September 17th is my official birthday, although I celebrate it with my friends before my birthday and after my birthday. Some make birthday resolutions. Others hide from the day because it is one more candle on the cake. Who wants to age past 29?
This year is my 49th birthday. Age never bothered me since I never paid attention to it. If I am slowing down it’s because I have not taken care of myself like I should. I have cut back on my exercising, starting eating wheat again, and diet coke has crept back into my life.
Next year is the big one. 50. For those of you who are younger than me, I think turning 50 will be so much scarier than turning 30 was. Next year, I will have a child in college with another one on the way. Where did life go? So, if I can give advice to those younger than me, it would be to slow down and enjoy the moment.
When you have four children, work, and take care of a home, days and weeks just fly. Over the years, I have tried to rein in the amount of sports and activities my kids did because it consumed our family life. Of course, my kids never understood because they would rather play ball then go on a family hike or adventure. Going to a museum? No way. I regret that I did not start taking them when they were younger. Perhaps it would have ended the same way with my kids running the minute I mentioned doing any of the above.
So, this is my last year in my forties. Will everything start falling apart in my fifties? Will I view it as just another couple of years? Will I look like my parents did in their fifties?
When I turned forty, I had a huge party and invited all my friends. Everyone was having parties. It was a fun thing to do. 40 is the new 30 I would hear. But now as I am turning 50 next year, I noticed that fewer of my friends are having parties. What changed?
So as I approach this last year in my forties, what would I like to do this year?
1. I would like to go back to my exercise regimen where I did something 5 days a week. I have a lot of great clothes in my closet that I can’t wear because I gained weight.
2. I used to horseback ride. I stopped doing this. It was fun except when the horse liked to step on my foot.
3. I have been working on making cushions for my upstairs for THREE years!!! I do a little and then I stop.
4. I would like to spend less time blogging and have more people visit my blog without the late night efforts I put in.
5. I have to pass the LEED exam to become a LEED expert. When I went to the class, I thought, this is going to be easy. My house is practically built using the same standards. How different can commerical construction be? I had a 400 page book to read (which I finally finished) and thought it was easier to take the law bar exam. There is so much detail and little picky things to learn, I am not looking forward to this exam. I haven’t studied for anything in at least 20 years.
6. Spend more time with my family. I don’t get to see my relatives very much since they live far away. My kids don’t get the benefit of living near their cousins and growing up with them. Everyone has a great time when we are together but with busy schedules and costs of gasoline and flights, it is harder and harder to see everyone. We tend to see everyone when there is a party or a death. This is so sad.
7. Spend quality time in my garden. I wish my kids would garden with me but they just think it is a chore. I have mentioned it many times that it blows my mind when I watch the bees at work. Crickets jump around the beds to avoid me. Butterflies hover over my heads as I weed. Mother Nature is an amazing woman.
I would love to partner up with someone who will cook what I grow. I don’t like to cook and tend to eat veggies right off the vine in my garden. I only love to grow plants. My husband will cook but he is not into taking my herbs and veggies and doing something special with them. Perhaps I should move to a co-op?
So, hear are my question for you, my readers:
Treat me like an old friend. What would you wish me for my birthday year?
AND What would you wish for yourself if it was your birthday?
If you don’t want to respond to my question, just wish me a happy birthday. What a great birthday gift.
Photo by Ishikawa Ken .
Hyla says
Happy Birthday! That cake looks so yummy! I wish that the fairies will find you when you are out in your garden so you will not be alone when you are enjoying being with nature!
Hmmm, well I am 24 and I will be 25 next year, I have three kids, two of which are in diapers. My wish would be for them both to be out of diapers! That would be sooo fabulous!
Happy Birthday again!
~Hyla
http://earthyfinds.blogspot.com
Hylas last blog post..Ecotricity
Stef says
Well Happy Birthday!
My wish for you: I really hope you get to spend more time with your family. My family gets together for parties, funerals, weddings also, but you could always just make up a reason to get together. Just say “Hey, let’s celebrate May!” or something like that.
Wish you luck!
MamaBird/SurelyYouNest says
Happy Birthday! I wish for you: time to spend with loved ones (far and near), horseback riding (also exercise! bonus), and maybe a cooking class. Just cause I love cooking. For me? I would love to have your garden’s bounty to cook with! I will say that altho your kids may never treasure it the way you do, allow them time to come back to the things you’ve taught them to value. Now might not be the time they appreciate that bee buzzing.
Larissa says
Happy Birthday! My wishes for you: create excuses to start parties with family and friends at your house, start a fruit and veggie gardening club where you exchange food and help each other out in your yards, and I think the co-op idea is fantastic. Here in CA, you can hire personal chefs who will pick your garden food and create fantastic, healthy dishes. If you create a co-op, perhaps you supply the garden treasures and they cook it up for both your families? Take good care, Larissa
Green Talk says
Great idea. PS how are your apple trees coming along this year? Anna
Larissa says
They’ve been better this year. I’m about to start picking grapes, so I’m really excited about that. 🙂 How are yours?
Green Talk says
They are mere twigs right now. I am probably going to have to fence around them because I think the deers are nipping at them. Right now they are enclosed in a 4 foot circular fence. I swear my yard is just like a refrig for all of wildlife. I would like to grow grapes (table top grapes for eating not wine.) Any suggestions and where can I find organic ones? Anna
Larissa says
I got mine locally years ago. When I can’t find what I want locally, which I usually can, I’ve ordered from this site: http://www.seedsofchange.com/g....._no=S17329
It seems that you need to order early while supplies last, but they are certified organic. I’m particularly happy with the strawberry crowns I got from them.
Here are a couple others to check out:
http://www.groworganic.com/sea.....ry=catalog
http://www.organicgardening.co.....04,00.html
They are such a treat when you grow them at home. It’s like the difference between home-grown tomatoes and store bought ones.
You should check out the growing zone to see which ones will thrive in your neck of the woods. I live in CA, so grapes are very easy to grow.
My tomatoes are on their way out, so I’m thinking about rotating the crop. Maybe some greens. Any suggestions from anyone?
Larissa
Green Talk says
Try Broccoli, peas, beets, carrots, or turnips. Just check the growing period and frost dates. I am pretty late right now to grow anything for the Fall. I might try lettuce since my spring one went to seed. So, now it is just bitter. Anna
Larissa says
Thanks! I heard home-grown carrots are delicious. Broccoli and beets sound good too.
Kathy G says
Anna,
I wish for you a birthday of complete and total fulfillment: love, laughter, good health and the kind of happiness you feel when you dance with your sister….even thought you can’t be with her as often as both of you would like!
KG
Mother Earth says
I missed this post, how did I do that? belated blessings to you Anna on the special day that was the day the earth found you …I wish for you to tackle that list of yours with earnest – perhaps I can help. I wish for you to embrace getting older as the gift I feel it is – when I turn 50 in 2 yrs I hope to be in italy – i forsee my 50’s to be my best decade yet
Neeraj Kaushik@Table Top Leatherhead says
I wish you, great fifties. I wish you will enjoy your age in fifties more than you are enjoying in forties.
Joseph moranda says
Nice Articale i bookmarked it ! Keep it Up. But consider it as work not a burdon must care about your love ones and spend time with them.