Another Trip Around the Sun

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

The carousel of time came round again and my birthday was last Monday. I suppose it would be appropriate for me to find a picture of myself as an adorable infant on my first birthday (which of course I was), but instead, I offer you a picture of me on my third birthday, which was 70 years ago (if I’ve done my math right).

This is the first birthday I remember, and not just because there was a picture of it. We were at my aunt’s house, and I was given a small fishing pole that fit in a metal canister when it was taken apart.

  Dad loved to fish, and I was happy to be able to go fishing with him with my very own pole.

I may not remember many of the intricate details of the birthdays since then or the presents I received, but those birthdays I was able to spend with my family were precious indeed.

One birthday present that is vivid in my memory was the one our son gave me possibly 12 years or so. He arranged with a local pilot to take us on a 30-minute plane ride over the countryside. The Fall colors here are not quite as spectacular as the pictures I have seen of the New England states, but flying over the patchwork of bronze, gold, rust, and scarlet of the Ozarks was just breathtaking.

I do not have much skill in decorating birthday cakes…

 But this year I didn’t have to make a cake for myself, because a lovely woman who I go to church with...

made me a beautiful layered birthday cake and brought it to the house. 

It was a memorable birthday indeed.

Senior Moment x2

Senior moment: an instance of momentary forgetfulness or confusion that is attributed to the aging process

It is easy to laugh about having a senior moment after some time has passed, but it isn’t so funny when you’re in the middle of one of these episodes and your spouse is right there with you in it.
 

Understanding that a “reasonable price” for a bell pepper now is not the same as a “reasonable price” was before inflation hit, the local grocery store had really nice, large, green bell peppers at a reasonable price. I use bell peppers fairly regularly and was planning to make Peking Hamburgers,  (which this website has lifted from the “Cooking for Two” cookbook I got as a wedding present) and requires a bell pepper ring.
 

On Tuesday I went to the grocery store. Bell peppers were still on sale and were on the list. I remember stopping where the bell peppers were and picking one up and admiring it.
 

Two days later when it came time to make the hamburgers, I couldn’t find the bell peppers. Richard and I both looked in the refrigerator… I took most everything in there out. We looked on the table where some other produce was, under the table, behind the chairs, several other places in the living area. Maybe I left them in the car? Nope.
 

I was positive I had bought the bell peppers and  Richard was positive he had seen them when I brought them home.  I finally found the receipt for the groceries I had bought, and bell peppers were not on the receipt. I never bought them – although I was convinced I had – and Richard never saw them – although he was convinced he had.
 

One of the local pharmacies is recruiting people to participate in a study about Alzheimer disease and dementia. I am half tempted to sign us up.