May 20th

       My sister called this morning to discuss my birthday weekend and how we are going to celebrate...she is coming from St. Louis...we booked hotel rooms in Atlantic City but hope to do the big apple too...it will be exciting...weeded the garden..worked about an hour, but forced myself to stop as I don't want to throw my back out.It was so beautiful, sunshine, cool breeze...I had to force myself...or I would have weeded for another hour...tomorrow I will have to be very diligent and dig up the many raspberry vines that grew from bird plantings, volunteer plants, and replant them on the side of the house...there must be 20 plants...and hopefully Ican get in the tomatoes this weekend and get my honey to work on the water...so it does it every other day automatically....
      Made a hair and dentist appointment and am working on attending a friends retirement party..I am not one to talk on the phone unless i have something important to share or find out so making appointments is a chore for me..
   Went to a dinner tonight honoring the new retirees and it was great to see all the people I use to work with...one thing I noticed was ...I have finally stopped considering myself as a teacher...now i am a wife, mother, sister, grandparent,student, painter,and friend...but not necessarily in that order...that is a content feeling...much like the joy of relaxing with a cup of coffee after a delicious meal. Everyone thought I looked great...I wonder if they all spent 2 hours washing and setting their hair, putting on special make-up, and going through several outfits before they felt they had found the most flattering one...I notice It takes me longer to get myself ready to go out ...but I still love to dress up...and feel beautiful.
        Joe went fishing ..caught a few but shared them with the kids so I got none...disappointing...next time...He came home bushed but watched a little t.v. with me before he went to bed...He is determined to get the boat in the water before the end of the month...It is a small motor boat and about 15 years old..so there is always an issue or two to solve before we can actually launch it.