It's a Small World

Sometimes I just have to step back and marvel at our ability to communicate with each other, whether it's from one state to another or across the world. When I was in college I made occassional long distance phone calls home via the phone in my room and sometimes I wrote letters (a lost art). Tonight I was simultaneously communicating with both my daughters. I was instant messaging the daughter in the Netherlands, an 8 hour time difference (yes, she stays up late). At the same time I was talking to the other daughter in Raleigh, NC on a cell phone then we moved on to e-mail and instant message to discuss something. At the same time I was instant messaging my son-in-law while I was talking to my daughter on the phone (his wife) and trying to help him connect with his sister-in-law in Europe. Now they all take this for granted but I can hardly keep up with this. You don't have to look back many years to realize how amazing this is. Our world is getting smaller all the time.

My baby is off to Europe!

As I write this, my younger daughter is on a plane over the Atlantic between Boston and Amsterdam. What a mix of emotions I'm feeling. I'm excited for her but also concerned for her safety. She will be spending a semester at her college's castle, "Kasteel Well". They will take classes Monday through Thursday then will be free to travel on the weekends. What an adventure! It will be strange not receiving her cell phone calls at all hours. I'm really back to being an empty nester now.

55

Most years my birthday gets lost in the holiday craziness. December birthdays are like that. However, this year was different, partly because my birthday was on a Saturday. Bob had given me a gift certificate for a spa on my previous birthday but I hadn't used it yet. I decided that it would be a perfect way to begin my day. It was a cold, gray day but the spa was warm and inviting. I had an hour massage followed by a half hour spa facial. Ahhh - very relaxing. (I think I'll return at a later date.) Not wanting to undo the effects of the massage, I returned home to spend a quiet day there. I worked on Christmas cards, especially the ones going to the east coast. This year all of my family remembered my birthday and sent nice gifts that actually arrived before my birthday. The most special one was from my hubby; years ago he gave me a star garnet and he had it set in a necklace - beautiful! Laura and Ian gave me a cozy robe that she embroidered. One sister gave me a colorful scarf that she knit herself and the other sister gave me a soft white turtleneck. (Erin brought me her gift when she returned from college - a colorful "nose" glasses holder which I use daily). In the evening we went to the Olive Garden where I ordered my favorite - the portobello mushroom ravioli. Afterwards, we headed to Edwards Cinema where I now qualify as a senior citizen. Sigh, yes I am 55 years old. (How did that happen?) I figured that I might as well take advantage of one of the few benefits of growing older. We saw "The Golden Compass" - very entertaining. We returned home late and celebrated with birthday cake, chocolate, of course!