I was thinking of celebrating my birthday this year by getting up before sunrise and going up the trail to the hill I was on a couple of weeks ago and watch the sun come up.  Thought it would be something cool to do on my birthday.  Or at least walk in to a good vantage point that didn’t involve me walking up a steep trail in the dark.  I’m not quite sure what I was thinking.  I have great plans at night, but I’m not really a morning person.  LOL Instead I slept in until 9:00 and strolled around in the house in my pjs for part of the day.  It was cold and too windy for picture taking and/or exploring.  I mostly did what I normally do any other Saturday when my husband is working.  Cleaning and laundry; well except for the little plumbing issue. But husband fixed that rather quickly.  The kids and I did make birthday cupcakes for me, so that was fun!  And I read the many birthday wishes on Facebook from family, friends and acquaintances. But, I didn’t win the lottery so I guess it’s back to work tomorrow.  Haha!

A few days ago I had no clue what I was going to talk about.  Well, I had an idea.  It’s my birthday.  I’m getting older.  Got cupcakes and presents.  Yup, that sums it up…  I am constantly looking for signs of inspiration, and yesterday I got that in three separate birthday gifts.  A picture frame, a new book, and a new coffee mug.  All of which I have featured in this post.   The picture frame, I think, will inspire me to get more prints of my photos so I can be reminded of something special.  It will also remind me to stop comparing myself to others and to concentrate on my own work.  Blaze my own trail, so to speak.  Too often I find myself thinking; I’ll never be as good as this person or that person.  When really I should be myself.  I am pretty awesome. Aren’t we all!!  The book, “In The Company Of Women” by Grace Bonney, will show me how many other women are living their dream; and I can too!  I am only a couple of stories in and am already feeling inspired!  The coffee mug… well besides the uplifting quote… will hold my coffee of course.  And coffee REALLY inspires me.

As you can tell I don’t hate my birthdays.  Quite the opposite.  I also don’t mind whether I have a “celebration” or not.  Every year, I’m just thankful that I got another year on this planet.  Then I think back on the past year and things I wanted to accomplish.  Did I complete them or are they even really important anymore?  Did I put in enough effort to get the job done?  What do I want to accomplish before I turn 47?  It’s sort of like my New Year’s resolutions.  What do I want to do with the rest of my life?  My creative life that is.  I’m slowly inching my way closer to 50 and that used to seem scary, you know, the old mortality thing.  But worrying does not stop the clock.  It just stops you from enjoying the present.  The past is in the past and you can carry forward unfinished projects with you, or let them go.  So today, the day after my birthday, while I’m contemplating eating yet another cupcake, I realize that I have to stop thinking; start planning and start doing.  Get my butt in gear.  Right after I eat that cupcake, and drink another cup of coffee…

So, friends, what do you think of birthdays?  Do you love them?  Do you think they suck?  Do you have a love/hate relationship with them?  Let me know by commenting below.  I’m off to fill up treat bags for the kiddies for Halloween tomorrow night.  Thanks for stopping by to enjoy the view from where I am…