The best birthday gift ever!!!

I would like to tell you about my birthday gift from the kid and the boy. They had planned for a year a trip to New Orleans and Memphis. They had plan to take me to Graceland (the palace of tacky & I love tacky). They had booked my favorite hotel in New Orleans. And they both know how much I love New Orleans. If I had to live in a big city of my choice it would still be New Orleans. I was there 10 months after Katrina hit & it had lost some of it's shine. But I still love that city and it should be rebuilt. And all the people who left should move back. I have seen the world and there's no place like it. Okay I'll get off my soapbox and tell you about this gift.
Unfortunately my mean mudder got very ill and I did not feel comfortable going so far from home with her like that. And she was legit being sick. I have to say that cause she tried to get me not to go in her own round about way. Put it this I was going on 2 trips. One physical and one guilt. Needless to say I didn't make it to New Orleans. The kid and the boy where understanding.
So we took 2 mini trips. First we went to the Wisconsin Dells. We stayed at a lovely resort that had an indoor water park. My first time at a water park and I had a blast. And an appropriate start to my second childhood. I played I splashed I swam and the next day I couldn't walk. But I had a great time and the room was lovely it had a fireplace. So I fell asleep watching the flames.
A few days later we went to Galena IL and Dubuque IA. The drive there was wonderful lots of fall colors. The kids got us a wonderful whirlpool suite in downtown Dubuque. It was so fancy it had a pillow menu. We spent part of one day noodling around Dubuque and then we drove to Dyersville IA. The home of the field of dreams. Yes that where that movie was filmed and it is a lovely place. I like going to that town for 1 reason, to eat at the Country Junction. Probably one of my favorite restaurant. Good old fashioned cooking and generous portions. As much as possibly everything on the menu is locally grown. And you can taste it. The town has a great antique mall and a beautiful Basilica. Well worth the trip.
The following day went shopping in Galena before heading home. Galena has a bunch of those nifty speciality shops. And it was in one of those shops I found the purse I had been looking for 7 months. At the PLA convention I saw a woman with the neatest purse. I stopped her to tell I loved her purse and to find out where she got it. She couldn't remember but she lived in Montana or someplace like that. Now I wasn't" real hopeful I would every find this purse, but I did! And it's funny but I never go into purse shops but for some reason that day I did. It was like the purse was calling me. I love that purse. Of course the kid thinks it's awful. But I love it. After we shopped Galena we headed home. It was truly a great trip and a the absolute best birthday gift ever.
They say it's the thought that counts. And never has that saying been more true then in this case. The thought the kids put into this gift was beyond wonderful. My favorite things to do and places to be. I only wished I could of gone on that trip. But they were so kind and understanding when I couldn't and they still managed to give me one heck of a birthday present. It simply was the best and so are the kids.

Checking A New Box

So as you know I just had a major birthday. And I have just recently did a survey, which meant I had to check a new box. That just irritated me to death. Less then a week ago I could check the previous box. I also know that the older you get the less people want your opinion. My Aunt Nity when she turned 70 the online surveys she was offered was less. So she emailed and told them that they were ageist. Now she gets them again. You would think as you get older people would want your opinion more not less. Life experiences should count for something. Now that a generation I am in has the highest population numbers, we should not be ignored. Now I understand why some people lie about their age. So I guess it's time to come clean I just turned 36!