season, and the clouds have been getting in their last licks.

My deliciously greasy burger at Trailriders Family Restaurant in Eagar,

Although the devotional wasn't slated to begin until 6:30, people began to arrive more than two hours early to get good seats. Parking at the Dome itself was closed, but there were nearby chapels where we could park and then be shuttled by school bus to the Dome. The shuttles started running at 5:00.

Since Sarah didn't get off work until 3:00 that day, it was nearly 4:00 when we headed out from my house. However, we made good time, arriving in Eagar around 4:45. We stopped at a restaurant called Trailriders, right across the street from the chapel where we planned to park and catch the "shuttle." The place was packed with people in their Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes, grabbing dinner before the devotional, but the restaurant did a good job of getting everyone served quickly. We were done and out by about 5:30.

The crowds arrive and look for the best seating to see President Oaks.

The chapel parking lot was filling up by the time we arrived, but we found a space, parked, and hiked a short way to meet the bus as it arrived. It filled up while we were still waiting in line, though, so we caught the next bus, which arrived immediately after the first one left. It dropped us off at the Dome around 5:50. A police officer at the door quickly checked my purse, and then we were in!

There was still plenty of seating inside the Dome, but the crowds were huge. In these photos, you can see the many rows of chairs lined up on the football field in front of where we were seated. What you don't see are the football stadium bleachers behind me, which were also quite full. By the time we arrived, the seating choices were between the chairs on the field, where you would be closer but unable to see much over the heads of those in front of you, or sit farther away on the bleachers, where you'd at least see the speakers' tiny faces in the distance (plus, their faces were projected on large screens). We chose the bleachers, but sat on the lower benches toward the front, just high enough to see over the heads of the people on the field.

And more crowds. The choir was already seated up in front behind the stand.

It was easy to know when President Oaks arrived. The mild roar of thousands of voices instantly hushed. Everyone rose to their feet and watched respectfully as President Oaks and his retinue entered and mounted the steps to the speakers' stand. They took their seats, and then the crowd also took to their chairs. ChurchofJesusChrist.org reported that there were about 8,500 people in attendance from the seven local stakes [a stake is made up of several wards, with each ward a congregation of several hundred church members] that were invited to the event. I believe it!

Not everyone present was a church member, either. Many people invited non-member friends to join them, and civic leaders from the area were also in attendance.

Another good photo of the event from ChurchofJesusChrist.org, by Jill Adair.

The devotional lasted an hour and a half, with six speakers. First up was Raymond S. Heyman, a former mission president and currently an area Seventy from Arizona. He reminded us that, while we come from many cultures and speak many languages, "the language of the Holy Spirit is our common language." He was followed by his wife, Diane, who shared the story of her health challenges that began with a stroke while she and her husband were presiding over a mission in South America. During the ongoing, frightening struggles, she said, she learned that "God is in the details of our lives."

People started settling into their seats about 15 minutes before the meeting.

Next, General Authority Seventy Wilford W. Anderson (also from Arizona) spoke alongside his wife, Kathy. Together, they spoke about the importance of following the living Prophet. "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (Doctrine & Covenants 1:38)

Kristin Oaks, wife of President Oaks, took the stand after the Andersons concluded. Her remarks were brief and echoed the words of the previous speakers on the importance of hearing the words of God's Prophets, praying for personal confirmation, and then following. She also mentioned that this was President Oaks's first time to visit this part of Arizona, and how he was excited by the number of elk and wild turkeys he'd seen during his stay!

After they arrived, our speakers took their seats on the stand.

President Oaks then concluded the meeting by speaking to us for about twenty minutes. He reminded us of the importance of studying the gospel and praying "with real intent" and "with full purpose of heart"; that "faith means to trust in the Lord," as well as in His timing, His plan, His commandments, and His promised blessings. 

He also spoke about the many "major initiatives" that have been implemented since Russell M. Nelson became our Prophet in January 2018, including: the merging of High Priest Groups and Elders Quorums; the move from three-hour church blocks on Sundays, to a two-hour block, with more emphasis on Church-supported but home/family-based gospel study; the use of the full name of the Church as established by the Savior Himself, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, instead of shortened nicknames; the upcoming change from church affiliation with Boy Scouts of America to new, recently-announced youth programs; and the replacement of traditional Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching programs with "ministering."

President Oaks and his companions wave to the crowd as they leave.

