The Fifth Day of Christmas: Happy Birthday

Me, 1951, at my grandparents' house in Elkhorn

Me again, on the farm, 1958

Today is beautiful. We received fives inches of snow that fell in fat puffy flakes all yesterday, and this morning the maples, oaks and pines in our neighborhood are wearing coats of white down.

It's my 57th birthday. The pictures are of my first birthday at my grandparents' house in Elkhorn, and of my seventh birthday at the farm. Today my aunt called to wish me well. A friend sent me an electronic card with kittens singing "Happy Birthday", and several others sent snail mail birthday cards. My husband gave me a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream (I love it in coffee); and I made myself a batch of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

I have never liked having my birthday fall between Christmas and New Year. Actually, I was due on Groundhog Day, 1951, but I came early. Mother says it was because she had a baby shower on December 28th, and she had to dig the car out of a snowdrift to get to the party. She went to the hospital that evening, and I was born after midnight. Anyway, my gifts were received all in one week, and the emphasis was always on warm clothing. Socks. Sweaters. Boots. Once I was old enough to have some say in it I usually had Mother promise not to wrap my present in Christmas paper, and I always had us move to a room without a Christmas tree for gift opening. Today it would be present enough to have her back to tell me the story of my early arrival one more time.