40 Day

Yeah, so, this is the day when I turn that number. Yes, that one. 40. I guess I don't feel as old as my mother does, when another of her children hits the magic
4-0.

One cannot turn 40 without having at least some moment of reflection on the last four decades, so at the risk of boring the pants off my readers, here they are.
(However, for those of you attending the bash tomorrow night, you might want to take notes; the following info could prove valuable, according to Yukon)

- If I had to do it all again, I would have fought harder against the red/black/gray plaid skirts the good nuns of St. Louise School made us wear. It is impossible to play football at recess in a stupid skirt. I much prefered my lime-green, bell-bottom courdoroy pants and Fonzie shirt.

- There is nothing like growing up in a small town where kids can walk barefoot down to the Ben Franklin store and buy everything from gerbils to Chick-O-Sticks, alone and unaccompanied by any adult type person. I am sure my parents were glad to get rid of us from dawn to dark every summer day. I know Dorothy's were.

- Prom is never what it is cracked up to be, especially when you attend only once, and your little sister attends all four years. I have recovered from the emotional scars, however. I think.

- Bless my parents for encouraging me to be who I am/was, even going so far as allowing me to wear my Lone Ranger outfit every day of our Montana vacations to the grandparent's ranch.

- Soccer is a good sport, until one gets to college and finds it to be like work. Who wants to work at anything in college, unless it has to do with drinking?

- Horses are a good way to forget about boys in High School. I believe this is why my parents did not protest louder against this particular activity.

I am the last of my group of friends to turn 40. Christine lives in Istanbul, Turkey, living the good life of an ex-pat. Lucky her. Dorothy lives in Minneapolis with her beautiful family. We grew up down the street from each other. Lucky all three of us. We have been friends since pre-school years. 40 more, ladies? Of course.