Yesterday was my 4 dozenth birthday and you know what they say…

Anyway, so basically I had a super freaking fab day! M&M came home Thursday night and the fam and I hung out listening to Over the Rhine’s new album on the record player and sipped on wine, while waiting for the clock to strike my birthday.

Midnight is when we open gifts at the Evanshire. This is a brilliant rule the Redheads and I invented because why wait till morning when we could be sleeping in then? I got a writing desk which I happen to be writing on right now. It right next to my nightstand. That way, I don’t have too far to fall out of the bed whenever I wake up in the middle of the night with stuff to write down before I fall back asleep and forget.

Friday was a beautiful lazy day. First order of business: I slept in. Amanda and Gary made me Highlander Grog coffee and a pumpkin muffin for breakfast. Dave put my desk together before he had to go in to work for a bit. I got to spend some time breaking it in, writing a bit, and reading all the fun Facebook birthday love I got! The Redheads and I spent the afternoon garage sale-ing in the neighborhood, had a ball, and found a lot of cool stuff. We crashed a little for awhile and laughed our butts off watching the new Parks and Rec season premiere. Then we went to Melting Pot for dinner. If fun-due doesn’t say happy freaking fabulous birthday celebration, I seriously don’t know what does.

And I feel like I have so freaking ridiculous much to celebrate, just being here, and getting to be 4 dozen and all. The Joules Energizer bunny just seems to keep going and going… where she stops, nobody knows.

Meanwhile, this blue marble has been my surfboard around the sunshine for 17,533 days!

I thought about counting the blessings of those 17,533 beautiful days. But then I decided that might be a wee bit too taxing on your patience, not to mention my attention span…

Instead, I decided to bring back an old school tradition that I’ve been missing like crazy (but haven’t kept up with ever since I got sick) and wrote a birthday sonnet. I love writing sonnets. A book of my poetry has always been on my list. So even though I’m neck deep in two other book projects, my 4 dozenth birthday seemed like a good day as any to kick that project back into gear.

 SONNET # 4-DOZENTH

It’s been awhile since I’ve busted out rhymes-

My birthday dance, laying down 14 dimes

Like all the pretty candles on my cake—

They Twinkle, illuminate wishes. I make.

Wishes, that is, not the cake. I. don’t. bake.

My angel named Gigi used to pray. And make

The cake (out of  food like the angels eat)

No icing required—’twas Goldilocks-sweet

Says the girl with yellow hair, an angel

Wrapped round her pinky, and a wish dangling

In a thought bubble only I can see

And Jiminy Cricket is singing to me.

Now I blow out candles with my eyes open

But I believe that little girl keeps hoping.