Happy Tuesday, my friends. and Happy Birthday to me! I’ve been showered with wishes all day and it’s been lovely. as were the back to back FaceTimes with Lauren (the friend who moved to Santa Fe in September) and Sara (the five hour time difference is perfect for an early birthday toast). I have a pile of cards, a long list of emails, and so many text messages. Thank you!
I’ve been doing a bit of reflecting these days … as one does … especially as one approaches another milestone birthday … and as much as I wanted to embrace another list like the one I shared last year, the timing just isn’t right. So instead of looking ahead (or looking back), I’m choosing to look at right now. and whoa, y’all. it’s been over a year since I shared a post like this. the timing seems perfect!
Embracing my carefree gray curls. It’s been almost two years since I started the gray … and COVID since I started the curls. I’ve trimmed my bangs a few times (maybe five?) and the back twice. Katie helped once and Marc and I did the second one ourselves. We’ll see where it goes.
Laughing About how quickly Holly learned the sound of the cutting board and the knife. …well once she decided to listen! (pretty sure this is Thank You Marc for showing her that carrots are a Sweet Treat!)
Wearing jeans and some mix of me-mades on the top. I have six pairs of jeans – two blue, two black, two white – and lately it’s been the blues with a black or two (my skinniest pair of black jeans is below the top you see above). Of course I’m not wearing shoes much. It’s still warm enough for flats (bare ankles). I’m going to need to figure out a look for when I need socks.
Eating pizza and caesar salad. because birthday!
Drinking a perfect manhattan. because fall. (also, my version is bourbon not rye and there aren’t any cherries)
Listening to all the seasonally curated playlists on Spotify. Special favorites right now are those from Kendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius) and her sister Hannah Kody. Kendra’s Patreon is totally worth it for the music alone!
Reading more on paper. I do love audiobooks for the knitting, and kindle for capturing the highlights. Paper, though, forces me to focus on the page. and when I’m finished, I can pass the book along to someone else.
Watching The Great British Bakeoff (the latest season is surprisingly good) and The Crown. We re-watched the end of season 3 to remind ourselves where we left off (and oh my goodness Helena Bonham-Carter … and Olivia Colman!!). Season 4 begins tonight!
Needing to devote Real Time to cleaning up/out my craft room before the painting starts. ditto the linen closet and my actual closet.
Wanting to find a way to participate more with Senior Services. I’ve been volunteering for almost two years and I want to make a bigger impact.
Wishing to get some/any sewing mojo back. I have fabric to make tops and tunics and … I keep finding other things to do.
Hoping Sara comes for Christmas.
Wondering just how long it will take Biden’s presidency to take hold. and just how far he can take us.
Practicing tennis. I took a lesson this morning to work on my serve. The pro told me that tennis is 50% in my head and 50% skill. He mostly gave me tips about the head part today. and you know what? it worked. I served better in that lesson than I’ve served the whole time I’ve played (well, since Labor Day) As I was leaving, I saw one of the women on my team (I met her after my match – she was keeping our score) and she was playing a for-fun match with three other women. She introduced me … and then asked if I’d be interested in playing with them. just as a backup. still … she’s seen me play and I was delighted. (birthday gift!)
Planning (gah!) that cleaning up/out time … some this week and some next week.
Saying Thank You to y’all for stopping by. especially if you take the time to comment!
Celebrating the opportunity to make another trip around the sun. with family and friends who love me.
xxoo.
mere-et-filles 
Happy, happy birthday. Your hair is wonderful, your smile too. Thank you for being a place of welcome and encouragement for so many of us!
Happy birthday Mary!! You are beautiful inside and out! I’m so grateful for our friendship, near and far. Love you! Lauren
And here’s to many many more trips around the sun! Thanks for sharing this day with us; next best thing to being there!
CHEERS ~ Friend!
Happy, happy birthday! You look fabulous!
Happy Birthday Mary! You look great in your picture. Your smile gives happiness.
I enjoyed sharing in your reflections on your birthday, Mary. It’s such a neat day of the year to take the time for it…there’s something a little different than how one reflects and projects at the calendar’s new year. Soul-deeper, maybe. Cheers to your Manhattan! (My favorite.) And wishes that your Christmas ‘hope’ comes through.
Happy Birthday, Mary! I think your gray curls are beautiful, just like you are! Thanks for sharing your life with us, I’m so glad to know you!
I am happy to hear that you had a wonderful day! Birthdays seem so anti-climactic this year, so I think it’s important that we find some ways to make them special. I am loving your carefree curls (and wishing I looked as good with short hair).
I hope you had a very Happy Birthday, Mary, and that the next year brings lots of love, health, and happiness. I’m also loving GBBO and I think Season 4 of The Crowm may be the best yet. Every time I got angry at some of the royals’ childishness and entitled behavior, I had to remind myself that this was a series and not a documentary.
Happy Belated Birthday! I Hope your day was marvelous!
And I love a Perfect Manhattan with a bit of lemon zest… mmmm so good! AND!! Your hair looks awesome!
Looks like a wonderful day indeed! Here’s to many, many more. I’m drinking bourbon manhattans too with the bada-bing cherries and a teaspoon of that dark cherry juice included. So delicious on a cold evening. And I’ll be waiting to see what you transition to with the skinny jeans…I’ve been wearing my Allbirds every day but really…I need to up my game at some point!
Wishing you a very happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and wish you the best for the coming year!
Happy Happy Birthday, Mary!! You have a lot going on.
I hope Sara can come home for Christmas, too. My sister won’t be… they’re more worried about travel restrictions amping up and not being able to return to Peru! (Plus it’s a covid cesspool here.) Maddy won’t be, either, but that I already knew.
happy birthday! I hope you get your Christmas wish 🙂
Happy birthday!
Happy Belated Birthday Mary! I’m another one who loves your grey curls. They really are so becoming. sending all good wishes that your Christmas hope comes true. Cheers to another trip around the sun. Wishing you health, happiness and laughter.
I hope you had the happies of birthdays. The gray curls are very flattering. My hair is forever straight so I envy those with curl. May your Christmas wish come true.
Happy Birthday! Your hair is gorgeous – I’m glad you’re embracing it. And I didn’t know you could follow other people on Spotify! What a world we live in!
May this year be full of joy!
I hope you enjoyed every moment of your special day, Mary! (It sounds like you were off to a perfect start.) Although I didn’t make it here to visit on your day, please know I was sending you good wishes! I love your curls – and the gray, of course! So many good things – even though it’s been a different kind of year than any of us would have hoped for/imagined. Here’s to a splendid year ahead. XO
Happy belated birthday!
Here’s to many more birthdays! Almost done with Season 4 of The Crown and boy, not sure what to think-yet, but will be digging deeper into the Thatcher years for sure.
Happy birthday! I hope you have a great year
What a lovely, lovely photo of you! Wishing you lots of happy days to come … Many congrats on your tennis abilities – that must feel very affirming :). Hoping that Sara makes it home for Christmas … And hoping that Biden’s administration is allowed to function properly and is not sandbagged all the time by the opposition.