Happy Birthday, Barbara!

Today is Monday, September 1, 2008. And it is my birthday! The sun is shining and there is a nice breeze. It is pleasantly warm in Sacramento, California.
The month of August just went whizzing by. We took a little trip up to Seattle to visit our youngest daughter, her hubby, and two of our darling grandsons. We had a great time and they live in a beautiful setting. There are houses close by but you hardly even notice them because of the big trees. It's a great place.
We did several other interesting things during August. We went to the California State Fair. That is a yearly tradition. This year was a bit harder for me because of my knee surgery but I got to look at most everything I wanted to see. I took my walker just to be sure I could steady myself. The county exhibits this year were especially outstanding. There was a Hollywood theme. One of my favorites was Yolo County. "Follow the YOLO brick road." Of course, they had animated characters from The Wizard of Oz. I had to laugh because when we first moved to this area we heard lots of information about the Yolo causeway. We could never figure out why they referred to it as the "yellow causeway." That's what we thought people were saying. Then we found out about Yolo County and figured it all out. To have the display play on our first experience with Yolo and Yellow just ticked my funnybone. And I survived the walking around. I was very tired but I think it might have helped my knee, all the walking.
And so here it is - my 71st birthday. Compared to some of my very dear friends that is young. In our Church there is one very dear lady who is now 90 and I just don't think I will ever be as spry at 90 as she is. Oh well! I'm glad to do what I can do.
I got to thinking about when I was born. Of course, I don't remember anything about that day. But my mother told me that I was the first baby in the new hospital in Lamar, Missouri. I wasn't born in the new hospital. I was taken there after my birth along with her. And then I got to wondering, was the old hospital close enough that they just took us over, walking, or did we ride? I don't know. I never asked Mother that question. I never really thought about it until now.
I got to thinking about birthdays I can remember. I know I always wanted to have a birthday party. A lot of my friends had a birthday party every year. When I was 11 Mother said I could have a party and invite some friends. I was excited. I don't remember anything about the party but I was happy not to have another one. I had more fun with just Mother and Grandma on my birthday.
Mom always baked me a cake with caramel frosting. She was always embarrassed because the frosting didn't stay soft. It got hard as a rock and I could crack it off the cake and eat it like candy. I thought it was the most wonderful frosting I had ever tasted. Brown sugar candy it was more than frosting. I remember one year after I was married I begged Mother to make that kind of frosting for my cake. "That old failure, that's what you want?" Yes, sir, that's what I wanted.
My most memorable birthday present was our fifth child, a boy, born on my birthday. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the hospital. Glen went next door to get my mother to watch the other children. She came in carrying a birthday cake for me with lighted candles. What a kick!
Birthdays are fun. I've had my first birthday present today. Our youngest son is going to make a bid for me on eBay. We did all the transacting over the phone while both of us had our computers going. I am still learning about eBay and he already has an account. It's easier for him to just do it than to spend the time trying to teach me. I'll see what I can figure out on my own bit by bit. What an age we live in! I just wish that I had a Blue Tooth (or whatever they are all called) and I didn't have to hold that phone up to my ear.
Three of our daughters and our daughter-in-law ( I call her our daughter, too) are making dinner for us all tonight. It will be a fun family party. They always are. I will insist on 71 candles on my cake.
That's all for today.