40

I turned 40 this May.  I, of course, celebrated life profusely.  Because that's my style.  

My heart was full as I listened to my family sing before I blew out the candles on my first birthday cake of the month.  

I kicked off my birthday month with an uncharacteristically spontaneous trip to Arkansas for the Jerryberry Festival.  It was especially decadent because we had just been there a month before for the eclipse and Ozark Mountain Soul. We had so much fun with Val and our friends in Arkansas in April...and we were so sad that we were going to miss Melvin Seals and JGB when they come through Montana this summer.  So...about 10 days before the festival Matt asked, "And why aren't we going to Jerryberry?!?!"  I didn't have a good reason--and my 40th seemed like a valid reason that we should go...so off we went!  

Melvin Seals and JGB at The Farm for Jerryberry 2024.  The recording for night one is here and the night two recording is here.

Matt and I were so happy to be back on The Farm.  We'll get to be there three times this year!  Photo credit to Maranda W.

Our trips are usually planned well in advance, making this whirlwind of a vacation feel even more special.  The music and fellowship were off the charts.  It was a joyful start to birthday month.  Just perfect...aside from the bugs and the humidity...which were unpleasant to me.  I am used to Arkansas in the fall, I guess.  Our flights home were delayed so we got some bonus time in the Ozarks.  We meandered the Blowing Springs Park trail through the oak forest near Val's house.  Later we enjoyed the gorgeous, art-filled grounds at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  We added a few new birds to our life list and saw loads of spectacular fungi and vines!

We found this Tremella (aka Golden Jelly Fungus or Witches Butter) behind a bench along the Blowing Springs Trail.  It looked cool and it felt cool.  A jelly-type fungus was new to us!  

Val and (her husband) Matt have amassed an amazing community of fun folks down there on The Farm.  (My) Matt and I are so touched by how much they include us and make us feel right at home.  They're a solid bunch.  How about that sunset, too?!?

The weekend before my birthday, my immediate family showed up to surprise me.  The doorbell rang and I asked, "Are we expecting company?"  Matt told me to go see and...there they were on the front porch singing the birthday song to me--Mom, Dad, Dana, Lisa, Sarah, Kel.  I was so surprised.  Like stunned.  Shocked.  Too surprised to even cry!  Another atypical occurrence, I might add.  So I got to have a birthday celebration with my family!   I am the "baby" of my family.  It seemed like everyone was marveling and mindblown over the fact that that baby was turning 40!  And that it was cause for celebration.

The birthday girl opening presents!  Oh, people were so kind and generous to me!

Sarah and Kel on the kubb court.

My fam stayed the weekend.  My dad took us out to dinner.  We played kubb, croquet, shuffleboard, and cards.  Sarah even talked me into a game of Smear.  We went for a stroll on the Rims.  We told new stories and old stories and enjoyed a lot of laughs.  We shared plans and dreams for the future.  Matt organized a pizza party.  Sarah baked me a Wacky Cake.  We took a dip in the hotel pool.  It was fabulous from start to finish.  I wish they all lived closer so we could get together like that more often.  Spending time with my family was such an incredible and unexpected gift!

Big backyard fun at the family birthday party--Me, my dad, my stepmom, my sisters, my mom, and my niece.  Matt is sort of hiding in the back between my sisters, but I love this shot nonetheless.

Dana, Lisa, and me taking in the view from atop the rims.

On my actual birthday, I took a little cake to the library to share with my colleagues and student staff.  For my birthday party, I requested a grilled cheese sandwich bar.  There were five kinds of bread, five kinds of cheese, some yummy add-ins like strawberry jam and caramelized onions, and a giant pot of tomato soup.  There were also 40+ cupcakes.   We invited some friends over to play games and make merry.  Matt cooked everyone customized grilled cheese sammys and we played kubb and shuffleboard.  It was a wonderful day.  I felt like a pinball during the party.  In a mostly good way.  I was bouncing around talking to everybody!   

For my first custom grilled cheese I went all out into flavortown.  I chose sourdough bread with garlic-infused butter, smoked gouda-style cheese, and strawberry jam.  It was good, but it was A LOT of flavors all at once.  

Matt and Maia getting the shuffleboard table ready for play.  The shuffleboard table is a fairly new addition to the household.  We had it built to order by a company in Michigan and it arrived in February.  Moving it into the basement was a pretty big task, but we love having it.  I have happy childhood memories of playing shuffleboard with my dad and sisters at the Park Grove Bar near Fort Peck.  I thought it was so cool.  I still do!

One of my birthday month goals was to play 40 rounds of shuffleboard during May in honor of my 40 years.  It took all month, but I did it!  I wish I could say I was a dominant shuffleboard champ or that I got better with all this consistent practice...but records indicate that I only won 50% of the time.  So it is a toss-up.  With a partner or without a partner.  Against Matt or against other people.  

I won four games in a row on my birthday--one solo match and three with a partner.  

My second birthday cake.  I baked it.  Matt decorated it.

The weekend following my birthday Matt and I made a road trip west to see Terrapin Flyer at The Wilma and The Elm.  Both were outstanding concerts and, as an added bonus, permitted me to see some of my favorite friends.  Chantz joined us for dinner at Masala before Matt and I went to the show.  We met again the next morning for a lovely walk along the river.  Chantz is so funny.  I sincerely can't believe he isn't a standup comedian by now.  

This birthday-themed doughnut from Veera that Chantz brought me was the bee's knees.

Matt, Chantz, and the Chilli dog enjoy some refreshing river action at Greenough Park.

The next night Josh and Hannah joined us for the Terrapin show at The Elm.  Adam popped by our BnB for a visit before the rest of us headed to the venue.  Once again, I am so grateful for my funny friends.  I laughed until I cried multiple times.  Josh just about wrecked me with laughter.  Hannah slept over and we had a wonderful birthday slumber party.  We stayed up late learning how to draw dinosaurs, discussing our recent book club read, and eating cupcakes and spicy ramen.

Terrapin Flyer at The Elm on May 18th.

Hannah showed up to the slumber party with a book about learning how to draw dinosaurs.  So, we did!  It was such an unexpected delight.  I got pretty good by my 3rd dinosaur (Doug), but Matt really mastered the backdrop.  Look at that volcano!

I am grateful for these past four decades.  14,600 days!  They've been good ones.  Every life has its ups and downs, sure, but looking back on my first 40 years...I am humbled and happy.  It fills me with awe to recall all the love I've shared and all the adventures I've experienced.  All the beauty and joy.  All the wonder and bliss.  All the close calls and blessings in disguise.  I am so fortunate.  I have so much.  It is surreal.  It went soooooo fast!

One of the highlights from the Crystal Bridges Museum was getting to marvel (inside and out) over one of Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes.  There were disco balls over the stage and Jerryberry and as I walked through the circular door of the dome my mind instantly combined the two.  "Man!  I wish I had a disco ball geodesic dome house!" 

I look forward to seeing what the next 40 years holds for me.  I hope to savor every moment.