Saturday, August 23, 2008

the best of times

Stu has kindly been telling people I'm celebrating my "20 x 2" birthday. It's sweet, and just hearing the "She's twenty..." part lightens me; I tune out the rest.

But the fact is I have lived through four decades and they have been fantastic. Here are some personal highlights:

Decade the First:
  • Going to Disneyland with my grandparents when I turned 5
  • Loving kindergarten wholeheartedly, even though it was where I learned left-handers are a minority (only one pair of the green rubber-gripped scissors in the room; bumping into classmates's arms when we drew letters in the air)
  • Gaining a superb dad
  • My sister entering the world

Decade Two:

  • Playing clarinet in an award-winning junior high band (Shut up, I was still cool)
  • Going to 3 World Fairs - Spokane, Knoxville, Vancouver B.C.
  • Acquiring a Canadian boyfriend
  • Wild [for me] times at Washington State University
  • Seeing Roy Orbison and INXS in concert
  • Meeting my man

Decade the Third:

  • First grey hairs appear; coloring frenzy begins
  • Graduating WSU, despite wild times
  • Marrying my man
  • Teaching at a middle school & a group home for adjudicated youth
  • Three whirlwind days in London
  • Seeing Harry Connick Jr. in concert [TWICE!]
  • Giving birth to this brilliant kid

Decade Four:

Life is good.