Love and a Birthday

 

My friend Kathy and yours truly, at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA.

My friend Kathy joined the #60 Club last week. Yes, she is at the magical, beautiful age that encompasses six decades of life. A couple of weeks ago, Kathy’s daughter Jesse told a few of us that she wanted to have a surprise party for her mom. We all love Kathy so of course we were ready to help.

I offered to be the decoy person. While I took Kathy out for the afternoon, Jess and her friends would get the house ready for the party. I considered my duty an important one. Kathy and her husband have a weekend place near the woods that they like to go to. I was worried she would just tell me no, she was going to camp. I sent her a message, “I would like to take you for a girl’s afternoon to celebrate your birthday. Please say yes.” Thankfully, she agreed!

On Saturday morning, I picked Kathy up. After some typical Pittsburgh traffic jams, we landed for breakfast at the Square Cafe. We both had a delicious meal and a big glass of cold brew coffee. Kathy loved the coffee and I think she’ll be a huge cold brew fan now! Square Cafe is exactly as I remembered it with great staff, pleasant atmosphere, and good food.

Next, we stopped at Le Mix in Regent Square. Just a few doors down from the Square Cafe, this little gem is filled with all kinds of stuff from your grandma’s era. It was so cool to walk around and see trinkets and treasures from the past. There was a $5 jewelry table filled with necklaces, earrings, and bracelets so we couldn’t pass up that opportunity!

After Le Mix, we headed to Phipps Conservatory! Jess told me that her mom always talks about going there but she never makes it! So Phipps it was and we both loved it. We walked around, gazing at gorgeous flowers and plants, taking pictures and breathing all the wonderful scents. Phipps is having a motion and sound event and it’s well worth seeing.

I was watching the time closely. We drove back home and everything was ready.  As I pulled into the driveway, everyone yelled Surprise! Jess did the party in a Mexican theme and it was so colorful and fun. There was a taco bar with all the toppings and of course, a big cake and singing!

Kathy and (L) her two granddaughters, Ava and Charlee.

Dear Kathy,

Thank you for spending the day with me. It was truly wonderful. I hope you will enjoy being #60 as much as I have (so far!). May we have many more years together in friendship.

Love,

Joanne

 

 

 

 

 

My 60th Birthday

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
― Maya Angelou

The Jamis Girls at Poros, Pittsburgh

It has been a wonderful week. Turning 60 has been a happy experience for me in many ways. My sisters (who both live in NC) came home for the week which of course, happened to be Thanksgiving as well.

I wanted a few close family and friends on my actual birthday. No fancy stuff; just pizza and cake. It wasn’t about the food, it was about love and friendships. Penny was there of course and though she wouldn’t sit on my lap, she loved watching everyone sing. John and Jess gave me a blanket with their wedding pictures all over it. What fun!

Too many candles!

What have I learned by this age? Well, I’ll tell you. I’ve learned that I can be myself and if people like me for who I am, that’s great. If not, I’m ok with that. I have a smaller circle of friends but I kind of like it that way. I don’t have the stamina that I used to have, but I still have plenty of energy. I will make time for anyone who wants to talk to me (about anything). My ministries are important to me (my mother and FOCUS) and my love for writing and blogging has only increased.

My faith is my guiding light and it keeps me centered. I try and remember to be grateful every day for the blessings that surround me.

My sisters planned a gift for me that they thought would arrive on my birthday. It did not and though Mary was upset, I was fine with it. They took me to lunch on Wednesday to Poros, and my daughter and two cousins showed up.  I didn’t know Nini and Lisa were coming until the last minute. I love surprises. Then we decided to text my cousin Nick (who works around the corner) and he came within twenty minutes! Wow!

Wonderful time!

So the day after Thanksgiving we finally all met at a coffee shop and my gift had arrived. Imagine my surprise when it was a hardcover book of my first three years of every Katherine’s Daughter post! I cried a bit when I saw this. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was!

What a great gift!

Last night I sat down for a while and read the book. It was wonderful to read my posts from the beginning. It was very insightful and I was frankly, a little proud of myself. I couldn’t believe how much I accomplished.

My sister Mary wanted to motivate me to think about compiling my favorite posts into a book. I told her she has succeeded and this is definitely inspiring me to sit down and do the work.

Thank you to my sisters, mom, Jim, Michelene, Jessica, John, Penny and all of you who made my birthday so special. The blessings, wishes, and love from all of you have filled me with joy.

*Do you have a blog you’d like to turn into a book? My sisters used Blog2Print. They’re having a Cyber Monday sale right now so use the code SHOPCOZY for 35% off. 

Verified by ExactMetrics