I grow mad peonies. I don’t mean they are angry, I’m trying to be hip here. They herald a wonderful time in the garden every year and remind me that my birthday is approaching. In one week I’ll be six decades old. Tonight I thought about how I would like to spend that momentus day.
- I want hours painting the deck furniture with three people – Lex, Hanni and Shana. My daughters and soulmates. I want to dance to loud, old, rock & roll, sip decadent fruit juices and soak up the moments in the sun together.
- I want to kayak. I haven’t been this year and last year my trips were few and far between. Hanni is arriving with her truck; have truck will kayak. Ever since selling my truck I have been less inspired to go out to the rivers and lakes. Time to get over that.
- I want fresh flowers blooming and birds singing and dogs playing. Between us, there are four dogs. My heart aches for Skeedles, my cat, as she will disappear for a day or so until she figures out the canine mayhem. She lives in the great outdoors by choice this time of year anyway. I want the flowers to be in full splendor and the light to be perfect for photography.
- I want to ride ponies up into the leafy green wonder of the woods. I want to wander down trails that require you to push back the branches, or, as we learned fox hunting, breaking their tips off so the next rider isn’t whacked in the face coming behind you.
- Once the environment cooperates, I want to be wise enough to record, in my words, and in my heart, every second of turning a page with those I hold dearest. I doubt I have sixty more years, so from here on out I want to be totally aware of those I do have.
It’s a tall list, I know. Whatever we can enjoy will be fine. We come from a line of strong women. They weren’t always nice in the traditional sense, but they made us who we all are today. I want to honor that by being a strong woman my daughters will think fondly of and maybe someday say, “When I’m that old I hope I’m like Mama Bear.”
Here’s to starting the next decade!
Therapeutic Misadventures 
Happy Birthday a little early, Martha!
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Thank you Beth!
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Personally, I love your list… Can visualize, smell and hear it all! Also personally, I’m looking forward to your catching up numerically, at least for 2 months before I leap a year ahead of you again….. Cant wait to celebrate with you next month.!
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Thanks Doppleganger. I am feeling very blessed at the moment and can’t wait to catch up with you!!
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Can’t wait to see you Doppleganger. Hard to believe I was married to Roger 38 years ago today…
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Reblogged this on xdayschocolate.
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Thank you for the reblog xdayschocolate!
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Happy birthday Martha! You beat me to it by 6 months!
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Thank you Allen. It seems so strange to be so many years young!
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Happiest of birthdays to you, Martha. Next month, I turn 62. I think your list is perfect for this age. Strong women are best in their sixties.
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Thank you Susan. I am truly looking forward to what life has to bring from here on out!
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What an inspiring list. When you get to #2 let me know if you’d like some extra company. It’s been far too long since I’ve been out in my kayak too.
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The more, the merrier Laura! Let’s do it!!
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Just say when!
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Wishing you a wonderful birthday and decade to come! I appreciate your call for awareness. Good advice at any age.
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Thank you Joanne! I just can’t help thinking if I surround myself with happy people, I can’t help but find happiness within.
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You can do ALL those things. I hope something wonderful but unplanned also happens, for a bit of a surprise and extra spontaneity. Enjoy your birthday Martha. By the time you get there the average age of women (especially strong ones) might be 121, so maybe you aren’t even halfway through!
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Thank you Nolsie. unplanned happenings always are the best. I am a diligent planner and rarely does my planning pan out but you are right, if you look up from trying to follow the planned path there is much more joy going on all around you! Here’s to living sixty more.
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I love your list:-) I’m flying out to see my mum in August and we are definitely going kayaking out in the shield, hopefully with my sister too. I love to think that you, Lex, Hanni, and Shana will be dancing and painting and adventuring while Kim, Lucie and Hannah do the same, and many other such groupings celebrate being alive and wonderful all around the world!
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Hello and thank you Hannah. How fun that you spell your name as a palindrome just as my Hannah! Headed to your blog to check out where the “shield” might be and wishing you a wonderful holiday adventure!
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Opps yes…the Canadian shield is near where my mum lives, quite away from my current home. I used to always say ‘its a palindrome you know’ and get blank stares. Since I ‘grew up’ and stopped saying it, I always know that I will like someone if they mention it instead:-)
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A very happy birthday to you, Martha. And your list is nearly identical to my own. I love it. I hope you put a tick next to many if not all.
Make it worthy one. Cheers to you!
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Thank you Shelly! Love your new author photo and I really enjoyed your wildlife post!!
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Happy birthday.. Those all seem reasonable wishes to me and I hope they all come true.
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Thank you Marie. A lovely day all around.
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