What's in an age?

Good morning!

Arose very early this morning (too much Australian Shiraz last night, I think!), but getting up early on a Saturday isn't so bad. It does prolong the best day of the week-- particularly if it is the Saturday of a long weekend! Happy Birthday Queen Victoria! I am so glad you were born. xoxox

Celebrating this woman's birthday kicks off our summer movement each year, doesn't it? The Victoria Day weekend has brought all of us Ontarians to cottages or campsites to drink a lot of beer and get a lot of black fly bites-- some years clad in tuques and some years in bikinis. She kinda started the modern-day monarchy, and she has a whole era named after her. Not bad, Vicky! I do hope she isn't cross with the carrying-ons of we, the common people under her ubiquitous reign.

Upon wondering how many candles would be on Queen Victoria's made-from-scratch birthday cake this year, I Wikipedia'd her and learned she was born in 1819-- so 190 candles! How many barbecue lighters would it take to light that many candles? And what would Victoria think about these phenomena of Wikipedia, or barbecue lighters, or barbecues, for that matter?

I have never understood why people get sad or shameful about birthdays and age. My mother gets very upset when her age is revealed. Me, I could tattoo my age on my forehead. My mom would say "That's because you're young, dear", but I disagree. I think every year brings us closer to figuring out what we are all about, and that is something worth celebrating publicly! Maybe I'll feel differently one day, but I really doubt it. Desiring to be younger than I am seems like a waste of time-- like a surrender to life having to deteriorate in certain ways now that a certain time has passed. I have to believe that the best is always yet to come, and may this optimism serve me well, and dare I say, prevent wrinkles!

Things that make me recognize that I am clearly 34:

1. Too many glasses of wine wake me up early as opposed to make me sleep in.
2. The easy-listening radio station actually appeals to me more than my former favourite alternative one, which just sounds loud and angry sometimes!
3. It's harder to count the number of girlfriends who aren't pregnant or on maternity leave than the number who are.
4. I have learned the meaning of terms like "electrolysis", "muffin top", and "Co Enzyme Q10"
5. I have grown curious about my spiritual side, whereas it used to be a source of humour.
6. A rainy Saturday prevents me from working in the garden.
7. That McDonald's has created the 'Big Mac wrap' kinda turns my stomach.

Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria and may the best be yet to come to all of us.