Yesterday was a perfect birthday. Waiting for me outside when I opened the door were mums from my dear friends Tony and Clare. What day doesn’t bring wonder when it starts with flowers? After that, the present which had been sitting where I could see it for a few days finally got opened. I loved it. My sisters called in the morning and one of them sang a bit. I had my usual Wednesday dinner with friends, and it was ribs, one of all time favorites. I got a cake, more presents and a rendition of Happy Birthday. The evening ended with a very funny play. My birthday continues with dinner tonight and tomorrow night! I love an endless celebration.

I have strange random thoughts bouncing around in my head today, and that’s what you’re going to get. It occurred to me that one of the changes over time is that men and women shake hands. When I was a kid, only men shook hands with each other. Women sometimes clasped each others’ hands, but they didn’t shake hands with men.

I don’t like hats all that much except at a baseball game in the sun, but strangely enough I look good in hats. I collect them, and I wear a few more for laughs than chic or fashion. My pink one is from the fifties. I should have a waist small enough for my hands to go around, tall heels with straps and a swanky dress when I wear it. It is hanging from the shelf right next to the fedora. They seemed the most natural pair.

Train travel is one of my favorite ways to get from one place to another, but I haven’t traveled by train in years. In Europe I have crossed the continent by train and gone from the coast of Finland to Lapland, and I got to sleep in a couchette. In South America I went a good portion of Ecuador on an auto-bus. Ghana used to have a great train system, and I usually traveled from Accra to Kumasi by train. Once I took the sleeper from Kumasi to Takoradi. On my yet to do list is to take a train to Colorado or as as close as I can get to visit my sister. I want to go across country with Ricky, Lucy, Ethel and Fred.

Houses should be built with porches. That way we get to wave at our neighbors and enjoy the swing. Every Sunday Andy, Aunt Bea and Barney sat on the porch after dinner. Aunt Bea rocked, Andy sang and Barney fell asleep. We lose touch with people when we stay hidden in the back on our decks. I do love my deck, but I also think I’d love a porch. After he retired, my dad used to sit on the front steps and drink his coffee during the nicer seasons. Everybody waved from cars and people wished him good morning when they walked by his house. That was his version of a porch.

When my sister was coming east from Colorado to visit, she never started the countdown until a week before her trip, but she came fairly often when the kids were young. I am not so patient. It has been forty years so I have started the countdown. Nine days to go!