Today I had the most wonderful surprise.

I had to come in to work long before the sun came up and I was feeling pretty miserable about that since the one thing I love to do on my birthday is sleep in. Tough to do on a weekday, to be sure, but I would have been thrilled to roll out of bed at 8am. Alas, that was not to be today.

However, at 9:45 this morning, a delivery came to the door for me.

I long white box of a certain style that can only mean one thing...ROSES!! My DH sent me a dozen long-stem red roses for my birthday.

I've also had calls and visits from family and friends scattered over the course of the day and shortly, I will be going out with said DH for dinner at a surprise restaurant.

Yes, there. I said it. Today is my birthday. I'm officially 29 and holding strong. Just like I have been for the past 4 years.

I was talking with a co-worker late last week, while we were still in the grips of unseasonably mild temps, and I told her that we would have an ice storm next Wednesday (today). Of course, she thought I was off my rocker, but it's like death and taxes. Either on, or very close to my birthday, there is an ice storm every year.

Guess what we got on Monday. Yup. An ice storm. Although today was nice and sunny and milder than recent days, there was still a lot of ice everywhere to contend with. Frozen vehicles, icy sideroads, power crews still out fixing damaged lines. I hate to say I told you so. But, "I told you so!".

The other thing I've been doing recently is reflecting on past birthdays. There were a lot of great ones and a few not so great. One of the more memorable now is one that I was less than thrilled with at the time. I think I was about 13 or 14 and my birthday was on a weekday so I would have had to go to school. Well, I would have, had I been able to get out of the house.

We'd had an ice storm (naturally) the night before and not only were the buses cancelled, but we couldn't even get out of the house as the front door was frozen solid. This also meant that my mom wasn't able to get out to pick up the cake she'd ordered from the Orono Bakery for dinner that night.

That night for supper, I had caesar salad with a candle poked precariously in the middle of it for my birthday feast. Admittedly, I was less than impressed at the time, but I gotta give kudos to my mom who made do as best she could with what was on hand.

Thanks for the amazing memory, mom!

Not that I didn't already have enough on my plate right now, but I volunteered to design the logo for the NECC Specialy this summer.

The NECC (Norwegian Elkhound Club of Canada) hosts a specialty every other year and this is the second time I've done the logo for the event (although the first time it was for a regional club called ONE - Ontario Norwegian Elkhounders).

This is one of the elements I incorporated into the final image.

The executive asked for a logo that encompassed all of the events that the dogs would be competing in at the specialty; obedience, conformation and agility...AND they wanted one on a mountie's horse wearing a mounties hat!

Here's the final logo that will be printed on literature promoting the event, t-shirts, mugs, etc...

A certain special someone is celebrating a milestone event today...



40 Isn't So Bad!

1. Getting old is now chick. The rustic look is in.
2. Remember, the tea kettle still whistles at you.
3. You'll still get a little action when your prune juice starts working.
4. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
5. Senility is a good thing. You're always meeting new friends.
6. You're now somewhere between the Young and the Restless and the Old and the Senseless.
7. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
8. You can now quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
9. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
10. Wrinkles are just antique smiles. You're very valuable.
11. At your age, you've seen it all, done it all and heard it all. Luckily you can't remember most of it.
12. Just because you're getting older that doesn't mean you have to grow up.
13. One good thing about forgetting is that you can no longer worry about whatever it was you forgot.
14. Look on the bright side. At least wrinkles don't hurt. Unless you trip over them!
15. Middle age is all the rage.
16. Age isn't important unless you're cheese or wine.
17. You're aged to perfection!
18. At least it is a hill and not a mountain.
19. Hang in there, retirement is only 25 years away!
20. Finally things will start clicking for you. . . your back, neck, elbows, knees.
21. Now you start thinking about the hereafter... you go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what am I here after!
22. Forty is not old – if you’re a California Redwood.
23. Now it's early to bed, early to rise, 'til you get so old you have to do otherwise.
24. You don't need to avoid temptation. It now avoids you.
25. You don't have to worry about the police telling you to slow down now, just the doctor.
26. You're just 18 with 22 years experience.
27. Age doesn't matter. It's ugly you have to watch out for.
28. You're entering the metallic years: Silver in your hair, gold in your teeth and lead in your bottom.
29. Don't worry about senility. When it hits you, you won't know it.
30. Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
31. Hang on! You've reached that age when everything either wears out, spreads out or falls out.
32. Old age and treachery easily beat out youth and vigor any day.
33. You're not old. You just became a classic.
34. Your belt may not buckle but your knees will.
35. Your actions now creak louder than words.
36. Like a prune, you are not getting any better looking, but you are getting sweeter.
37. No more health foods. You now need all the preservatives you can get.
38. Be nice to your kids. They pick your nursing home.
39. You're not old. You're vintage!
40. You are only old once -- enjoy it!

Many happy returns of the day, H!

Love ya!
P.

Synchronized swimming...swan style!

I only wish I'd been on the other bank for this...

Gettin' me an edumacashun...



Well, not in the literary sense, at least. I took a 4 hour photography course today to learn more advanced features on my new toy, a Canon digital Rebel XTi. Learned lots of new things, however, BEFORE going to the class, I met Jane at our local nature haunt, Lynde Shores, for a brief foray and took some of these.

It couldn't have been a nicer day today (considering that it's the "middle" of winter!) for being outside taking photos...unless perhaps we could have had a bit more sun. It was a bit overcast earlier this morning.

I wish it hadn't have been dark when the class finished. I would have loved to go back and take more photos and incorporate some of what I had just learned.

I think I will wait until we actually have some snow before I go again. Even though it is the 7th of January today, there were lots of tiny green things growing - fiddle head ferns, grasses, moss, etc...but overall the area is still very drab and brown. The last two times I've been look very much the same, even though we found another entrance into the area that has paths that take you right to the shores of Lake Ontario this time, which was a pleasant discovery.

January 1, 2007 - above is our annual photo of Quinn (almost 4yrs), Monty (8 3/4yrs) & Thor (8 1/2yrs).

More holiday updates to come. I'm still in relax mode which means I'm not allowed to be here at the computer!! Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season!