Today is my birthday.  Officially eighty three and counting.  Once you hit forty five you know that you’ve most probably topped the hill.  Once you hit sixty, you’re picking up speed.  Seventy, you start checking the obituaries to see how old the people are  and if they are hopefully older than you are--which means the odds are good. (Ha).

After that, you’re just thankful you are okay and able to take care of yourself.  That’s where I am.  Thankful.  Becky’s husband Craig takes care of my legal and financial concerns, Tony takes care of my house and any repairs, Ron takes care of the trimming and flower beds, Ruiz takes care of the lawn, and the house cleaners do the inside.  At 83 you are pretty well useless.  But Happy! And so very thankful for the people who help me.

Someone said, “That is a lot of money to pay out for service people.”  I told them assisted care apartments were now running six thousand a month and I’m no where near spending that much.  I want to stay home and pay my own assisters.

Just glad, thankful, happy and full of joy.  Ann is taking me to breakfast to get strawberry crepes with whipping cream this morning and Becky said that they will take me to dinner tonight unless she has to work.

Squig is celebrating with me.  He is thirteen today.  Just a kid, but in dog years I think that is ninety one.