Birthday Wishes

Two days ago was my 60th birthday. You might think that was a cause for second thoughts and wish-I-hads but not so. The celebrations started the day before with a car trip to Lake Huron with my best friend, to whom I've been married for 40 years. I think I might have mentioned him before. Ha Ha. We left about 9 in the morning and wound our way over back roads--paved, of course--to one little village after another. We discovered Seaforth's quaint main street and lovely sunken lawn bowling green, searching out where my brother lives at the moment. Our plan to surprise him was thwarted as he wasn't there but his girlfriend was pretty surprised to make our acquaintance. The neat thing was how we found her. We knew her name was Liz, that she had a store on the main street and that she lived above it. A couple of queries in stores and we knew exactly where to go. Joys of a small town!

Then we went on to Bayfield, renowned for its shady main street of shops set back from the road, overhung with lovely trees. Even the walks are not city sidewalks but are gravel paths wandering from one shop to another. And the soft lake breezes keep it pretty cool. There are many different shops there from eclectic clothing to china to antiques but our favourite is one which has lovely glass in it. The two floors are a trip to a glass art gallery with beautiful pieces at every turn. I particularly liked the human body ones done in different muted shades and stretched this way and that. Beautiful. (But I don't want them! Gone are my days of buying everything in sight. Now I just look and love but don't buy.)

We had packed a lunch which we took to the newly renovated park. Lovely to munch away on fresh ham and cheese sandwiches and lots of melon and blueberries. Yummy. Amd as we ate we could watch the action. There was a family playing catch on the ball diamond, a mom was helping her little one learn to use the slide, and the band shell was sitting waiting for its next concert.

After finishing our lunch we did the rest of the shops and then headed for Goderich to their unique museum. From the selection of toilets through the years to the real-life steam engine around which the museum had been built, the display was excellent. I so like seeing things displayed how they might have been used. The Victorian home was one such display with its parlor filled with furniture and fittings of the day. That kind of museum makes history much more relevant to me.

We continued our journey up the Blue Water Highway towards Kincardine but had to take a detour around some road construction. This took us off the main road and added some miles to our journey but we were happy to get a close-up of the huge windmills constructed for hydro-electric purposes and the farms not normally part of the trip.

Once back on the highway we watched for the turn-off to the lake road and found it after a few mistakes. Of course the mistakes were the best part as we got to drive by many lovely cottage properties, new and old, and to soak up that relaxed cottage life. Finally we reached Kincardine and got reacquainted with hubby's old house where he lived as a boy, the 'new' school built after the fire he remembers running from in the old school, the movie theatre where he saw so many Saturday afternoon matinees--it's still running!--and the main street with its welcoming flower baskets and variety of shops. We decided not to stay for the traditional Saturday night pipe band parade as we have done this a few times already. It was time to turn the car south and head for home.

We made for Stratford and had a superb Chinese buffet, well worth waiting for. Then it was off again for the last hour home over lovely empty paved back roads, through the greens and golds of an Ontario farm summer, all the while talking and planning as we always do when we're in the car. It was a great day.

And, yet, my birthday celebration wasn't over. On Sunday morning hubby gave me two very thoughtful gift certificates: one, a membership to the local gym, and the other, a trip to a relaxation spa nearby. Some people might think the gym membership was a bit of a slap in the face but hubby listens to me and knows that I really want to shape up this 60-year-old body of mine. Gotta love that boy!

As the actual day progressed many phone calls came in wishing me well and I had a lovely time. Son and daughter-in-law came for barbecued chicken and a swim. A great day. But I haven't mentioned the most interesting part of the day. In the morning my son sat with us and we brain-stormed ideas for revitalizing our Classroom Puzzlers business. I was very excited by the ideas we came up with and even more blown away by the fact that on my 60th birthday, we were still going strong. Great stuff!

And so, you think, the birthday is over. Not so much. Monday, the doorbell rang and we opened it to a little girl standing on our step with a card. When I looked at the car, there was my very good friend who had brought her granddaughter. What a pair of sweeties!

Finally, hubby was waved down at the end of our street by people we know who gave him a card for me. It was looking a little the worse for its trip to me. These folks had found it on the road, obviously run over, opened it, seen my first name and the first name of my friend who had written it, and figured out the card was for me. Small town living at its best!

My birthday is over for another year but what a great time it was. I am reminded of people who care about me, from those closest to mere acquaintances. Life is great. Here's to another sixty, just like the first.