Dad’s been asking me to bring my violin back to Woodthrush because he’s knows that I’ve pretty much stopped playing, and I’ve resisted because a home without a musical instrument seems like it is incomplete. But, in the year that we’ve been in NYC, I’ve had it out of the case exactly twice, both times in our first month there.

I’d started playing when I was five and when I got old enough to have a full-size instrument, Dad let me have this one. He had two, but this one was the louder and I tended to be too quiet. In college, I developed tendinitis in my shoulder and we discovered that I had a congenital condition that got aggravated by, among other things, bowing. Why was college different? That’s when I started working as a puppeteer and, you know, that kind of works the shoulders a bit. I stopped being able to play for more than about twenty minutes at a time, but would still haul it out because I loved it.

But the frequency got farther apart. The interesting thing is that I’d pick the instrument up and for about five minutes could play like I’d never stopped and then it was as if my brain caught up and said, “Whoa! Whoa! Are you crazy? You can’t play this thing,” and it would all vanish.

It got progressively more frustrating to pull it out of the case and know how much my skills had dropped. I mean, I was never brilliant, but I played for seventeen years and now it’s… well, it’s like a foreign language. I look at sheet music that I remember being able to play and it’s so hard now. With the shoulder thing, it’s not like I could work at it and regain the old level.

So, since Dad asked, and it’s his birthday, I’ve brought the violin home.

So, that was a great time. Dad invited a whole bunch of his pickin’ buddies. Witness one small sampling of the pickin’ & grinnin’ we had.

I’m home for my Dad’s 70th birthday, which was supposed to be a surprise, but Grandma leaked it. Although, as it turns out, Dad was expecting me to come home anyway, so when Grandma asked what time my flight was getting in, he thought that it was just something he’d forgotten.

But you’re surprised. Aren’t you?

Not that he reads my website, but my beloved is 43 today.

Yes, February is quite the eventful month for us.

I’d planned on celebrating today with Mom and taking her and Dad out to dinner at Daniel. My brother and I had also arranged to fly him to NYC secretly to surprise her. Alas. These plans are all postponed.

But the birthday isn’t. I hope it is a happy one and that Dad doesn’t give you the flu as a present.

Since my plans with the folks were out, I decided to throw an impromptu party. I was figuring it would be a small turnout, you know, what with last minute notice for a Friday night. To my pleasant surprise, close to twenty people came round. We opened some interesting wines, had hors d’ouerves, ordered Chinese. Oh and cake.

AND a friend from Iceland was in town on business. A mutual friend told her about the party and brought her along to surprise me. Such happiness!

Mom and Dad called today too. Dad sounds like he’s in good spirits. On the other hand, I could clearly hear that they made the right choice to stay in Tennessee.

I also got a package from Mom and Pop K in the mail which contained, among other goodies, some of her world-famous cookies. Mmm… I’m not sharing those. Which reminds me that I have to hide them from Rob.

And I also got a Konjoined Kitty, lovingly created by Michael Schupbach. This is very cool, not only because it is adorable, but because I got to see him work through the process of developing the idea, creating it and now he’s marketing them. And I have one of my very own. Soft, cute and disturbing. What more could you ask for in a pillow/toy?

I am thirty-nine years old today.

For some reason, women are supposed to be shy about their age. This has never made sense to me. I mean, it used to make social sense to mask one’s age to lengthen the amount of time one was eligible for marriage. But, hello, we are not Victorian anymore.

I am thirty-nine years old and proud of every year. Besides, Grandma is 103, so I’m just a child.

My grandmother, who still lives alone, is 103 today.

Granted, her kids take turns coming over to help with housecleaning, but she still cooks for herself. When I was home in the summer, she wanted to talk politics. She votes every election and is very adamant about doing so. It makes sense, I mean, she was alive before sufferage.

When we were home over Christmas, Rob and I took Mom’s turn cleaning (since Mom was prepping for dinner for 24). Grandma asked us to make certain that we got things put back in the same place, if we had to move them. Rob vacuumed the living room and went off to do another room. When he came back into the living room, Grandma was moving her chair. This is not a little wood thing. This is a wingback recliner. My 103 year old grandmother was shoving it back into place and wouldn’t let him help her.

I so hope I have those genes.

To celebrate, I thought I would share this collection of photography from a book called, Living in Three Centuries : The Face of Age.

Today is my little brother’s birthday.

Although we had serious sibling rivalry growing up, he’s a swell guy. He just got accepted to Vanderbilt where he will finish his doctorate. I’m not looking forward to calling him Dr. Harrison, but I’m still proud of him. Oh– and he’s driving up to NYC to help us move in.

Today is Mom’s birthday and I wish I could be there with her.

I think it is extremely unlikely that Grandma will read this, as she doesn’t have a computer at her house, but I’m so proud of her that I like to brag. What might I brag about, you ask? She is 102 years old today, and still lives by herself. She’s still sharp and fun to talk to and can thread a needle. I kid you not.

Makes me proud.

Grandma also makes me realize that I’d better have a darn good retirement plan if I’ve inherited her genes. I’m going to be around for a loooooong time.

Today is my father-in-law’s birthday! I hope it’s a happy one. I’m sorry that Rob and I are so far away.

Today is Steven Savile’s birthday. To celebrate, I am reading his novel Inheritance. So far, it is grim and horrific. Those aren’t normally compliments but are completely appropriate for a vampire novel. He also has managed to get humor in there too, which is astounding in a book with the undead rising all around. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one ends, although, I’ll have to give up my habit of reading at meals with this one.

Steve, next time we’re in the same place, I’ll buy you a pint.

While I wish that Rob and I could be home to celebrate with you, I trust that Mom and Steve will be able to help you with your birthday present.

A very happy birthday wish goes out to my brother-in-law. I hope your trip to the Boundary Waters was fun.