There. That wasn't so bad.
Turning 50 was not the traumatic experience I expected. (The tiara itched and pinched, but nobody said it was easy being queen for a day.) The family gave me so many wonderful surprises and I was even given the 'birthday treatment' at work. This surprised me, since I am the one who tabulates birthdays and oversees the circulation of cards. (So someone was working behind my back.)

I have a very large portrait that my father took of me on my fifth birthday. (Why so large? He had his own darkroom and liked to enlarge pics that he was fond of. I won't go into some of his other experiments of my youth, such as the photo montage of seven poses of Ellyn sitting on her 'training' chair. Whatever. The technique did lend itself well to later subjects. ) The photo was propped on the dining room table at breakfast. And the kids found the very same pink plastic five that topped the cake in the picture and put it on top of my birthday cake.

Nothing ordinary like a flamingo or penguin salute on the front lawn. No, sir. I found a seven foot inflatable leprechaun in my living room! (Actually, he had been intended for the front lawn...but a blustery Monday evening made the kids decide to play it safe and anchor him to the couch instead.) I think we have a new family tradition here. He may have to appear at every auspicious event. Birthdays. Anniversaries. What the heck, Em, I think we'll put him out on the lawn on your wedding day, too!