Happy birthday to me

I turned 42 on Saturday, and I've gotta tell you, it was one really great day: Farmers' markets and my free birthday Dutch Bros coffee in the morning, wine tour with family in the afternoon, and a pizza party (with crashers!) to cap it off. Plus! The weather was perfect, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law brought me flowers, and I mentioned the coffee, right? ;)

Eric! Me!

The wine tour was one of the gift certificates I'd gotten when I won that May Basket raffle. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it ended up being really fun. We met at the winery's tasting room, then took a van to the vineyard, where we got to see everything from the vines to the barrels. All along the way there was tasting (Eric drank most of mine. I would really rather have a cup of coffee), and then at the end they set us up at this farm table, overlooking the vineyard, with appetizers and (well, it was a wine tour) more wine. I learned that I prefer whites to reds, except it all kind of tastes the same to me (I know, I know, I suck), but that pear dessert wine at the end? I finished that glass. Mmm.

I'm holding a cracker in one hand and petting Rosie
the farm dog with the other. It was a busy afternoon.

I think back on all the time I wasted being depressed about turning 40 and wish I could go back a few years to tell myself not to worry about it. The 40s are awesome. Maybe because you're through with the "searching" and the "finding" and you're just going for it. I know who I am, I know what I want to do, and I do not waste time with wishing and hoping and blundering. (Well, I'm still naturally awkward, the 40s hasn't taken that away, it's just that I embrace it.) The 40s have given me confidence.

And that's the best birthday gift of all.