I had a great birthday. I always do. I look forward to getting older and older, moving forward, upward then out of here, ‘never to return’, to quote that uni-browed wonder Frieda Kahlo.
This attitude helps me to treat every birthday like a holiday. I took the day off and went to the NY Botanical Garden. I walked through the forest to the waterfall. The sound of the rushing water had a tranquil effect on me, so I stayed there for a long time. I used a twig to etch my name and birthday, 11/17/62, in the dirt with a circle around it. One of my best friends called. We had an enlightened conversation for a while with the sound of the waterfall rushing in the background then mom called and that was a nice conversation too.
I hung out a bit in the forest then went to see the Japanese kiku chrysanthemums. I had a hard time finding the greenhouse and had to pee and couldn’t find a bathroom. I found some stupid porta pottys and unfortunately had to use one of them.
I walked and walked and walked and felt it in my ass and legs because I haven’t slept enough and had some pre-menopausal weirdness going on — or — maybe it’s just because I’m half of a hundred years old! But the landscape is so lovely there, though Sandy wreaked havoc on a hundred of their trees and a lot of the pretty leaves had blown off of them. The walk to the chrysanthemums was worth it however – what a fascinating display. I have wack pictures taken with my cheap phone camera which doesn’t do them justice:
That last picture is a group of chrysanthemums that had been grown from a single stem — too bad it’s all fuzzy right? And who the hell is that nice lady?
I came home — ate what I wanted to eat — a hamburger medium rare and huge onion rings from the Piper’s Kilt. Being a cake enthusiast, of course I had cake and cake! Since Halloween was somewhat intercepted because of my namesake hurricane, it’s still going on in my apartment, which is decorated thusly. Usually Halloween’s officially over for me after my birthday anyway. I watched the movie Vault of Horror with the last of my Halloween candles lit and said ‘This is the life’!
And thank you all for wishing me a Happy Birthday.
1800ukillme 
I am glad that your birthday was good and the chrysanthemums are beautiful!! Hope your weekend is going well! 😉
Thanks Carla — always nice to hear your kind words. My weekend is sailing along smoothly so far! Those chrysanthemums were really spectacular in person. It was the last day for them there so I was lucky to get to see them.
Glad you had a great birthday Aunt Sandee. Hurray again!
Thanks BB! I appreciate it! Hip hip hooray!
That sounds like a perfect birthday. I have grown to really love the world of flowers – I think that means we’re getting old. I didn’t have time for flowers when I was young. Now I’m in the garden all the time.
Anyway, I’m glad that’s how you spent your day and delicious cake at the end of it. Yay!
This made me laugh about getting older and the flowers! Oh I’m scared now. Am I going to be in a blue bonnet wearing an apron, sowing seeds in a couple of years?
Thanks for the birthday wishes Lisa!
Sounds like a great way to spend your Birthday.. I love strolling through botanical gardens, surrounded by all that pretty….So glad your day was an enjoyable one!!!
Thanks Lynne! It was a perfect day.
Sounds like a great day. Except for having to use a portapotty. No one should have to experience that on their special day.
Blasted porta potty’s! But they are a blessing when you have to go. That was the only blemish though I must say.
Glad you had a lovely time on your special day. Happy belated birthday!
Thank you Kat!
What a perfect day, Sandee! By the way, they have very nice restrooms at the entrance to the garden, right by the gift shop and across from the cafe (right? who knew?). Half a hundred? You’ve got a ways to go, my friend. I’m glad I get to explore that journey with you sometimes! xoxoM
Thanks Margarita — I did in fact use that restroom on the way out and they are nice.
I’m glad to be able to explore the journey with you as well…
It is so, so refreshing to hear someone actually talk about the joys of becoming a year older. I feel like these days, the norm is to lie about your age and bemoan each passing year, celebrating birthdays ironically since aging is supposedly a scary thing. I’ve done it myself out of fear for what lies ahead and because I thought growing up meant getting lame. But I love my life more the older I get. Adult birthdays SHOULD be celebrated with as much (if not more) adulation as the birthdays of children. I’m so glad you had a great one, Sandee.
Thanks Emily! I’m glad you can see where I’m coming from. I think it’s sad when people don’t want to age — but that’s just me. I talked to a woman who has the same birth date as mine who says she cries sometimes on her birthday. Maybe it’ll change for her. I hope so.
I need to go to that botanical garden now…. fuzzy pictures or no… I totally need to.
I am glad you had a good birthday. 🙂
It did do a lot to relax me. The flowers were great but they had that water fall there that really calmed my nerves. A great place to meditate. Thanks Tham!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDEE!!! Especially because it’s your 50th (I am just 8 months behind you).
I found your post inspiring and positive and I see some new cakes in the sidebar. Maybe I didn’t scroll down and look recently?
I have never been to the NY Botanical Garden but I think I would like it. And even though in the past I made fun of the camera on your phone, I love the way the top left photos of the chrysanthemums came out. Like pom poms and it looks like Monet’s bridge at Giverny.
I love your spiffy new cute photo, too. You are adorable and pretty. Does it matter? I don’t know.
I’m still catching up on posts…..Have a great day, week, month, year. Happy again! Katherine
Katherine! Yay! I hope you’re doing okay. Your comment certainly peps me up. Thanks for your birthday wishes too. It’s so cool to know we’re the same age. We’re not alone 🙂 I think you’d love the NY Botanical Garden, but the one where I work called Wave Hill is really nice because it’s smaller, more intimate and borders the Hudson River and has a view of the palisades. Uh boy — one day I’ll invest in a decent camera.
Sounds like you had a fantastic day! Here’s to the next 50!
Thanks Purple Mary! Gee, I don’t know if I want another 50 of these — hahaha!
When I saw the title of your post, “Never to return,” I panicked because I thought you were announcing that you weren’t going to be blogging anymore. I’m so relieved.
So glad you had a great day! What kind of cake(s) did you have?
Thank you MW! I bought a slice of German Chocolate cake and a slice of carrot cake. Of course at work today they bought me a cake for my birthday.
Glad you had a great birthday!
Yay for cake! I’m guessing it was pink? 🙂
P.S. If it makes you feel any better, I used a porta potty once. I have nightmares about it now.
I wish I could have found a pink cake — I love yellow cake with pink frosting but really lemon cake with yellow lemon frosting is my favorite. I had carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and German chocolate. I had to buy just one piece each because I would eat the entire cake. Next time I’ll have a party for the purpose of buying a whole cake.
Sandee you are far too descriptive about cake. I love it! But now I am hungry.
That was rather descriptive I see — haha! I guess I can’t help it.
Good for you! And I feel bad, because I didn’t actually mention your birthday (I’m doing it now, Happy Birthday!) until after you thanked me for it.
Don’t feel bad at all. Thank you Smak!
I’m late to the party, but happy birthday! (Ahem. Sorry about that.)
I accept belated birthday wishes just the same! Thank you kindly!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaw I missed your birthday. I suck 😦
Glad to hear you had a happy birthday. I love birthdays, especially because of the birthday cake! Happy belated B-Day! Hugs
I take happy birthdays throughout the year — hugs received! Thank you thank you!