Best Birthday Ever ~ March 17, 2013

Ken and Betty, pals from the Boise contingent are in town staying with our friend Carol for a few days. They're in California to screen private showings of their documentary film, Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor. See http://bravotheproject.com/. We decided to start the day off with what is now a tradition at our house when friends are in town ~ a designer pancake breakfast with all the trimmings.

Early afternoon Rod and I had a very special date at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone. If you've not been there, it must go on your Bucket List. Check out their website at www.osmosis.com. You start by changing into a comfortable robe and sipping enzyme tea in a soothing waterfall environment while your enzyme bath is prepared: a fragrant blend of finely ground cedar, rice bran, and plant enzymes imported from Japan. The attendant digs you a comfortable barcalounger shape in the sawdust mixture with support for neck, back and knees, then buries you up to your chest. She periodically brings cold wash clothes for your brow and drinking water during your session. Ahhhhh!

Once you brush off the sawdust and shower it's time to head upstairs for a long massage in a comfortable environment with music softly playing in the background. We were grinning from ear to ear we met downstairs: all our aches and pains had vanished, heads were clear, we kind of felt like de-boned chickens. Can you spell mellow?

Once home we changed clothes and headed down to Carol's house for a pot luck with Ken, Betty and our friend Bill. Hors d'oeuvres, lasagna, salad, blackberry pie with candles and vanilla ice cream. We spent hours around the table swapping stories, telling tales and laughing. We excused ourselves about 9pm and toddled home. Needless to say we slept like logs.

 

Birthday Bouquets from Rod and Carol and stunning greenish Calla Lilies from Mike and Susi next door.



 

A very special heart shaped rock that Ken and Betty brought back from New Brunswick for me. They didn't know it at the time but my Scottish ancestors landed there on their first stop in the new world. We're adding the Maritime Provinces of Canada to our Bucket List.

 

So there you go, best birthday ever celebrated with friends nearby and cards and wishes from around the world. Life is good and we have no promises to keep today, so it's time to get off our asses for a long walk. We have a new tool on our Iphones from Kaiser that tracks miles, time, calories and GPS map of where you've walked. Small and useful wonders.