If you take one of these

and add some of these

and mix in family and friends and you have a

birthday party. Today this is what 50 looks like:

When Peter Kevin asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, I said I wanted to go out for brunch. I chose Smithville Inn because I really like it and the Sunday brunch is out of this world. What I didn't know was that he invited my brother and his family, both Em and Kate's boyfriends and my two favorite aunts. As we drove through the beautiful fall leaves, they were all waiting for me to get there. I was surprised and of course cried when I saw everyone waiting for me. It was a really nice day. We feasted on breakfast foods and hot entrees and then we walked around and admired the shops. We saw Swan boats, along with sea gulls and the young folk rode the carousel. It was lovely. I got some beautiful rust colored alpaca sock yarn from Emily and a book and gift card from Elanor and Kate tells me that my gift is on its way from California and it will take longer because of all the fires they had there recently.

I have been fretting about turning 50 because it sounds so old and I don't feel old. It's all a matter of what's going on in your head. In my head, I am not much older than when we got married, although I feel like I know more and feel more strongly about some things and less strongly about others. I am convinced that there is not enough niceness in the world and we should all try to promote it as often as we can. I no longer care what celebrities choose to do with their time. I strongly believe that there are miracles in every square inch of life and the world around us and all we have to do is to be aware and look for them. I no longer believe that one person can't make a difference in the world. I have seen in my lifetime the difference one person with strong convictions can make. I also believe that I am one of the luckiest people around. Not too bad for a 50 year old gal.

Now, everyone, get out there and start looking for some miracles!