Officially Old!

Well, today I turn 65. I am now "Officially Old", which is funny really, since I still feel about 23, 3osomething, 45, 50, 58, & all the ages in between.

Having never been 65 before, I suppose I have no idea how I am supposed to feel, but I don't think it is how I really feel. Does that make sense? I can still laugh at the same things I laughed at when I was much younger. I can now laugh at some things that would never have amused me when I was much younger. I feel I have the best of all worlds.

The state of the bod leaves a lot to be desired, but the mind seems to be not too bad. The years I have lived, have taught me a lot of things. I am grateful that at least I did learn. I would rather have learnt many things, in less painful ways. Perhaps the pain was necessary to make the lesson stick. Who knows. I also realise there are many things I will never learn, & that makes me a little sad. I still find I learn something new every day, though, so as long as I can do that, I suppose I am 'living'.

I am forever grateful that one of the worst times of my life, led to me one of the best people I have ever known. My Best Friend J. A treasure in my life. A gem that helped me get through at the worst of times. A life long friend, who knows me warts & all. We have laughed & cried together. We have shared joy, & sadness. We can just take up where we left off, & though she is far away, I know she is there, & the world seems ok. Everyone should be lucky enough to have a BFJ.

It is still raining, & overcast. I know that on the day I was born, so long ago, in a small country town's Maternity Hospital, it was an extremely hot day. My mother gave birth just after 11.30am, & she said the staff all rushed off to lunch, & left her, lying alone, & all she could see of me, were two huge eyes, looking around at the world.

I wonder at her bravery, giving birth to me, all alone, while my father was in another country fighting in a war. I wonder if they had discussed names before I was born, via letters. She gave me an Irish name, which I never liked, & still dislike. Luckily noone uses it except 2 Aunts, & an Uncle. My mother also gave me a middle name. Another name I dislike. I dislike it even more than the first name. It was the name of a friend she was very fond of. I suppose it is a form of vanity to dislike your given names. One of my cousins recieved Mabel, as a middle name, after her maternal Grandmother. She hated it so, she had it changed. Who could blame her!

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In the meantime, I am sewing. I have begun my Granddaughter's quilt, with the stitcheries. She doesn't very often read the blog, so I have put some progress pics here. I have done the first 2 setting rounds. I am now auditioning what comes next. I have had several changes of heart about the colours. Quite often a photo will point the way, more so than just looking at the test runs.

I think I rather like that bit of yellow in there. I will have to rummage around & see what various colours in yellow I have.The fabric on the left in the pic, is really a light lilac. It has more of a purple hue than the photo would indicate. The brown on the right is a lot more golden. It is such a dull day, even the light in the window is dull.

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I have decided that the container used to cook food can make a big difference to the end result.

I bought this handmade crockery casserole dish some time ago, at a flea market for $1. I bought it purely for it's appearance. We have some high cupboards in the kitchen that have a gap between the top & the ceiling. I decided to put some pottery items up there purely for decoration. I have a basket or two, & thought the pottery would add another dimension.

I loved the look, & the feel of this pot, & decided to try it for cooking potatoes in the microwave. I could not believe the fantastic result. It took less time for the potatoes to cook, than a plastic or glass container, & somehow the potatoes just tasted much better. I use it all the time now, & our favourite, is herbed potatoes. I just throw mint, oregano, & thyme, a little water, into the pot with the cut up potatoes, & cook them for 10 minutes. The end result is wonderfully herb infused potatoes, & best of all, no fat. I often add a tablespoon of chopped parsley just before serving.

I wonder if the potter would feel happy to know their pot is bringing such pleasure? I have also used it in the oven to cook casseroles, & it is equally good for that purpose.

We are going out for lunch. Chinese Yum Cha, my very favourite. I love the Squid!! Our Granddaughter is coming with us, but our daughter has to work.
Our son says he will be up for the weekend, so no doubt we will all get together then.

Gom came bounding in here, & told me Honey sent me a kiss for my birthday.

Then..... He licked me!!

Still not too old to laugh! Thank Goodness.



Paul Simon, The Sound of Silence.