I never thought I’d live to see the day
Saturday December 13th 2008, 2:05 am
Filed under: Family,Friends,Life

This is Friday as I type. Well, sort of.  By extension.  I’m too wired to sleep (although, the time stamp’s an hour ahead of me.)  Anyway, my husband suddenly said to me tonight, Tomorrow’s your birthday and we have that thing at church going on then; would you like to go to Flea Street Cafe tonight?

Asking someone who eats if they’d like to go to Flea Street for dinner is like asking someone who knits if they’d like some qiviut.

Even when I saw the side door unlocked and thought in puzzlement, when did I do that? and locked it on our way out, it didn’t dawn on me.  Richard said later that he’d unlocked various doors three times and I had locked them all. goofy balloon

He managed to walk out just behind me so he got that last one after all, and quietly texted “going!”  He also got permission from Phyllis and Nina in case he needed it to persuade me–I did want to go to Kepler’s after dinner, but I really wasn’t up to it and he easily talked me out of it.

“SURPRISE!!!” The house was full of people.flowers from Nina and Phyl

Okay, I should have seen that one coming.  And I did wonder if someone would do something Saturday night. I most certainly didn’t expect them to do it Friday night.  I now understand why my husband kept trying to tell me all the way home that I was actually already 50, by any reasonable argument, while I was telling him he was just jealous that he was an old man while I was a youthful 40-something-er.  He even had the audacity to tell me that by Chinese counting I was 51.  Nuh UH!

I had no idea.  And they could tell, given what my kitchen looked like.  Not a clue.

A great time was had by all, and it is now Saturday, so I guess it’s true: I’ve tumbled over the hill and joined my sweetie into fiftytudinousness.  Thank you for the amaryllis bulb, Richard.  (Ed: Oh, wait, that one was from Alyson, I’ve been corrected.  Thank you, Alyson!)  Thank you for the flowers, Nina and Phyl. Thank you everybody for coming and for the cake and the veggies and the mulled cider and the chocolate and the apricot flan and the fruit pastries and the…

And you know? Richard passed on the dessert menu, but Jesse at Flea Street, after coming out to say hi to this pair of longtime customers, sent out four dark chocolate truffles anyway.  (Jesse! Those were the BEST EVER–THANK you!) …yes I ate my two, I couldn’t miss that, that’s part of why I skipped out on Kepler’s just in case, Crohn’s blahblahblah–SO worth it…

But my Richard said no to ordering dessert at Flea Street Cafe. THAT is when I should have been tipped off.  Totally.


44 Comments so far
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Happy, Happy Birthday! I’ll lift a cup of mulled cider to you today (well, microwaved cloudy apple juice with cinnamon.) Cheers!

Comment by LynnM 12.13.08 @ 2:14 am

Giggles..surprises are so cool!
Happy Birthday to your youthful self!!
Congrats to your husband for pullin’ it off. Well done. 🙂

Comment by Toni Smoky-Mountains 12.13.08 @ 5:44 am

Happy Birthday, Alison! Many, many happy returns! And kudos to Richard for keeping the secret so well! Suprise parties rock.

Comment by Pegi 12.13.08 @ 5:56 am

Happy Birthday!!!

Comment by Alison 12.13.08 @ 7:00 am

Happy 50th! Fifty is nifty. I hit double-nickels last year.

Comment by Lynn 12.13.08 @ 7:01 am

You will LOVE being fifty, it’s the best!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. BTW, the brain to put on a chain is available from the National Stroke Association. http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SAM_bracelet

I’ve still got a brain, but I sure wish I could buy more memory to plug into it!

Comment by Queen of Fifty Cents 12.13.08 @ 7:08 am

Happy Birthday! Glad to hear (read) you had such a lovely celebration.

Comment by SaraJoan 12.13.08 @ 7:24 am

Happy Birthday to youu
Happy Birthday to youu
Happy Birthday dear Alison
Haapy Birthdaay to youuuuu!!!

Comment by sonya 12.13.08 @ 7:39 am

Happy Birthday! My mother’s landlady threw herself a 50th party, inviting us to come celebrate with someone who had ‘seen Abraham’ (that’s how they refer to you in Holland once you reach 50). Congratulations on seeing Abraham, and it sounds as if you celebrated it in style!

Comment by no-blog-rachel 12.13.08 @ 8:20 am

What a wonderful surprise, Happy Birthday(!!!) and many happy returns!

Comment by Michelle 12.13.08 @ 8:28 am

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Alison! The fifties are the best. I’ve enjoyed every minute of them.

Comment by Linda W 12.13.08 @ 8:52 am

Happy Birthday, dear friend. When faced with a milestone, isn’t it wonderful to have a celebration to “ease the passage”? So glad Richard managed to surprise you.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 12.13.08 @ 9:07 am

Froeliche Geburtstag!

Comment by Liz U. 12.13.08 @ 9:08 am

WooHoo – Happy birthday dear Alison! You have done very well at your “ancient” age (giggle).

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 12.13.08 @ 10:01 am

Happy Birthday! “Seeing Abraham,” as someone said previously, is not enough. I’m hoping now you will set about giving Methuselah a long, happy, and healthy run for his money. 😉

Chocolate. Yeah. That’s the ticket. Lots of chocolate…

Comment by Paula 12.13.08 @ 10:28 am

Happy Birthday, Alison!!! I’ve heard the 50s are even better than the 40s! 🙂
Best wishes to you and wishing you a very happy day on your actual day too,
Abby

Comment by Abby 12.13.08 @ 10:39 am

Sounds marvelous! Happy Birthday!

