six decades of celebrations...

I arrived on January 19, 1952

at 12:12 am...

weighing 7 lbs. 13 oz. 

That would be sixty years ago today!

I have a few cards that were sent to mark the occasion of my arrival way back then...

including this one that says..

Love from Uncle, Aunt and Cousins at Ninga.

I must find out who that might have been.

I also have a wee baby book that Mom kept for me.

I know that my first visitors were my cousins...

Lorraine and Bobby Fast and Marilyn Baerg.

How fitting!

Other than a few snapshots...

I know little of those early years.

But birthdays were always meant to be celebrated...

and that was usually a family affair.

The cake was the same every year...

an old-fashioned golden layer cake...

with plum preserves between the layers...

and smothered in seven-minute frosting.

I can almost taste it!

Having a birthday in January definitely had it's disadvantages.

Birthday parties were cancelled due to a snowstorms.

 

Sweet sixteen arrived in no time.

It can't have been all that memorable...

since I have no recollection of that particular birthday.

One that I will never forget however...

was my 20th birthday.  

I was newly married...

and we moved into my parents house for the month of January while they went to Australia.

It seemed like a good idea at the outset.

We would look after the dairy farm...

and my four younger siblings in their absence.

My little brother was six at the time.

January 19th marked the beginning one of the most devastating ice-storms to hit our area...ever. 

How's that for a nice birthday picture?

I think I wore my dad's coveralls and lived in the barn for a week straight.

For many days we had no power (72 1/2 hours to be exact).

And when the electricity returned...

the house was without water as all the pipes had frozen underground.

Oh yes...that was a birthday I would sooner forget!

My 30th was celebrated in Hawaii.
Pierre...our Swiss exchange student...looked after the farm.
My sister and brother-in-law moved in with our children while we were away.

It was difficult to turn 40 without anyone noticing.

I'm not sure anyone ever admitted to placing that sign on our lawn...

but I think I can thank my sisters.

My 50th was celebrated with 50 friends...

a surprise orchestrated by my hubby.

We rode a motor coach together to our destination...

my first 'seniors bus tour'!

It's been fun celebrating birthdays with the grands this past decade.

I still remember how excited these two were the day they had me over for a surprise birthday dinner.

As for the handsome gentleman seated on the chair in front of us...

it was the card the girls gave me.

We were on our way to Hawaii...

and so they thought I needed a themed card.

I still have it...of course!

Last year my birthday came and went while we were in Kenya...

...at this lovely spot near Mombassa, actually.

And how am I celebrating my 60th birthday?

I have no idea...

really.

I have a good friend who is also having her 60th birthday...shortly.

 Our husbands have collaborated and are whisking us away for a few days...

and that's where we will be by the time this post is published.
(It seems we have left a blizzard behind at home!)

I'll be back...
when the party is over!