Long, Long Ago. And Today.

Today is my birthday - the big six-five! Medicare and senior citizen discounts, here I come! It seems like a good day to dig deep into the folds of my brain and pull out some of my earliest memories.

What is your earliest memory?

The earliest memory I have, I think, was from when I was about two years old. I remember sitting on the steps of a small, wooden back porch, in the sunshine, licking the frosting (or cake batter?) off of an egg beater. Wouldn't you know that my earliest recollection involves eating something sweet!

One other very early memory was also at the age of two or three. We were living in Adak, Alaska, in Navy housing, when my Dad was serving in the Korean conflict. The memory is of my mom opening the front door one morning to find a bright wall of wind-drifted snow filling the entire door opening. What impressed me most, at that young age, was the imprint made by our doorknob in that wall of snow.

I have many vivid memories from the ages of four, five and six - of picking tomatoes from a neighbor's yard when we lived in Hood River, Oregon (I especially remember the pungent scent of those tomato vines); of a drive I took with our family friend, Wilson Burns, and his daughter, Carol Jean, when Wilson allowed Carol Jean and me to stick our hot, bare feet out the car window to cool them off in the wind stream; of playing cowboys and Indians with my very first "boyfriend", Danny Abel (I still have the little engraved ID bracelet he gave me as a parting gift, when we moved from Portland to Salem); of becoming "blood sisters" with my friend, Kyra Ann Mosely - her mom was a nurse, and she helped us prick our fingers with a needle stuck through a cork; of going on a school field trip to a dairy where we tried our hands at milking a cow, and then sat under a tree to eat a cup of ice cream; and of riding my bike with other neighborhood kids to the little corner store to buy jaw breakers and red licorice (there's that sweet tooth, again!).

As I sat, thinking about childhood memories, it was like they tumbled, one over the other in kaleidoscope-fashion . . . relationships, experiences, inspirational moments, failures, successes, sad times, and fun times.

So now that I've proven that my long-term memory is still functioning, you may ask, "But, Linda, what about your short-term memory. Do you remember what you did to celebrate this birthday?" And I do!

Dan took me out to dinner last evening. He asked me where I'd like to eat, and I told him, "Wherever we can get creme brûlée for dessert!" That turned out to be a nice little local restaurant called Megg's. We had a great dinner, topped off with my FAVORITE dessert. They even brought my creme brûlée out with a candle in it.

When I went to check the mail yesterday, there was a small package waiting for me, from my very special friend, Gloria, who lives in Washington. I couldn't wait to open it, and when I did, it appeared to be a very expensive camera lens! She shares my love of photography, but I knew that a lens like that would be WAY over the top for a gift between friends.

So I inspected it a little more closely and found to my great delight . . . 

. . . that the "lens" was, in fact, an insulated beverage cup! Gloria and her sense of humor never fails :-)

Today my birthday fun continued, including special birthday messages from my mom and from Tim. Both of them told me to be watching the mail for birthday gifts that should arrive soon. I also heard from my long-time BFF, Shelley, who never fails to remember me on my birthday. Then, at noon, two of my "girl friends" from church, Wynn and Susan, treated me to lunch at Olive Garden. We spent nearly two hours trading stories and giggling like school girls.

Finally, this evening, right after dinner, I answered my phone and heard two sweet little voices crowing, "Happy birthday, Grandma!" Clara, Robert and I chatted a bit, and then Kelsey joined in (Chris was not at home right then). Kelsey asked if we'd like to have Robert come visit for a weekend next month. Would we?! Of course! So we'll be making plans for this, his first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house all by himself. Can't wait!!!

Yep, it was a good birthday, and I'm all set to take on another year.