Comment by RobinH 12.13.08 @ 12:06 pm

Happy birthday! Aren’t surprise parties SO fun?! I love them. Especially, as in this case, when they work and the person is really surprised!

Today is my step-sister’s birthday too. Thanks for the reminder, because I almost forgot to call!

Comment by Momo Fali 12.13.08 @ 12:33 pm

Happy Birthday! May the coming year bring dreams come true, and new dreams to reach for.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 12.13.08 @ 12:36 pm

A very happy birthday to you, Alison. I think 50 is a big deal, a real turn in the road (she says from her vantage point of sixteen more years). By now we’ve all experienced many of the traumas along the way, but I think you’ve had way more than your share yet somehow managed to make more than a good life for yourself and those around you. You also seem to have an abundance of joy and love, which certainly help. So let your joy overflow your limits — you’ve clearly mastered that skill! Here’s to many good years ahead. You’re a real inspiration.

Comment by Luise 12.13.08 @ 12:38 pm

Happy Birthday!

Comment by Tiny Tyrant 12.13.08 @ 1:31 pm

Happy Birthday to you!!! I would sing but the dog doesn’t like it!! I turned 52 this year, or as I prefer 26 twice and am now working on 26 three times. Yay for chocolate and surprises.

Comment by Donna in Ely 12.13.08 @ 2:46 pm

Happy Birthday to you!!! I would sing but the dog doesn’t like it!! I turned 52 this year, or as I prefer 26 twice and am now working on 26 three times. Yay for chocolate and surprises.

Comment by Donna in Ely 12.13.08 @ 2:46 pm

Happy Birthday! Welcome to the 50’s!! Glad to know you had a great time at your surprise party.

Comment by Greta 12.13.08 @ 2:55 pm

Happy birthday! What a wonderful surprise – it sounds like the perfect end to an excellent day 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 12.13.08 @ 3:19 pm

Hurray! Have a healthy, happy year, with lots of love and celebrations…and may you have another 50 more!

Comment by Joanne 12.13.08 @ 3:30 pm

Happy, happy birthday Alison dear. Happy days will come to you all year.

Best wishes.

Comment by Laura 12.13.08 @ 4:56 pm

Very happy birthday to you!

Comment by Fae 12.13.08 @ 6:20 pm

Happy Birthday, Alison! 🙂

Comment by Amy 12.13.08 @ 7:03 pm

Alison – every time I read your blog I’m reminded that every day is a gift. You are truly one of the beautiful souls on this earth. Happy, happy birthday!!

Comment by Linda L. in WI 12.13.08 @ 7:38 pm

About time you got here! Happy Birthday to you!
(yeah, the one with NO gray in her hair. But I got to 50 first!)

Comment by Afton 12.13.08 @ 8:54 pm

Well Happy Birthday!!! I turned 57 in Oct. 30 and 50 were my hardest birthdays. 30 because I realized I wasn’t going to be young for the rest of my life and 50 because, well I was 50 :P.

Comment by LDSVenus 12.13.08 @ 9:50 pm

I am a bit late but Happy Birthday! I am so pleased you had a wonderful birthday. You deserve it. Besides Fifty is the new forty so if you are fifty one by Chinese counting you are Forty according to popular culture. You have years ahead of you yet. By the way, my husband has a birthday week, maybe you should try that.

Comment by Vicki 12.14.08 @ 3:19 am

I did not open my computer all day yesterday, between the ice storm and participating in another holiday craft fair — but I did know it was your birthday and I did think of you all day. Every once in a while, I’d go: it’s the 13th! It’s my friend Alison’s birthday today! Five Oh!
Hooray!

Happy happy Birthday, Alison. (I’m welling up just like I did in Burlington…) All the Best, and many many years to come.

Comment by karin 12.14.08 @ 7:56 am

Happy Birthday! Hooray for surprise parties when you have NO clue!

Comment by tiffibug 12.14.08 @ 8:02 am

Many, MANY happy returns. I’m tickled that they pulled off the surprise!

Comment by Channon 12.14.08 @ 8:04 am

Alison,
How sweet of your husband to include Flea St. in your lovely celebration. Thank you for sharing what we do with others.

Happy 50th year..well, really, the beginning of your 51st.

Best,
Jesse Cool

Comment by jesse 12.14.08 @ 8:26 am

Happy Birthday! What a wonderful way to celebrate!

Comment by Anna 12.14.08 @ 10:57 am

Happy, Happy Belated Birthday! Sounds like it was a wonderful one. It really is true that life begins at “50”. Enjoy!!!!

Comment by Joansie 12.15.08 @ 6:21 am

I’m so glad you enjoyed your surprise. Happy Birthday and many happy returns!

Comment by Deb in CT 12.15.08 @ 7:20 am

YAY! Happy Birthday! Looks like a great surprise!

Comment by Alicia 12.15.08 @ 8:56 am

Happy (late) Birthday!!! I hope you had a wonderful one and wish you many more.

Comment by LisaK 12.15.08 @ 2:19 pm

Hoppy Birdy Day! Er.. Hap Birt Ali!… Er….glad you had a happy one! I’m not far behind you, says your forty-something friend!

Comment by Karen 12.16.08 @ 7:31 pm

Aw, happy birhtday Alison! sorry i missed it! sounds wonderful.
catching up on life here, ice storm, 5 powerless days, new blizzard now, and 3 weeks of kids off of school! yikes
keep blogging, it’s a wonderful gift !!!!

Comment by marcy 12.19.08 @ 6:23 pm



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