It is my intention to wake up early, but my eyes won’t cooperate.   Shortly after 7:00 a.m., my eyes fly open as colors of sunrise stream through the bedroom window.  Grabbing my robe, I slide my feet into slippers and pull the camera out of its case as I head out the door – never mind that it is only 21 degrees and snow on the ground.  Almost too late, I take a couple photos of the sunrise color before it fades to dull grey of an overcast sky.

Today is my 65^th birthday.  I am officially – chronologically only – a senior citizen.

No wind, hmmm, might be a good morning to have a campfire.  So, I make a thermos of yerba matte and gather up journal, paper trash to burn, matches, and, of course, the camera.  Out again, this time with coat, hat, gloves, and winter boots.  At the fire ring, the trash to burn is topped with twigs and a couple of branches.  A match sets the pile on fire, first just a smoldering, but soon a lively fire sends warmth my way as I sit on a flat rock on the edge of the fire ring.

I watch the blaze, pour myself a cup of the hot slightly sweetened tea, and write a bit in my morning journal.  Steam drifts upward as the hot liquid meets the chill morning air.   I think about what I do know for certain after 65 years and at this moment, it is this: the fire is warm and I am glad to be here.

When Clifford gets up, he comes out briefly to invite me to go to breakfast.  I stay by the fire until it burns down,

then head into the house to get ready for a little breakfast outing.  There are three good restaurants with a few miles and we end up going to the one closest to us.  It is a pleasant cozy place and breakfast is good.  I write a bit more in my journal while we eat.

The rest of the day is taken up with a variety of activities:  we write a business letter that needs to be taken care of,

make a couple of calls to Carnicom Institute staff members and I call Becka, as she had left a message while we gone, wishing me happy birthday.  I check email and Facebook, and finish editing a chapter of Karen’s book.  Being at the computer so much of the day makes my eyes tired.

Clifford and I do dishes together and later I make nachos for dinner – quick, easy, and tasty.

Somehow the day passes without having gone for a hike or playing my cello…  I would have liked to have included both in my birthday itinerary.

At the close of the day, I light the candle that Clifford got me for my birthday, loving the delicate designs that show up when the candle is burning.  I recall the campfire this morning and my thought: the fire is warm and I am glad to be here.  This says to me that I am living in the moment with gratitude for Life and my life.  Pretty good way to spend today, my birthday, and all days to come.

For me to post a blog, especially when the instructions which I dutifully printed don’t match what I see on the screen, is a kind of stretching.   Pushing the envelope of my existence.  I know it doesn’t seem like much for most folks nowadays, but my hardwiring just doesn’t seem to support all the computer stuff that we live with on a daily basis.  Just to figure out how to scan my driver’s license and passport on one device, process it and transfer it to anther device, and then get it to its destination – sounds straightforward, but it brought me to the verge of tears.  And so it goes in this digital cyber world.  I am very willing to stretch myself and I do so every time we go backpacking, every time I learn a new piece of music, every time I focus on the scene I am photographing.  Stretching is good, pushing the envelope is good, so let’s see if this blog shows up where it is supposed to with a photo attached.