Good Things

It rained last night along with thunder and lightning. It would have been perfect, but the wind was howling again. I’m not complaining; we could use whatever moisture we can get – wind or no wind. And today is my birthday. Yep, another year older. Toby surprised me with a new watch this morning. It is very elegant compared to my Mickey Mouse watch I have been wearing. Does that mean I have to be grown up? I keep waiting for the day when I feel like a grown-up. It hasn’t happened yet.

According to my mother, I was born on a Sunday night after "Bonanza" was over. She said her doctor had been working on his ranch and had manure on his boots while delivering me. Maybe I was destined to be a cowgirl. Maybe that explains my partiality to men in cowboy boots.

My family has never been big on birthdays. Our big tradition is to try and remember to call on the sibling’s birthday. It is a race to see who can call first and get to say "nanana booboo"to the others who forgot to call. We are doing good to just remember and call sometime during the week or even the month. Since I am online right now, it will spoil anyone’s trying to call me early- hah!

Today, my art girls are taking me to Medicine Park (north of Ft. Sill) to do some plein aire painting. I love my girls (but will miss Lindsay). Medicine Park is a great little town on a river. The entire town is made of cobblestones and is very artsy. We will have lunch either there or Meers (another funky place). Both towns are bordering Ft. Sill and a National Game Reserve that has buffalo and elk. It is a great place to paint - not to mention all them fine army boys from Ft. Sill.

Tomorrow Toby is taking me to Lake Murray to spend the night in the lodge there. We are hoping to do some biking or golf or just check out the lake for kayaking later in the summer. This is going to be a real treat. In April, I will get my last present. I am going to take a watercolor workshop with George Kountoupis. You know, birthdays just keep getting better.