Thursday, November 3, 2011

Happy Birthday To Me...

Today's my birthday!

I won't tell you my age 'cause it'll scare you worse than Halloween.  I will confide, though, that I was born in 1957, way back when Eisenhower was President.  That means I was a kid during the 1960s and a teenager during the 1970s.  I lived through interesting and turbulent times.

A funny thing about getting older is nothing really changes.  Your inner core remains the same, even as your external body ages.  If you work on maintaining your health, then that outside shell can remain pretty stable, too.

A benefit of getting older is the acquisition of wisdom.  You shed cultural ideas that lack merit and focus on things with real intrinsic value.  For me, that's living authentically, treating friends well and helping people.  Social status has no value to me any more.  I appreciate who I am and don't need anyone else's approval to feel good about myself.

How do you feel on your birthdays?  Do you welcome them, dread them or ignore them?

I want to thank those of you who sent birthday cards.  Megan drew a handmade card that I'll cherish forever.  Tracy sent a gorgeous necklace I'll wear often (it's the first one shown below), and my friend M. from Sweden also sent me a pretty necklace (it's the second one below).




It's my tradition to buy myself a gift on my birthday.  I started doing this years ago when I didn't get gifts I wanted from other people.  Rather than feel sorry for myself over that, I remedied the situation by coming to my own rescue.  I always know what I like!

This year, I got myself something which is long, flowing and beautiful.  You'll see it soon in pictures.  I know you're not naive, so when readers say, "Ally, your hair grew so fast and got lighter in color," you'll realize what I bought myself for my birthday.  :)

35 comments:

  1. Happy birthday! Have a wonderful year and many superb birthdays ahead! :)
    I'm really looking forward to that long and flowing present! :)

    My best birthday present was when the first snow of the year feel on my birthday (18th of december). I was standing on the street and watching the flakes illuminated by the streetlamps. It felt like they're falling for me, it was magical.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy birthday! I hope you have a fabulous day!!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Happy Birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy yourself. Eat lots of cake :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday Ally. Mine is later this month and I am 6 years older than you so I also grew up about the same time.
    I totally agree that we do get wiser as we get older and yet feel the same inside our heads as we did when we were young.
    You got some really pretty necklaces and I can hardly wait to see your reveal.
    I picked my present for this year and will reveal it on my birthday.
    Again, happy birthday dear Ally.

    ReplyDelete
  6. YAYYY!!!! Happy happy birthday to you Ally dear! What a special day! It's both a pleasure and an honour to have made your acquaintance! Warm wishes and hugs from the bottom of my heart!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy happy Birhtday! Have a wonderfull day with the people you love and lots of cake :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy birthday! You're a year older than my momma. And I'm okay with that.

    Your gifts are purrty. My card is coming. :( I thought your birthday was tomorrow. Fail. So my card is going to be late. I'm not quite sure you'll cherish it forever, but hey. Something like that.

    I used to just ignore my birthdays, but now I'm all about them and get super obnoxious with telling everyone it's my birthday. I'm excited for another one. I actually think I'm improving with age, so I guess it's nothing to dread.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Birthday, sweet dear Ally! You are only 10 years older than me (I have lots of friends that age).

    I am excited to see your wig (I think that's what you're hinting at!). Here's to another year of love, laughter and whatever makes you happy!

    Hugs,
    Sheila

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Birthday!
    Buying yourself a birthday present is TOTALLY acceptable. I treat myself to awesome things basically the entire month of my birthday, because I'm that type of person. I am looking forward to seeing this present you got yourself though!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy birthday!! I love your attitude towards getting older. Maturity and sensibility like that certainly doesn't happen overnight! I can't wait until I get a taste of it myself. Ha!

    I'm going to be two years younger than 30 in December and I'm dreading it. I might not dread it so much if my parents didn't make such a big deal of it. "You're almost 30 and you're not even married!" and "You're almost 30 and you don't have kids yet!" and "You're almost 30 and you don't own a house yet!" Sigh. Did you get crap like that when you were my age?

