Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday, on which I turn **cough cough** 49.  Yep.  Next year I will probably be in a bit of shock that I'm actually 50, but right now it's no biggie.  Okay, yes, it can be disconcerting to actually see and feel the signs of aging, but overall, it's no biggie.  Well, yes, my eyesight changing and having to wear reading glasses to see anything close up still bugs the crap out of me.  And yes, having to watch what I eat and exercise regularly just to forestall weight gain is no fun.  But overall, I don't feel a day over 35:-)

So I have a few memory lane photos to show you today.  Here I am at about 5, dressed up in my aunt's prom dress and tiara.  My uncle - yes, my uncle - who was about 15 at the time, used to dress me up like a doll when he was bored.  I've got pictures somewhere of me with pearls strung over my ears so that it looks like I'm wearing pearl earrings.  I don't know, maybe he'd gotten a new camera and I was the only willing model around.

I believe this is my second grade school photo.  Check out the red vinyl dress.  My father actually designed clothes and had his own shop when I was this age, but this is not one of his creations.  His were actually pretty darn good, but it was 1970 - what can I say?  My mother served as his model, I need to scan some of those photos.  She was stunning.

Here she is at age 63 or so.  She's still stunning - I lucked out in the genetics department because of her, I'm thinking. 

So for my birthday we are going to Ocean Springs, MS to walk around, browse the shops,  and eat at a lovely Mediterranean restaurant we like.  It happens to be the first day of Cruisin' the Coast, so there will be lots of cool old cars to look at.  I took last week and this week off, the weather's been perfect, and it's good to be alive.  Hope you are having a great time as well!