That last change is one that I've embraced from the start, although it's a tough one for me, given my social anxiety and fear of rejection. I love the idea that we should be serving each other out of love, as inspired by the Spirit,  with less emphasis on duty and monthly visits and prepared/suggested lessons and checking items off a list. As President Oaks stated, we should focus less on "visits" and more on "results," motivated by love, compassion, and true charity, as directed by the Holy Ghost. He explained that the First Presidency is aware that most wards are struggling to give up the old "report-my-monthly-visits" mindset, and Church leadership is working on ways to guide us into the ministering heart-set. I look forward to it!

It was a wonderful, uplifting meeting, and I left resolved to do a little bit better, one step at a time. I'd like to be as President Oaks described President Nelson, our Prophet: he is "living in crescendo!"

Concert Night

Program and ticket from Sarah's concert yesterday.

September 28, 2019

Yesterday, White Mountain Symphony Orchestra put on two performances, one at 3:00 and the next at 7:00. They'll also be performing in St. Johns on Monday. That meant Sarah got to take a three-day weekend from her job in customer service at Walmart, which made her very happy.

The orchestra's maestro, Ted Vives, takes the stand to begin the concert.

Sarah is visible to the left (third violinist from Vives's elbow).

Mark and I attended the 3:00 concert with Sarah's husband and mother-in-law, Chris and Brenda. We enjoyed the fact that the concert was at Blue Ridge High School, from which all three of my children graduated and where I taught for twenty-seven years. Sarah and I both felt like it was a walk down Memory Lane, even though the Blue Ridge auditorium has been remodeled recently, giving it a feeling of strangeness, as well.

Concert begins with "The Star-spangled Banner" after Posting of the Colors.

I can't remember the last time the WMSO performed at Blue Ridge. The concerts are usually held in Show Low (fifteen minutes away) or Snowflake (thirty-minute drive). It was nice to have it five minutes from home this time. I'm sure their choice of venue was also influenced by the fact that this is Fall Festival weekend here in Pinetop-Lakeside. This means an annual influx of "flatlanders" crowding our highway, restaurants, and shops for three days so they can enjoy autumn's changing of the leaves, a big parade, the Race to the Pines car show (hundreds of beautiful vintage cars), and showings of arts, crafts, and quilts, among other things.

I admit, the increased traffic and crowds can be a major annoyance to those of us who live here. Even so, we remember why we chose to make our homes in this beautiful area, so we understand why they come. Besides, it's a financial boon for our local businesses, and brings in lots of potential concert-goers!

The entire White Mountain Symphony Orchestra on the Blue Ridge stage.

For once, we had a great view of Sarah from our seats and got to enjoy seeing her wield her bow throughout the concert. I was very angry at myself when I realized I'd left my camera at home, so I was unable to get any good pictures of her on stage. I used my cell phone's camera, but it isn't as nice as my Canon. Rather than a sharp image, Sarah's face looks washed out under the stage lights. Sigh.

Virtuoso violinist Theresa Dick performs violin solo from Schindler's List.

Another reason I was upset was because I knew Theresa Dick would be performing and I wanted to film her performance. Theresa has been the orchestra and band director at Blue Ridge for many years--was, in fact, Dylan's teacher in junior high and high school--and was also the maestra of White Mountain Symphony Orchestra for many years before she decided to step down and hand her baton on to Ted Vives. 

Again, I had my cell phone and could have used it to film her, but for some reason my phone won't allow me to download video to my computer. Such a shame. Theresa's performance of the violin solo of the Theme from Schindler's List was simply perfection.

The "Protein Plate" at Darbi's was really quite good. Grilled chicken,

a boiled egg, cottage cheese, and avocado served with salad vegetables.

Sarah had a two-hour break between concerts, so we all piled into my car and went to have an early dinner at Darbi's. It's a good thing we were there before 5:00. The restaurant was already packed when we arrived, but we only had to wait ten minutes to be seated. By the time we left after six o'clock, the waiting area was packed and more people were waiting outside, since the Fall Festival shows had closed for the day to beat the approaching dusk.

As always, it's such a joy to see Sarah share her musical talent and to spend time together!

Major Milestone

Birthday cards for my 65th birthday. I love getting cards!

Most people I know would rather ignore a milestone birthday like their 65th, and possibly even pretend it never happened. My philosophy has always been that I'm going to be a year older whether I acknowledge my birthday or not, so I might as well celebrate, eat cake and ice cream, and gratefully accept lovely well-wishes, cards, and gifts from the people who care about me!

This year, there's a little more to it than simply that sentiment, though. Even more to it than the fact that I'm now eligible to be on a Medicare Advantage plan and save more than $750 per month in insurance costs. You see, I've become aware that it's a real privilege to be sixty-five years old. While it's true that reaching this age hasn't been a smooth ride, and "gettin' old ain't fer sissies," not everyone gets to enjoy this milestone.