    I think it's awesome you buy yourself a present every year. Nothing wrong with that at all! I can't wait to see what it is in your next post! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Birthday! I buy my own gifts as well so I can get what I really want instead of what someone else thinks I might like. It sure makes for a happier birthday, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy Birthday Ally! I am just a bit older than you and I so agree about how our insides feel the same. I think I am about 32!! I hope your day/year/rest of days/ are filled with happiness, and doing what is important to you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Birthday Ally! I hope the coming year is filled with love, and laughter and all the things that bring you joy.

    Godspeed!
    Doreen

    P.S. - thanks for your very sweet note on my blog. I'm trying to plan my next move.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy birthday, Ally. I'm really excited about your new thing you aren't really telling us what it is but you kindasorta did present to yourself. That's going to be AWESOME!! I'm really happy you liked the necklace and feel like you can wear it often. Phew!

    My birthday is 2 days after Christmas. So, it's kind of a bummer and anti-climactic. You know? But Ian and his Momma always do something special for me on that day. This year, my sister might be giving birth to her third baby girl on my bday. Now THAT would be an amazing present.

    xoxo,
    Tracy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Eee! Happy Birthday! Looks like you got some goodies, and I can't wait to see what you bought yourself. I'm a strong believer in the gift-card or cash gift because personally I know people will buy what they want or need.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Birthday, I know it was a wonderful day for you. (Sidenote: I think I finally figured out how to post my name here insetead of always using anonymous)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Happy birthday dear friend.
    If you feel anciente, you might start looking it. You are ageless and gorgeous.
    Do visit me from time to time, after all we are in the same list, yeahhhhhhhhh
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    ReplyDelete
  19. Happy birthday! I always buy a present for myself too--I have such good taste. :)

    Hope your birthday is filled with lots of fun and love!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Happy Birthday!!! Hope your day is full of blessings :)
    Those are some great necklaces that your received & I love that Megan made you a card. Too sweet of your friends. Can't wait to see your gift to yourself!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Happy Birthday! Lovely necklaces & will look forward to seeing your gift to yourself [they're normally the best ones right, nobody knows you better than you!]xx

    ReplyDelete
  22. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! How very exciting and what beautiful gifts you've gotten so far! I can't wait to see your gift to yourself (I do this for Christmas!)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Happy birthday, looks like you're having a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Happy Birthday!! Sounds like you are having a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy birthday! Beautiful necklaces and hope to see photos of your long flowy present :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am such a jerk, I missed wishing you happy bday yesterday!! I am so sorry for this!! Sounds like you had a great day-- those necklaces are beautiful.. I cant wait to see them on you.. ÅND cant wait to see the prezzy you bought yourself...

    xoxo J

    ReplyDelete
  27. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVER FACE.
    My birthday is on November 8, which means that we are November birthday twinkies. Yay! :)
    I always buy myself birthday presents. You are so not alone in this. Your necklace is just gorgeous.

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

    ReplyDelete
  28. The happiest birthday to you !
    I hope you had a wonderful time.
    I try to ignore my birthdays but its not working.
    I know what you got and I am SO looking forward to see your new look.
    Hugs
    Lorena

    ReplyDelete
  29. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I LOVE YOUR SPARKLES!

    ReplyDelete
  30. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love your take on birthday and you verbalize it so beautifully.
    Even though the 'number' has become something I can't even comprehend anymore I still love my b-days and have never dreaded them.
    When I was a little girl my aunt would go out of her way to make my b-day parties extremely special. I always have fond memories of my b-days.

    By the way, you are way too kind and I am so flattered by your recent comment. Thank you so much for making me feel good. :)
    Daphne.
    http://fashiondivamommy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mine was on the first and I'm exactly ten years younger than you, (but don't worry, my lips are sealed!) I love your take-charge attitude regarding gifts. I used to take myself to fancy restaurants and travel alone because I hated the idea that I might not get to do something if I didn't find a partner to do it with. It brought me such a sense of self-worth and confidence over time to participate in my destiny.

    I love birthdays and I love getting older. Things are just easier. I just really have more fun and worry less.

    :) f

    ReplyDelete