Happy Birthday to me!!!!!

birthday goats

from my favorite backyard friends

Happy Birthday to me

Yikes! These numbers are getting up there.  I was born on a Friday and this year my birthday was on a Friday again.  It's ok.  It happens to a few of us.  I have always loved having a birthday around so many holidays.  Lincoln's birthday the day before.....we actually celebrated Lincoln's birthday when I was in school....and then Valentine's Day the day after.  It's a happy time of year.  I started celebrating this year by participating in a Mala workshop at my Yoga studio.  Mala beads are Buddhist prayer beads.  We created necklaces of stone beads that had special meaning to "LOVE" and ourselves.  I chose beads that attract serenity, love and creativity.  My single stone protects me from harm.  Yesterday I practiced a little Yoga in the studio and then spent the rest of the day at home with my Denver girls.  Ryan made a yummy dinner and we polished it off with chocolate fondue!!!  The dippers were strawberries (of course), pineapple, kiwi and gluten free angel food cake.  My Kate has a personal signature of getting more chocolate on her face than in her mouth.  This morning I went to a Pilates class and then had my 67 year old toes painted lilac.  Thank you all for your lovely Birthday wishes.  I appreciate every one of them.  Now I must go take a nap.

Mala beads

Triangle pose

Reverse warrior 2  Who doesn't practice  backyard Yoga in Denver in February with Granddaughters, chickens and goats?

Chocolate fondue for birthday cake

She just can't help it- more chocolate on the face than in the mouth

Goofball Ella

May we all walk with love and kindness, peace in our hearts,  and barefoot with lilac toes
Happy Birthday to me!

butterfly cheese cake, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

ready for cake, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Kate is 4

Happy birthday cake, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Happy Birthday, Kate

make a wish!

make a wish!, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Happy birthday to my daughter, Whitney! It is your special day and I hope you enjoy it with lots of love and hugs! You have been such a great help to me making this big move to Denver and I appreciate it so much. Planning for your birthday reminded me of the gift you used to ask for, "Can I have something with a blue box and a white ribbon, please?" My Lord, Tiffany's has raised their prices so that even the "affordable" silver section is tiny but at least we can have the Tiffany blue and elegance in our celebrations!

cakes under glass

cakes under glass, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Here's the result: Lemon cake with Tiffany blue royal icing, lemon meringue buttercream frosting and lemon curd. These little cakelet pans are from Williams-Sonoma. Lots of fun!

Picnic table

Picnic table, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Happy Birthday to me! I have been dying to go to one of my favorite destinations: wine country. Spontaneously Friday night I decided that I would take Sophie and leave in the morning. What a fabulous day for a drive. The ocean was sparkling. The hills were green from the recent rains even the mustard and California poppies were starting to bloom on the roadside. The sky was a summer blue without a cloud disturbing.
Instead of heading north my destination was Paso Robles, inland from the central coast and San Luis Obispo, where I was born 62 years ago.
I stopped in Santa Barbara and had lunch at the Farmers' market and then headed inland near Lake Chumash, passed Solvang and reached the wine country in the late afternoon. The drive was passed rolling hills dotted black with live oak trees that are simply majestic against the green hlls. Paso is filled with working farms, grazed by cows, goats, sheep and llamas. I stopped at a couple of small wineries and looked for a place to lay out my watercolors.

Meantime in Colorado, my family celebrates without me. Please click on this link and sing along. It's pretty darn cute.

Self Portrait Happy Birthday to Me!

Most self portraits are of faces but I have chosen to represent myself  by my hands.  They are actually my hands transferred to fabric.  My self descriptions are hand written on the background fabric. I was born the day before Valentine's Day so this design is really representative of part of me.  This year my birthday is on a Friday...the same day I was born on.  Unlucky!  No way.  I have enjoyed every year of my life....good ones or bad ones.  I hope there are many more.