My own mother died seventeen years ago, on April 7, 2002 . . . exactly 25 weeks (less than six months) before her 65th birthday. I remember thinking about that back on March 10th, on the day that was exactly 25 weeks before my own 65th birthday, and being hit with the realization of how young my mom really was when she passed away. So I am truly grateful to still be here, healthy and active and privileged to continue to be a presence in my children's lives.

August 29, 2019: Lunch at Mr. Zeke's with my good friend Debbie.

There are so many great people in my life, from my children and their dad, to my siblings and extended family, to wonderful friends, all of whom enrich my world. I received dozens of phone calls (my sister-in-law Dana leading a chorus of nieces singing "Happy Birthday, Aunt Mary" was a definite highlight), texts, Facebook messages, and birthday posts, and each one truly made my day brighter.

The celebrating actually began a few days before my birthday, on Thursday, when my long-time friend Debbie brought me two handmade gifts and took me out to lunch at a relatively new restaurant in our area.  Although Debbie and her husband live in the Valley, they come up to their summer home each year from about late May to late September, and Debbie makes sure we get together a few times every summer.

Beautiful birthday presents from friends.

Debbie made the floral pouch and the fabric-enhanced plate in the above photo. I love them both! The texture of the feather-patterned cloth on the underside of the clear plate just fascinates my fingers, speaking to my tactile-kinesthetic side. The little purse is both pretty and practical, a winning combination for me!

While we visited over lunch, Debbie commented on a small cell phone purse she'd made and how handy it was on a recent cruise. In turn, I mentioned a small backpack I'd bought to carry bare necessities (and ditch my heavy purse) while visiting places like the Renaissance Festival, Las Vegas, and Disneyland. Suddenly, inspiration struck! The new pouch would be perfect to hold small items (lip gloss, credit cards, driver license, etc.) to keep them safe but easy to grab in the bottom of the backpack!

Now, imagine my happy surprise after I got home from lunch, pulled out the backpack, and saw what a perfect match it was to my new pouch (see photo below): both have black backgrounds, green foliage, and pink flowers! Debbie didn't even know how insightful she was in her fabric selections!

They match!

On the day following my lunch with Debbie, I came home from shopping to find a dozen perfect orange roses lying on a table on my porch, a birthday gift from another great friend, Wyndie. The flowers even had that tangy-sweet natural rose scent. I immediately got them into a vase, and I've been enjoying them every day since.

A dozen lovely orange roses were left on the front porch.

The morning of my actual birthday, the First of September, began early with a 6:00 rain shower, which poured down heavily for 15-20 minutes. Early-morning rain is a rarity during monsoon season (when frequent rainstorms occur almost exclusively in the afternoon), and I couldn't help feeling it was a blessing God had sent to favor my birthday with an overwhelming sense of peace and, yes, even joy. I love all types of weather, but rain is one of my top three best-loved (snowfall and lightning storms being second and third). Only steady rain and gently falling snow can fill me with such tranquility.

My annual birthday selfie, a practice I started on my 60th birthday.

After the cleansing rain had finished, I got myself ready for church, then paused to sit in front of the dining room window and take my annual birthday selfie. Yep, right there in the harsh morning light. I'd never taken a selfie before my 60th birthday. I don't remember where we were going, but on my birthday five years ago I was in the car with my son Dylan. Just out of curiosity, I tried out the whole selfie thing, and it was kind of silly-fun . . . although it still feels awkward, trying to fake a natural smile toward an inanimate phone, thinking how foolish I must look. Anyway, it turned out okay, so I've been doing selfies ever since, on my birthdays and on vacations.

Sarah's specialty, her own version of Mexican chicken casserole, was such a

huge hit that this was all that was left of two pans by the end of the evening!

Since Dylan didn't get off work until 7:00, I had the rest of the day after church to relax. I didn't even have to plan or prepare dinner, since Sarah had asked if she could bring us her famous Mexican chicken casserole for dinner. As if she ever has to ask! She and Chris came over around 6:30 and, while she put the pre-made casseroles in the oven, I got the homemade strawberry ice cream ready to go. Soon, Mark had the ice cream freezer going, and it was steadily humming along when Dylan and Jake arrived a few minutes after 7:00.

While we waited for dinner to finish baking, we had a surprise visit from my sweet friend Karen, her husband Joshua, and their youngest son, Spencer, who was in town from college, visiting his parents for the day. We had a short but delightful visit, while Dylan and Spencer got caught up. They were good friends in high school, and they reminisced about the hours and hours they used to spend holed up in "the man cave" (Dylan's bedroom, now my den) playing video games.

