F*CK IT I’M FIFTY!
February 28th, 2007

WOW! That felt good. Do you know how long 50 years is? It's very long! Finally I can be the free wheeling woman I’ve kept locked up for years. Biting your tongue can be painful. Turning fifty is liberating, not to mention that I can save my tongue for more biting tasks. One that comes to mind is sarcasm. I am a product of one parent who is the queen of sarcasm. She has mellowed over the years but the damage is done. Sarcasm has got me in lots of trouble yet in several circumstances my biting tongue has served as comic relief to a tense situation.

I’m inspired to start this blog by my whole family. However the motivation comes from my eldest daughter, Nicole. She has so much confidence in me. More than I have in myself. She is my coach.

A profile is what I should have started with, but I don’t know where to start. Not at the beginning. It’s boring and usual. So I’ll start at my soul’s beginning.

A handsome new boy came to the teen center of our church tonight. Everyone was curious about him. He had a sweet and kind sense about him and didn’t seem to notice that everyone was drawn to him. My husband Joe is my soul’s beginning and Joe equals 'charisma'. We met very young. But it was right. We are still so together. (A feat I am very proud of.)

This blog is also to chronicle a time of big change. Becoming a grandparent this past June has catapulted my life to a level of utter happiness. Hey, that’s what it's all about! A beautiful continuation of a beautiful life.
Oh don’t get me wrong. There have been many ugly moment. I’ve got pictures.
More of that later on.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
February 28th, 2007 : A stupendous day.

It started like every other Wednesday. BUZZZZZ 6:15am. WACK to the almighty snooze button till 6:40am. Just enough time to be slightly late for work at 8. But today I feel different. Oh yaah It’s my Birthday ! My 50th Birthday. Let the festivities begin.

The commute was a gift. No one cut me off. No police to catch me speeding. No red lights to make me later than the fashionably late time to arrive. Wow! Can turning 50 be this good ? YES it can! A sweet front row parking space greeted me. On my desk a birthday valentine from my sister from another mother Sue, smiled up at me and it is only 8:10 am.

"Someone loves you," says Sue with a huge box that says flowers on the cover is in her arms. It’s only 10am an I’ve got a beautiful vase of amazing daisies staring me down. Nicole, Jakob & Copper you did good.

10:30am I hear from the front desk secretary "Oh my God….ANNEMARIE". I of course think I’ve done something terribly wrong. But no. I’ve got another flower delivery. A gigantic, enormous basket of the most fragrant, colorful and beauteous flowers from Danielle & Owen. Over the top? Yeah!

But wait, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better. Yes another delivery for the 50 year old. A vase of rich red roses with many substantial supporting characters arrived at 11:05. Am I at my funeral ? Did I wake up this morning or just hit the SNOOZE button? I’m awake alright and the flowers are from my Ma & Bill. A sweet and priceless gesture.

Top it off with a sweet rendition of happy birthday from my co-workers an a yummy carrot cake! I’m a happy camper.
I’m home to my Honey who isn’t anywhere in site when I pull up. He soon zooms in to the driveway to greet me with many bundles in tow. I can tell he was out getting something special to mark this occasion. A special card and cake just for me.

Susan, my other sister from another mother, is singing happy birthday to me as I enter the house. I must be the luckiest person in the world to have so many well wishers on this monumental day in my life.I am a wealth woman.

Tomorrow will be here too soon. It will be just another Thursday. I’ll hit the snooze again, but I have a feeling every thing has changed. I’m not in Kansas any more. Look out OZ. I’m booking my flight!

Posted by Nicole at 5:43 PM 0 comments