MUSINGS FROM AN OLD BROAD:
Another birthday, another year gone – just like that!
One step closer to that downhill march…
Thanks to COVID, the last three years have been Twilight Zone-ish,
but now, it’s time to wake up, seize that day and celebrate life!
In 2020, I wrote about HOW TO THRIVE AT SIXTY-FIVE and asked this question:
Why do you suppose some people age more or less gracefully than others?
Apart from health issues, I think it mostly has to do with attitude and joie de vivre (joy of life).
Between the Pandemic, losing a dear friend to cancer, and the winter blues, that “joie” has disappeared. I need to shed those doldrums, and “get with the program.” (Do people still say that?) Or, as Cher yelled at Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck:
Hubby and I always made an effort to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, leaving us with some wonderful memories. The first one was exactly 51 years ago today, three months after we started dating.:
THE BIG 5-0!
The half-century mark came in 2005. It was not exactly a welcome milestone, and I was a little shocked to be that old already. (Just imagine what I’m thinking now! 😛 ) Hubby had led me to believe we would have an intimate dinner “a deux” at our favourite restaurant. I was trying hard to follow the advice I gave to friends: “Celebrate the day and forget about the year”.
Little did I know that he and said friends were plotting to throw a secret party at that very locale. Totally clueless, I walked through the door and was stunned by those smiling faces yelling, “SURPRISE!”
It was a fabulous night! Great friends, delightful gifts, excellent food and one more spectacular present. My darling hubby gave me a beautiful necklace; a diamond encrusted letter “D” on a gold rope chain. It’s my favourite piece and I rarely take it off.
THE BIG 6-0!
Thumbing my nose at the whole ageing thing, we went to a rock concert and made a weekend out of it. Who did we see? None other than Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band! Our hotel was near the venue, and we spent the next day playing tourist in our own backyard.
Rock concerts are my “fountain of youth” and I missed them terribly. Now, it’s time to #RockTilYouDrop again! 🤘
This year, the celebrations started early. A friend whose birthday is a few days prior invited us over to mark both occasions. She and her husband are culinary wizards, so the food was wonderful and the atmosphere jovial. It felt SO GOOD to be socializing in the real world again. Thank you, Cheryl and Walter!
Today, I woke up to a beautiful flower arrangement! Breakfast was decadent, with Mimosas and croissants.
Tonight, we’ll be dining at our favourite eatery, for the first time in 16 months. Yup!
I’M LIVIN’ – AGAIN!
And even better! February ushers in Spunky Old Broads month.
Thanks for coming by to help me celebrate another trip around the sun!
How do you mark special occasions?
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
36 thoughts on “CELEBRATE AT SIXTY-EIGHT!”
Happy Belated Birthday! I figure at 68 you’ve got another 20 to 30 years. That’s a lot of living left. So congrats, get out there and conquer!
Thanks, Renée. 🙂 Here’s hoping! 🤞
Sounds like you had an absolutely fantastic birthday. Congratulations on the big 68!
Thanks, G.B.! Best one in years. 🙂
Debbie dearest,
I love that necklace and what a beautiful celebrations- flowers, croissants and the works.
The picture of the two of you is adorable.
I wish you many, many concerts and a life filled with bouquets of joy, love, good health and laughter.
Biggest hugs and kisses. xoxox
https://natashamusing.com/2023/01/kindness-word-of-the-year-2023-woty/
Thank you so much, Natasha! 💖 Apologies for the late response. I will catch up with your posts soon.
Belated birthday wishes to you, dear Debbie! Age is a mindset. Being healthy as we age is very important. I do understand the difficulties of aging especially when we see those we know personally or celebrities we adore passing to the next life. It’s hard but death is part of living and for that reason we need to celebrate every year given to its fullest. Your hubby sure gave you an excellent start of your birthday morning. I hope for you that your joy for life returns soon and may you have many more wonderfully happy years ahead, my friend. XOXO!
Thank you, Cathy! 💖 You’re so right about celebrating life as much as we can. We had a lovely birthday weekend, and I feel this year will certainly be better than the last three. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Debbie! I enjoyed you sharing memories of your past birthdays. Have a fab birthday and keep on keepin’ on!🥳🥂
Thanks, Eugenia! 🙂 It was a lovely day, and we stretched it into the weekend.
Happy Birthday Deb!! Lovely memories of past birthdays. I used to shun those milestone birthdays too. Until one day my beloved husband reminded, be grateful to be on the right side of the green. ♥
Thanks, Deb! 🙂 Your husband was spot on; growing old is a privilege denied to many. It’s not the ageing itself that bothers me, more the lightning speed of the passing years! 😲
Congrats on the birthday celebration. As for me, I stopped celebrating my birthday on my 60th, when at 7AM something happened that made things go downhill, and of course in 2021 Mom passed away on my birthday, which I’d predicted was going to happen earlier in the week. I wish it for others, but I’ve told few people when mine is, so it’s not publicized and, if I have the money for it, I take myself out for dinner with my tablet so I can watch a movie while enjoying a nice meal. With that said, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Bob Seger on my 60th, though I’d have preferred to look at Mariah Carey instead. lol
Thanks for the birthday greeting, Mitch! 🙂
I’m sorry your 60th didn’t go well. Birthdays must be difficult for you, since your mother passed away on that day. 🙁 Dinner and a movie sounds like a nice way to spend the evening, if you prefer to be alone.
