The Day After

I made it through the birthday. I'm getting to the age that each
anniversary of my birth comes as a bit of a surprise. Hey, I made it?
And then I go about doing what needs to be done and wondering, just a
little, if there will be another. That may sound fatalistic but as
those of my generation begin to be names in the obituary column is is
just realistic. We all gotta go eventually, despite vitamins, knee
surgery, jogging, and facelifts.

Sixty-TWO (not three!) was a good birthday. Any grandma who begins
the annual celebration with "Happy Birthday" sung by an enthusiastic
three-year old who is delighted to do the duty of candle blowing for
her is fortunate. The cake, baked by my daughter, was delicious and
eaten in good company. Cards and phone calls from those dear to my
heart are the gifts most precious and I had those in abundance. If an
old dame can glow with happiness, I lit up the sky yesterday.

Docenting for the gray whale migration was a perfect birthday
activity though as usual all that fresh air made me sleepy and I had
to fight off a vicious nap attack in the afternoon. The evening was
spent watching and encouraging, even helping a bit though I know from
experience to restrain myself, my husband assemble the new media
cabinet. I'm actually looking forward to the process of "musical
furniture" yet to come as this replaces that which then moves to
replace that other thing. More on that later?

And so on to today. Another day out scanning the ocean for whales
blows and very likely another afternoon where a nap seems imminent.
This evening at 8:30pm we will join the planet girdling LIGHTS OUT -
for Earth Hour < www.earthhour.org> and I will spend the time in the
dark thinking about the planet, about the beauty we have here and its
potential for loss.