The celebration concludes

Monday, we went to work as usual, a full day with stops in the Ephrata and New Holland area. When we got home, about 5:00, we walked into a clean house! For their gift to me, the kids surprised me . . . they had hired a cleaning service to come and clean the house, including windows and refrigerator. Sarah arranged to be there to organize my clutter, since I had no clue my house would be invaded. The gift includes three more cleaning days. What a wonderful gift. I can't think of anything I'd appreciate more. And Terah had dinner in process, the table set for two . . . steak on the grill, salad and baked potatoes (microwaved with an onion also) and wine, of course. Then she and Nathan took off to look at more houses. I then spent a couple of hours in the office preparing paperwork for the next three days on the road.

On Tuesday, the actual birthday, we packed our bags and equipment and headed north. We had three cows on the schedule at a farm near Elizabethville, north of Halifax in Dauphin County. From there, we headed further north to Wysox/Towanda. These towns are along the Susquehanna River in Bradford County, Wysox on one side, Towanda on the other. We checked into our motel, showered, then headed to the River Stone Inn in Wysox for dinner. We enjoyed prime rib, baked potato and salad, and shared a bottle of Turning Leaf Cabernet.

That was pretty much it. I don't think I've ever before had a birthday celebration that stretched for six days--seven if you include tonight's dinner!

Tonight, after working 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., we cleaned ourselves up and then went to a place outside Towanda called the Italian Villa. We shared a half carafe of cabernet . . . I forget the brand. I had Hawaiian chicken . . . strips of boneless chicken breast in a pineapple sauce (that included red and green peppers) over rice. It was sooo yummy I moaned out loud. Larry had veal Marsala and his meal was tasty also. I'm sure we'll return to this restaurant when we are in the area again.

I've been treated pretty well, wouldn't you agree? Still trying to wrap my head around "senior citizen." I went to bed Tuesday evening, lying in the dark, I still felt like a kid in my inner being. How's that, do you suppose? Maybe because our spirits don't age like our bodies do . . .

Okay, enough. It's already past 11:00 and we have to be back on the
farm by 7:30 in the morning.

The celebration continued through the weekend

The women of our small group headed down 272 to the Chesapeake Bay for the weekend. Our destination was a cottage owned by one of our group at Hack's Point, a little community on the bay, actually on the Bohemia River.

We walked into the cottage and there was a lovely bouquet of flowers with three helium balloons . . . the first time in my life I was given balloons! For dinner that evening we enjoyed chicken corn soup made with home frozen corn and homemade olive bread. Larry sent six bottles of wine along, and we drank two of them . . . an Elderberry/Blackberry blend and Red Raspberry. We talked and laughed until after midnight.


In the morning, three of us got up first and went for a walk down to the water. Back at the cottage we enjoyed homemade granola for breakfast, then piled in the van for a day of touring and shopping. Our first stop was at a local potter, Sassi, in

the little village of Still Pond. I loved his style and ended up buying a mug and bowl. I was also intrigued by the historical marker across the street proclaiming the names of three women who voted in a municipal election 12 years before the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote.


From there, we headed to the historic town of Chestertown where we browsed through several shops and ate lunch. I had crab quiche. Mmmm. What a great place, and
spring was beginning to make an appearance, evidenced by daffodils and flowering trees. We passed a huge dairy farm . . . I had to take a picture because this farm was one of Larry's first clients when he started out on his own. We haven't worked there for years, but nonetheless, they were significant clients in the early years.


Back at the cottage, we walked around the area a bit until it was time for dinner. We had grilled chicken over pasta, asparagus with sauteed pine nuts and garlic, salad and more birthday cake. We drank another bottle of wine, this one a special selection Larry sent, 2005 Mannatawney Creek Cabernet Franc. This wine won first place in Pennsylvania Wine Society's annual contest. My friend had arranged for a birthday blessing which the women read to me . . . it was a piece written by Joyce Rupp. It was a special time and I feel much gratitude for these friendships.
We ended up talking way into the night.

Sunday morning we woke to rain. We enjoyed more granola, then a morning of conversation, lunch of leftover chicken corn soup, bread and salad, then continued discussions until time to pack up and head home, leaving about 2:00.

We talked about current careers and future plans, families of origin and
early life experiences, relationships and much more. We laughed so hard
that I had little salt specks on my glasses lenses Monday morning. It
was relaxing, stress-free and one of the best times I've had with a group
of women in a long time.

The celebrating has begun

Not that turning 60 is necessarily a big deal. Last night we were at Steve and Fran's for dinner, along with Scot and Sarah. Wine, pork loin, mashed potatoes, salad, broccoli, cake and ice cream. Fran tried to get everyone together, but it didn't work out. Nathan and Terah had other plans, and though Reuben and Donna are coming for the weekend, they didn't arrive until today.

No family party over the weekend because I'm not going to be here. The women of our small group are going to the bay. There was a time I would have felt guilty going away when the kids are all here, but not now. They'll enjoy being together, but they'll have to take care of themselves. No cooking and cleaning for me. I'll be sittin' on the dock of the bay . . .

Marilyn