Mariah Carey is definitely prettier than Bob Seger, but I prefer his music. 😉
Happy birthday, Debbie, and here’s to many more! 🥳🎂🎈🎉🎁🥂
Thank you, Kymber! ♥ We had a lovely time.
Hi Debbie – looks like you’re having a wonderful time … with many happy memories – we’re lucky we have them … enjoy – cheers Hilary
Thanks, Hilary! 🙂 This year has certainly been better than the last few. Yes, we are fortunate to have many wonderful memories we can draw upon in our “old” age. 😉
Well, I am the one who celebrates everyone else’s birthday but not my own, Debbie, help me remember if I ever did anything while in Canada.
Here, the one I remember most was my 50th…because I gave myself one heck of a party! over 60 people poured in…
And I celebrated cooking and baking everything we ate. The only thing I did not bake was my birthday cake, and a friend did that for me. Sadly, the passing of time often means the passing of friends and Clementina is no longer of this world.
Since then, 20 years ago (yup! that long ago) I have rarely given my b-day more than a passing thought, except for this year.
As you know, I have suffered a great loss, but it was just that that made me want to have loved ones around… a very small family gathering, my kids and partners, a cousin and my only living aunt, dearly loved. Again, I did all the cooking, except for the “torta” (cake) and again, I loved doing it.
The passing of years does not affect me, the passing of “things”, people, and love does!
My dear, dear and much loved friend. As you say, think of the day, have fun, and it is the first of the next round of 365! Enjoy!
Nice to see you here, Bianca! 🙂 Thanks for the birthday greeting – it was a lovely day. 💖
I remember celebrating Christmas at your house, but not your birthday. You did throw Angelo a party one year in your basement. Could have been 1975 or 76?
Sounds like you had a wonderful time for your 50th as well. Yes, losing loved ones is the worst thing about getting older. 😞 I’m glad you found some joy for your last birthday! Your culinary skills are amazing, so I’m not surprised you did all the cooking. 😀
Happy Birthday!
I thought I was going to a Mother’s Day brunch and it turned out to be a surprise baby shower. Those are the nice kind of surprises.
Thank you, Denise! 💖 Surprise parties are fun.
Happy Birthday to you! Your flowers etc..look beautiful. I say celebrate no matter what and enjoy your evening out.
Thank you, Birgit. 💖 We had a fantastic time! It felt SO GOOD to get out and about again.
Happy Birthday, dearest Doglady. Your necklace is beautiful. I would wear it all the time, too, except it would confuse people because my name doesn’t start with “D.” (that’s a feeble attempt at a joke). Sometimes when we’re feeling bad and sad, we can’t snap out of it. It takes some help, so if you need to see a doctor, I hope you will.
So much love to you,
Janie
Thank you, Janie! 💖 A gold and diamond J would look lovely on you. 😀 No worries, I get the winter blues because I have a low tolerance for cold and grey skies, but, it always clears up, eventually. Plus, I took Pete’s advice and ordered a SAD therapy light. Should help! 🌞
♪♫Happy Birthday to you,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday to you,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday Dear Debbie,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday to you.♪♫
Thank you, Sandee! ♥
Happy Birthday! Glad to hear you celebrate the day with vigour. When I was 70 last year, I had a whole week of doing stuff to mark the date. I will be 71 in March, not such a significant number, but we are already planning a big day out to celebrate.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete! Love the idea of a birthday week! 😀 We are doing a weekend here, and there’s two more years to plan a 70th birthday blowout. I’m glad you are celebrating your birthdays in such a grand style. Life is too short and we should enjoy it as much as possible. 🎉
Well, I turn 61 in May, and mentally I haven’t quite grown up, in my own estimation. Physically, kind of another thing- but if you consider all those aches and pains to be well-earned war scars… truthfully, I am blessed to be in the health I’m in. If you can handle concerts, so are you! (Which, of course, I already knew…)
Aches and pains are signs you’re alive, or so my husband says! 😆 I guess it’s true and I am grateful that nothing more serious is going on, health-wise. Stairs are a bitch, but c’est la vie! Thanks for coming by, Chris. And I hope you celebrate your May birthday in style!
Wishing you the happiest day! Looks like it was off to an excellent start 😉
Thanks, diedre! 🙂 This birthday was much better than the last few. 😀
Happy Birthday, Debbie! I enjoyed reading your blog post about the highs and lows you’ve gone through in your 68 years. I’m feeling my age today and feeling sorry for myself so it was good to read your post as it gave me a lift. Age really is a matter of attitude and perspective. Enjoy your special day today! Cathy
Thanks, Cathy! 🙂 This time of year is so depressing, isn’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed the post and got a lift from it. Don’t forget to celebrate Spunky Old Broads month in February! 😉