September 1, 2019: Opening cards and gifts on my 65th birthday.

Finally, dinner was ready. Sarah and I had planned to make a salad to go with the casserole, but then we decided there was no sense filling up on too much healthy dinner, when so soon after eating it we'd be wanting to fill up on desserts. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Sarah had made two baking dishes of her casserole for just six people, both dishes were very nearly polished off by the end of the evening. It was delicious. Obviously.

A card from Sarah and Chris. Dylan was our photographer.

We just sat and visited for a while after dinner, until Dylan asked, "Is it time to open presents?" So I handed him the camera, someone else handed me the cards and packages, and I plunged in.

Opening Sarah's gift: a Willow Tree figurine for my collection.

Sarah and Chris gave me a new figurine for my Willow Tree collection. This one is called "Butterfly." On the card it reads: "Resilient, determined, courageous and beautiful . . . You have the qualities to transform your world."

Isn't she beautiful? This one is called "Butterfly."

It goes beyond coincidence and into mystic wonders that Sarah chose this particular figurine. Back in May, during my kidney stone issues, I'd wandered into the hospital gift shop to kill some time while waiting for an x-ray. There was a display of Willow Tree figures on a shelf, and I'd been especially drawn to this specific one. In fact, I'd picked it up and commented to the saleslady on how much I liked it. My daughter knows me too well! 

I love how she leans forward, as if to catch the wind.

Dylan got me set up with Photoshop on my computer, which I haven't the slightest idea of how to even begin to use, but he now owes me a crash course in the basics. I'm excited to learn how to utilize it for various projects.

This was my favorite book when I was eleven, in 6th grade (1965-66)!

A week later, Dylan and Jake came over and surprised me with a belated birthday present that Jake had ordered online and finally received. I was stunned when I opened the package (in Star Wars wrapping paper, haha) to find a copy a book called Shadow Castle, which happened to be my absolute favorite in sixth grade. I was deeply touched by Jake's thoughtfulness in choosing this particular gift for me.

At least six months earlier, Jake and I had reminisced about how we'd each learned to love reading when we were young. For me, it was inspired by my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Staub, who read classic children's books (Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, etc.) to our class and truly brought them to life in my mind. My mom never read to us, but she also loved reading and filled our house with books. She allowed me to order from the monthly Arrow Book Club, and I soon had my own little library, including Shadow Castle. I kept that tattered old book for years, but somewhere along the way it disappeared.

I'm so amazed that Jake even recalled that conversation, let alone searched online for a book that I loved 54 years ago, so he could order it for me. Such a sweet thing to do!

Jacob just started a new job so money is tight, although thankfully he didn't fall behind on his bills during the interim. He was unable to join us for our birthday dinner, but he sent me a birthday post on Facebook, and then he called me during our little family party that evening. Connecting with my kids is always a gift.

A practical gift from Mark, and a great idea!

Mark's gift didn't arrive until two days after the party, but it's an awesome product. He'd seen it advertised on television and remembered the website to order from. There's a narrow opening in the dashboard of my car that was a perfect little niche in which to stash my cell phone while driving, back when I had a smaller phone. However, since I upgraded to a newer, larger cell more than a year ago, this phone protrudes farther from the slot and slides all over the place when I make a turn. Sometimes it slides out of its niche altogether and falls to the floor.

This little doodad fits into a cup holder in the center console, and now my phone slides right down into the adjustable slot, held securely in place in whatever position I choose. I don't make calls or text while I drive, but when the phone rings I do want to know who's calling. Then I can determine whether it's imperative to pull over and answer right away, or whether it'll wait until I reach my destination. This way I can know with just a quick glance, hands free. Very useful!

Homemade sugar-free cheesecake with raspberries and chocolate chips.

After the cards and presents were opened, it was time for dessert. I'd baked a cheesecake the previous night, so it was ready to go. All I had to do after church was make and spread the sour cream topping and then dot it with raspberries and sugar-free chocolate chips.

Homemade sugar-free strawberry ice cream, ready to eat. Yum!

Along with the cheesecake, we enjoyed some delicious homemade ice cream. I'm not that big on store-bought ice creams, but I truly crave the homemade variety! It's only 4.5 carbs per half-cup (does anyone ever really eat just a half-cup serving of ice cream?), but it's probably a good thing that we only make homemade ice cream two or three times every summer!

It really was a special day, filled with laughter and warmth and family and friends. There is absolutely no better way to turn 65!

Is there anything more scrumptious than this?