Today is my birthday.

Yes, today is the day I sit and reflect on my life during the past year. On this date in 2008, I bought myself a balloon that said "40 sucks" at the Party City store, and I got dressed up in a sexy outfit and took my pictures with the balloon, to give to Peter and put on the blog. Peter came over, and gave me my present, a very pretty cherry necklace...which I cried about after he left...because I felt that his daughter (or even his wife) should have it, not me. That necklace meant a lot to me, and even though he said it wasn't a "collar," it was the closest thing he could come to that.

Right now, the necklace is gnarled up in a ball, at least the chain is, but it's in my purse and I carry it everywhere. When I left DC, he gave me a "secret box" to carry it around in, and so that's where I put it. The meaning has now faded into just a nice cherry necklace, reminding me of life in DC.

Today I'm painting the bedroom of our new house, and Pete loves the color blue so that's what color I chose for it. I want to get the place looking nice before the house warming party on the 18th. The only friend I've got left on the east coast, Barbara, is coming to the party, but everybody else will be friends of Pete's. We're also going to get his mother and she'll be staying with us for the week as well, so I have to get the guest room ready for her this weekend.

Pete's taking me out for a nice dinner tonight, not sure where yet, but he bought me something I told him I have always wanted to replace but never did, and that is a Mrs. Beasley doll...I had one when I was a kid, and I loved watching FAMILY AFFAIR on t.v., with her by my side, but then one day I put her in the bottom drawer of the stove, and my mom accidentally cooked her. So, I never got another one, and I always thought it would be cool to replace her. But as the years went on, they became more and more expensive, almost antiques, so I never had the money to get one. Now that I'm in my 40's, we found one cheap on ebay and even though it doesn't talk anymore, it is still very cool to have her back in my life again. Kinda weird how I've always loved this silly old lady doll, and I get along so much better with older people than I do with people my own age...but hey, it works.

Anyway, Pete mentioned that we've got lots of money in our savings now and we can start thinking about going somewhere really cool for a vacation...of course, my first choice is HAWAII...but then again, I'd love to go see Miep Gies and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, so that might be where we end up. We'll see. All I know is, he spoils me rotten and I am lucky to have him in my life. He's a good man and he loves me very much.

Bye for now.

Love, Sassy Girl