As I write this journal entry, I am 14 days away from celebrating my 44^th birthday, and falling more and more in love every day with my small acreage of property that is  surrounded by woods and slowly being overrun by gardens and animals.  Every day I wake up, wishing I could find a way to make that my daily reality instead of the typical 40+ hours stuck behind a desk and computer screen each week.  I’m not ungrateful for any of it—I know I’m lucky to even have a job in this economy, but that doesn’t invalidate my feelings.  I know that I have been blessed in countless ways, but I can still dream and long for something different.   

Some people panic over an impending birthday, but I consider each one a gift.  I’m grateful to have reached this age.  My birthday doesn't affect me in a negative, “oh my god I’m getting sooooooo old!” kind of way and I've never felt compelled to lie about my age either (okay—maybe when I was under 21 and trying to sneak into bars).  I'm well aware of the unwritten societal rules--the ones that insist on pigeon-holing people into neat, easy categories, complete with a laundry list of "thou shall and shall nots" based on age, income bracket, gender, race, religion, etc.  Well, you get the drift... 

But I really don’t feel any different than I always have—I’ve matured obviously, have some great and not so great experiences under my belt, and I certainly don’t take life for granted anymore.  I’m much more patient and understanding, but my tolerance for bullshit is almost non-existent. 

My age doesn’t define who I am, nor does it dictate what I should or shouldn’t do.  Peace Pilgrim started her 28 year walking pilgrimage at the age of 44—when the majority of people are getting more settled in their lives and even starting to contemplate retirement.   All of my friends have kids—my best friend of thirty-years celebrated the birth of her first grand-child over four years ago.   Yes, priorities change with age, but that isn’t an excuse to start applying the brakes as far as I’m concerned, because in my case, I’m just getting started. 

Strawberry Season

Vacation Day Friday=Strawberry picking in Trenary=15 pints of freezer jam (and I still have 3 boxes left).  It was a great day!

Knitted Peasant Shawl

I refused to give up on this knitting project, even when I found myself having to start all over again (three times to be exact).  I eventually learned that markers are a knitters best friend (I’m sometimes slow to grasp the obvious).  I love this shawl and have already started another.  Only thing left to do is block it, but I'm a bit hesitant since I've never done it before and worry about ruining the yarn.  

 I have several other knitting projects planned over the course of the summer, mostly afghans and fancy scarves to give to my family as Christmas gifts.  Completing this project has given given me a confidence boost in my ability as a knitter.  Still have lots to learn!