Tradition has been that Dale writes a post for me on my birthday. This year, however, he didn’t meet the editorial deadline and I find myself having to write this one myself. You know what, though? It’s okay. If I have learned one thing in 52 years it’s that . . . wait . . . I bet I can come up with three things instead of just one thing . . .

1. I have learned that life is short and people matter more than things. I lost a brother when I was 17 and another when I was 31 and then my mom when I was 32. You don’t go through those kind of losses without realizing that there are no promises when it comes to your own longevity or anyone else’s. And what that teaches you is that you need to say the things you need to say while you can. Because no guarantees. Telling people you love them matters. A lot. Other things that matter a lot: forgiveness, trust, understanding, and recognizing that your own standards aren’t necessarily anyone else’s.
2. I have learned that the key to happiness is being satisfied with what you have. Would I love a fancy house with lots of closets and a gigantic master bedroom suite? Kinda. But on the other hand am I willing to sacrifice to get that? Not so much. I love that Dale and I have jobs that allow us to be together a lot even if they don’t pay us a lot. I love that our mortgage is low and that we live in the same house we have lived in for our entire married life. I love that we live next door to Jack, that both of our daughters live within walking distance, and that we can see our family frequently and easily. So, yes, there are things I would change, but I’m content with the way they are right now. And being content is way more valuable than a master bathroom. (maybe)
3. I have learned that it’s never to late to live an authentic life. To try new things. To go outside your comfort zone. To stand up for yourself and how you want to be treated. To spend time with people who matter because time is a precious commodity. To be true to yourself and to be present. Because being present is really all you have. And, best of all, it’s enough.

If I can add one more thing I have learned, it’s that birthday wishes make birthdays much much better. Yes, that’s a hint and I hope you’ll take it and leave gobs of comments today. Thanks, friends.

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Today is one of my favorite days of the entire year. It’s Dale’s birthday. He thinks it’s funny that his birthday is my favorite day and not my own but I don’t find that funny at all. He is such a gift to me and the day he was born is the day our journey towards each other began. Sure, it took us 44 years to get there but I’ve been reveling in the joy of knowing and loving him ever since.

We’ll be celebrating vacation style today. I told him we can do whatever he wants (except visit a fort, I mean, come on) and so far the only thing I know for sure is that there will be lobster. I’m good with that. (Also, the fact that we almost always have lobster on his birthday might be part of that whole favorite day thing.)

Happy 66th Birthday, Dale. Congratulations on another trip around the sun. And thanks for all of the love, joy and laughter you bring to my life.

Thank you all so very much for the warm birthday wishes yesterday. Dale does such a great job when he takes over my blog once a year and yes, as many of you noted, I am very lucky to have him.

I had a great birthday yesterday. I worked, of course, since it was a Wednesday. And I had a meeting to go to which took up a chunk of my day. But, you know, I don’t mind working and going to meetings because it’s part of who I am but it also means I get to see my colleagues and friends and share some birthday love with them. Plus I got to ride to and from work in the Mustang with the top down and that’s a real treat.

In the evening Dale and I went to the Sun Tavern, one of my favorite restaurants, for an oyster and beer night. The oysters were plentiful and delicious! There were tons of raw Island Creek oysters along with oyster stew in a shot glass, oyster po’boys, oyters rockefeller and oyster fritters. The beer was cold and great and served to us by the owner of Mayflower Brewery. I did treat myself to a martini, though. I mean, it was my birthday! It was really a beautiful day and my only lament was that I didn’t have any cake. Then I walked into the kitchen and there was Dale with a whoopie pie on a plate, lighting candles and singing to me. It was a perfect moment, that whoopie pie was delicious, and yes, we ended the evening with a dance.

And now I move forward and see what it’s like to be 51. I think, much like being 50, that it will be more about being my more authentic self, more about finding new ways to be creative and fulfilled, more about living my story and accepting whatever that means with grace, embracing the good things with joy, and always finding ways to shine.

Thanks for being with me on this journey of my life.

Good morning (or day, or evening, depending on when you read this), Dale here commandeering Carole Knits once again to give her the day off to celebrate her birthday. Last year was a big birthday for Carole which called for me to write a post that included a lot of philosophizing, reminiscing and celebrating, as monumental birthdays do. This year, though it’s just back to regular ole birthday fun.

As readers of this blog you know that Carole has a lot of fun in a lot of ways and she’s always looking for new ways to enjoy life. She keeps finding them, too! She also hangs on to the tried and true things that have brought so much joy into her life – like me, for instance. But really, for Carole, joy comes from spending time with family and friends, keeping traditions, reading (lots of reading!), entertaining in our home, and cooking for the people she loves.

An important source of joy for her that not everyone gets to see, though, is her love of music. Music has played a very big part in our lives. I imagine that most of you know that I met Carole when she came out to see me singing in my band. We both had large collections of vinyl and CDs back then and our tastes were pretty varied. We both grew up listening to music with our parents and Carole also had two brothers who influenced her tastes with their music preferences as well. After being together for over twenty years we have blended our individual favorites so that we’re generally about 98% on the same page. (I’m sorry but I just can’t get down with that Uptown Funk stuff.)

You probably also know, since you’re here reading the blog, that once a week or so she and I enjoy a night of music listening which usually ends with a dance in the kitchen or out on the deck. I don’t think, though, that she has ever mentioned our sing-a-longs. Carole loves to sing, but never in public! We have favorites that we join in on and she always teases me when I don’t know the lyrics, which is frequent and probably not good for a lead singer. It’s never stopped me from singing, though, I just make up what I can’t remember. Carole, on the other hand, knows all the lyrics but thinks she can’t sing. I beg to differ and think she sings just fine and we make good music together. You should hear our rendition of Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe! (which, by the way, inspired the photo included at the top of today’s post, that’s us on our first wedding anniversary celebrating at a costume party for our town’s 175th anniversary.)

I guess my point is that music makes Carole happy and birthdays are all about being happy and sharing happiness. So, in that spirit and on this occasion of Carole’s 51st birthday, I’d like you all, no matter where you are, or whether you think you can sing or not, to lift up your voices and sing Happy Birthday to Carole. Since she can’t actually hear you singing, it’d be great if you left a comment, too. I know she’ll appreciate it.

And, I have a request for you, Carole. Tonight, after we come home from our dinner out, I’d like you to play that John Denver song that has the lyric “it’s the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you,” and we can dance and I’ll sing to you and wish you the happiest birthday ever.

You all can just pretend you didn’t see that last part, okay? Because that’s just for Carole.

Thank you all for tuning in! I’ll see you back here next year, God willing, and we’ll do it again!