The stories we tell

Who all has a birthday in December?

I do! I do!

I copied and pasted the below from last year. Happy readings...

~The day I was born. The story goes my parents just came to Canada that year, my papa around october 1st and my mother flew over around november 15th. They lived in an apartment near the university of windsor where my father studied and worked at the chemistry department (you wonder why i got a degree in chemistry now). The morning of december 6th my father went to work early that morning and my mothers' water broke around 9 or so. She had no phone and had to go downstairs to call him from a phonebooth. she had to call all over the university and finally my father arrived with his friend an egyption too who is a professor now at the Vrij and they all went to the hospital together in windsor. Looking out of the room my mother tells me she could see a santa claus and it started to snow for the first time in canada. DO YOU KNOW what happened the day you were born?

~(On my birthday) in the Netherlands, legend has it that sinterklaas (dutch name for St. Nicholas) arrives in the Netherlands by way of steamboat from spain two weeks before his traditional birthday, december 6th, along with his helper, zwarte piet (black pete), who will help disperse the gifts and candy to all the good children. Sinterklaas, along with the zwarte piets, will go abroad at night and stride about the countryside wearing his red mantle, his mitre, and his golden crosier and sporting a long, white beard. Referring to his book that lists all the good and bad children, sinterklaas will deliver presents to all the good children, but watch out if you've been bad! The bad children may be taken back to spain with him. In anticipation of st. nicholas's nightly visits, children in several european countries put their shoes in front of the fire place. Wrapping the presents up in odd packages and planting a trail of clues is also part of the general fun, and can sometimes be pretty tricky to get to, depending on the squeamishness of the recipients. DO YOU KNOW if the day you were born on has a special hidden story to it, etc.?

~And this was my list for this year of what things I want to do before my 35th birthday. Small font means MISSION COMPLETED, in parenthesis () means what my plans are to complete them. DO YOU HAVE a list?
1. use my free membership to the Art Museum, expires August, 2008
2. learn to use my camera well and then head to the store... (borrowing)
3. visit Michigan and Georgia (visit Georgia first part of next year)
4. buy a bike
5. frame more of Steven's paintings
6. get a snowboarding season pass (coming up, should be heading out next weekend)
7. eat at Lovely Hula Hands (replace with eating at Saucebox this Friday for my b-day)
8. continue the every other Sunday dinner with next door neighbors
9. officially signed up for the Hood to Coast race in August, 2008 (was cancelled)
10. update my passport (heavens knows i'm lazy here)
11. visit the john days fossil beds and onenta gorge (replace with visiting the mountain and beach numerous time)
12. snowboard down mt. bachelor (maybe next year)
13. Amtrak it to Seattle again (January, 2009)
14. plan a trip with my mom (a MUST in 2009)
15. trip to Alaska (plans are in 2009 and dreaming of living out there)
16. exercise 3 times a week - and stick to the plan
17. buy lots of plants, the banana musa will be 6ft tall before year end
18. eat at LePigeon (too expensive and I've been already once)
19. send snail mail once a month
20. walk up and down the Willamette until i've run out of steam
21. pay off more of my debts. work towards no debts
22. embrace photobooth Fridays
23. sleep out on my balcony. like camping out. just once. (silly idea)
24. become good at just one thing (what will it be?)
25. don't spend my tax refund and rebate check all in one day
26. make a trip to somewhere Tropical (didn't happen)
27. stay the night in a treehouse
28. knit Michele baby clothes (not sure but its been a knitting drought season)
29. finish the scarf for Jasmine (i disliked the yarn i was working with)
30. knit a save the dolphin or whales hat for Steven
31. be happy with myself and know that not everyone will like you
32. save more and spent it all at the same time
33. organize my photos
34. surprise steven
35. I just want more and more COMMENTS on my blog to explore my questions and answers with YOU! xo xo

January - Ski Bowl

February - Silver Falls State Park and more ski bowl

March - Boiler Bay

April - owners of a Banana Musa

May - Sixth Avenue Street Fest

June - Bike ride

July - Trillum Lake

August - South Haven, MI

September - Rockaway Beach

October - SE neighborhood

November - at home