Jim's Birthday

I have been home as long as I was in St. Pete Beach--three weeks.  It has not been a great three weeks.  I have struggled with insomnia for no real reason except it builds on itself.  There have been good nights followed by good days but too many wakeful nights followed by days of shakiness and some depression.

So I haven't felt like blogging and there really has been nothing to blog about!  Jeff once said, "Mom feels a blog coming on."  Well, for the last three weeks, I haven't!

But today is Jim's 72nd birthday so I will record the way we will celebrate it.  We don't usually give each other gifts.  If we want or need something, we buy it.  Jim is marking the day by going to the BMV to get his license renewed.  It didn't seem possible to do it online this time.

So we celebrate with food!  I fixed Jim French toast for breakfast--his favorite breakfast.  Tonight we will have lasagna, one of his favorite suppers.  It is a bit labor intensive so I don't make it often.  I'll buy some bread, asparagus, (his favorite vegetable-not mine), some good red wine, and an ice cream cake.  We'll have our usual wine and cheese at 5 pm I hope.

Our days have a comfortable routine in our retirement.  I do most of my activities in the morning--volunteering at the libraries, Women's Bible Study, organ practice, or walking with a friend (except they have almost all disappeared on me!).  Jim is home in the morning and then goes to Notre Dame to his office after lunch.  Yesterday he met two students who are writing dissertations but he often has no appointments.  He likes the presence of colleagues, the change of space, and the resources.

I am thankful for Jim, for his love for me and his tolerance of me, for his work and the support he is to young colleagues and students, and for his wry humor which gives me many a needed laugh.

We are thankful for his good health in spite of a few issues.  May it continue for another year!