RevGal Friday Five: Birthdays

Wanna play?

1. Favorite birthday cake/ice cream/dessert
Cake: chocolate, with fudge frosting (forget the cake; I'm happy with the frosting)

2. Surprise Parties -- have you ever given or received one?
I've been to two; one for a friend (which I didn't help plan) and one she gave me. It was a nice, low-key gathering with friends in the woods. I'd thought I was just supposed to be at church early.

3. Favorite birthday present
Hmm... a painting that a friend made for me, two and a half years ago. I miss her.

4. What do you think of those candles that won't blow out?
They're fun the first time.

5. Best. birthday. ever.
Last year, probably. It started in August. My friends in Oly threw me a goodbye party, and as I'd be in California on my real birthday, they gave me a cake--five weeks early. (They also knew I liked organic cheese puffs, so they served them, in the nicest bowl in the house.) I spent my actual birthday weekend with the Apostle in Exile. I don't remember what we did, except I know we ate baklava. I think she took me out for sushi. I had coffee with my other friend, her priest, that Friday, and we had good catch-up time.

It was the first birthday in years--at least since before I turned 30--that I wasn't depressed. My friends have always made my birthdays nice; it isn't them. I was happy because I'd stopped measuring myself. Every year, I'd get down on myself because I wasn't where I thought I should be by then. Last year, that lifted. I knew I was on the path where I needed to be. I'm heading to where I want to go, and where God wants me to go, even if (as in right now) the next step is a fork in the road. I took that leap, and I was (and am) happy.

The "fork in the road" refers to summer. I'll either be in Yakima, or I'll get to go home. (Not to my old parish, but to my side of the mountains.) I've been needing to reconnect up there, but didn't realize how much I missed it until the possibility of a particular opportunity came up. I'll find out next week what I'm doing, and I'll let you know.

On to academic catch-up work. I'll be back tomorrow, with a report on the Diocese of California bishop election. I'm volunteering at the convention all day.

Oh, and I should wave hi to Jane, since she told me last night (at the CDSP follies, pics perhaps later) that she reads this. Thanks for the compliments!