Today, I Am 60

Today I'm officially 60, have been for the last 2 days. I turned the big 6-0 Feb. 1st. I was born at 11:55 pm. and I will say, I'm grateful my mother made that extra little effort so as I wouldn't have to deal with all the "ground hog" jokes. So how do I feel being a 60 year old lady, well, don't feel much different as when I was 59 on Tues.

I asked myself this morning, "What have you learned in your 60 years of life, you bonehead?" Well, then I was hit with some Zen kind of feelings, it's not what I've learned, but how much more stuff will I learn??? Well, that's easy, I want to learn as much stuff as I can. Many years ago, in my senior year of high school, I read "The Once & Future King," by T.H. White. I recall a particular conversation Merlin (the magician) was having with his young student, Aurthur and the quote just stuck with me, well, ok, I had to look it up in my book of "quotes," a hobby of mine. So here it is:

"You may grow old and treading in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for them--to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting."

So I took that as a sign, eventually, to begin my journey to learn "how the world wags." I've hit many walls in this life's venture, but who hasn't. I've been disappointed by many, but also loved by many and I have to say, it's been a great ride. Like Merlin said, can't regret it.

Another thing I've learned is that the older I get, the baser my sense of humour has become, or is it due to four grandsons??? There all about boogers, farts, and all that is just plain disgusting about human bodily functions, but I find it hilarious!! Although, I come from a family who used to discuss their morning constitutions. I recall my now ex was visiting me, was during our courtship days, and my maternal grandparents, aunt, uncle, and my parents were discussing "poop." I had to translate and I didn't think anything about it...hey, I grew up with this, so I felt no shame or embarrassment. Later on he told me he had never known such a "shit conscious" family!! LOL However, I didn't carry this into my own family but my kids grew up hearing their grandparents talk about it, so again, the legacy continues.

Another thing that I like about getting older is that you just don't give a flip about what people think, at least I don't. I see these young women trying so hard and I feel like shaking them and telling them to stop it!! But like I told my mother, once, "Mom, give me the chance to grow and get to where you are, but for now, I'm doing it my way!" She would tell me how I shouldn't fret about certain things and I was a young woman, with little ones. Not that I was one who ever needed to compete with the "Jones', " hardly! But I had to go through the regular stuff and since I was married to a dentist, well, there were certain social hoops I had to jump...and hated every second of it. I didn't attend many of their luncheons. As a mutual friend of mine who was in the same situation said, she had better things to do than show off the newest fashions and listen to speakers tell us on how to care for our diamonds...what diamonds!!?? LOL Not all of them were snobs, but a good proportion of them were. I didn't have hot and cold running grandparents who readily took care of my children at a minutes notice or even a months notice, so I had a very good excuse not attending. I was asked once by the newly elected president of the local dental assoc. wives club to sponser a luncheon and I groaned and she knew it, but she said she depended on me to come up with something fabulous and I did. Back then, my dear friend was a local fashion designer and model, so I got her to do a fashion show for me, using some of the members, which I personally liked, to be models, another friend who designed jewelry to accessorize the clothes and the lunch was catered by a very trendy eatery which was partly owned by another high school buddy. I had it at the presidents new house; she wanted to show it off without having an open-house!! LOL They talked about that luncheon way after I stopped attending, after Ian's birth.

This weekend we'll be celebrating the 60th b-day since my hubby is currently in Albuquerque, NM taking a continuing ed. course to keep up with his aborist certification...he returns tonight. Then there's Super Bowel (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose) Sunday. Personally, I don't watch football and the Super Bowl is no exception. I do like the commercials...miss those really funny Bud commercials...the parrots, frogs, iguanas, etc. I love the E-Trade babies....so funny. Well, this year, I don't think I'll be attending any party. My hubby wants to see it over at a our friends house, but there will be to many smokers, don't think I'll be able to handle that...been there, done that. Traditionally, we've always gone to my friends house where I catch up with other friends...only time I see them, but the hubby wants to do something different, so I've decided, I will too. I will take Ian back to his father's at 3, swing over to my friend's house for a bite and some visiting, then come home and maybe do a Red Box movie. Now that's my kind of Super Bowl Sunday!! LOL

Before I depart, I wanted to show you a couple of things I've done. I made this doll for the Mixed Media Artists exchange, but I haven't heard from my partner yet and if not, it's going up on the selling block. The Virgen de Guadalupe is for the Blue Heart Campaign, an organization sponsored by the UN which is against human trafficking. The wonderful ladies that I sell my work in Ruidoso, NM are sponsoring an auction and I volunteered to send them one of my paintings.

This little guy is called, "Corazon Espinado," or thorned heart, but since I have no thorns growing anywhere in my neighborhood, I used nails!

My auction offering.

I also made a clock similar to the larger one I made for another auction for Xico, Inc. She's smaller than the original one and had lots of fun making her.



For those of you who have been asking about my little Zoe (umlaut on the e), she's doing great. She's been home for a while now, is getting used to the sounds and smells of 4 brothers, a dog and a nasty cat, and of course, two very doting parents and come May 2nd, a very doting Meema. Here she is, sent to me on my birthday. My little girl all in pink!!


Well, folks, hope you all have a wonderful weekend, have fun, relax, chill out, tune out and whatever else the late Timothy Leary said!! Peace out.