Happy Birthday to me!!

Minestrone-faced Liam. He knows he has to be quick at the draw to get his fair share.

Today my Birthday started with an unexpected...SPLASH... Yes I said splash .. !! I was in my tracksuit (sweats) and my lovely lambs wool slippers (which give me great joy ... and warm feet...usually) with my hands braving the icy water as I cleaned the skimmer and the kreepy krawly that have been diligently collecting leaves on these breezy Autumn days. Then, noting that I still had a few minutes to spare before Storytime at Borders... I enthusiastically began scooping the blanket of leaves lining the deep end of the pool. Liam was close on my heels and as surprised as I was when I lost my balance and fell, in what seemed like slow motion, right into the deep end. I couldn't stop laughing out loud as I dragged myself from cold water. Liam, who had started to cry from fright, stopped and studied my reaction intently. I stripped my dripping clothes and puddle filled slippers off at the side of the pool .... grateful again for the privacy of our back yard... and continued to laugh as I did a little more scooping of leaves. I was thinking this was a good time (seeing as there was no way I was going to scoop after a warm shower and in dry clothes). At this point, Liam caught the joke and started laughing as he watched me. I think I added a few years to both of our lives with all the laughing we did .... so my present to me: I guess a few more birthdays:)

My neighbour, Susan, made me a cake. Actually it ended up being a neighbourhood effort, as a number of people on the street happened to drop by her house and assist.... and at 530 this evening there were 8 people singing happy birthday at the door! Very sweet!

Kurt brought those beautiful flowers home for me - I LOVE them - they will make me happy for weeks to come...