Birthday Presence

Birthday #35 was the most wonderful experience! Dear friends, old and new, tried and true, all showed up to celebrate the fact that I am alive! What could be more inspiring? This year is going to be spectacular, I can feel it in my bones! Family from far and wide sent their warmest wishes, deepest love and way too many fabulous gifts. Best friends from high school and college surprised me by traveling hundreds of miles to surprise me at my birthday BBQ.

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

New friends that have allowed me into their lives came to wish me a happy day and many more. All showered me with kindness, generosity and some of the best gifts I have received. My favorite gift was this beautiful gathering of souls that are so very dear to me and all of the sincerest hopes and wishes that were sent my way! I cherished each and every one and was delighted to return that love and gratitude. I have never felt more loved and I am certain there are no words for how much each and every person in my life means to me at this moment! The gift of this breath, this life, this present moment are so precious!

New Magazine Day!!
2 in the mail today and one gifted to me for b-day will be read lounging poolside.

I am looking at a two week stretch of being temporarily childless, beginning tomorrow, as my daughter travels to Missouri to spend some well deserved time with her dad. So I have constructed a plan to keep my busy while she is away....new magazines by the pool, The Hunger Games at bedtime, long walks with Bear, climbing with 'Drea and Tim, and lots and lots of yoga. I have a special restorative class coming up next Friday to teach and a partner yoga workshop that I signed up to take with my sweet friend Mary. I have also taken on teaching 3 new vinyasa classes and am looking forward to getting those going! I still want to make a few more eye pillows but need more flax and dried lavender, so I am looking forward to shopping trip to Green Earth and may even venture into the city to Trader Joe's to stock up on coconut water (it's half price there compared to Green Earth). I have new books to read, cds to listen to and I even looked at some of the  old puzzles on the shelves as a backup plan for whittling down those long, daughter-free days.