#Weekend Coffee Share 10-20-18 Birthday Recaps

Good morning, Everyone. Grab a cup of coffee. I hope you had a great week and had fun weekend plans. Summer officially check out on Long Island. The mornings are nippy, and the days are getting short.

Let me tell you about our fabulous time in Charleston, SC last weekend. Matt and I flew to meet our daughter and her family to celebrate our grandson Teddy’s first birthday! He is joy- all smiles (despite teeth erupting), loud attempts at words, and non-stop curiosity. We sang Happy Birthday, ate cupcakes, tore into wrapping paper, and ventured into Charleston. We picked pumpkins, petted animals, went on a hayride, and navigated a corn maze. Charleston parks have fountains to splash in. Fun! Our four-year-old granddaughter, Lily, managed to do everything. I realized the magic of the day when I reviewed the pictures with Lily. We came up with an adventure story. While traveling home, I put together a narrative and fashioned a photobook on Shutterfly that will be delivered to Lily and Teddy next week.

If we were having coffee together, I would ask you to indulge another birthday story. Birthdays are big events in Kindergarten. My co-teacher makes sure the honorees feel special.

It was my birthday this week. My students made birthday cards. I was sung to, ate a huge cupcake, and received hugs from my five-year-old sweeties. A paper birthday crown stayed on my head all day. I prefer to remain very low-keyed about my birthday, but since I am work in Kindergarten and wearing a paper birthday crown, there is no such thing as a low-key birthday. Colleagues, kids, and even the Fed-Ex guy wished me a great day. One little girl had been sharing my birthdate since she arrived in kindergarten six years ago. Each year we wish each other a very happy birthday. This year we hugged and giggled. I admired her grown-up Happy Birthday pin, and she really liked my paper birthday crown.
“How old are you, now Emmie?” I ask.
“I’m ten! How old are you Mrs. Martin?”
I winked and replied “30!”
Her wide smile fell to a sympathetic grimace. “Oh. Yeah, you look it,” she said.

Do you have time for another coffee? I have to tell you that I am getting a bit nervous as I prepare for the journaling workshops I will be leading for two breast cancer support groups. I need to get slides arranged, activities planned and practice talking without rambling. I am also looking into creating a journaling mini-course for libraries. To add to the time squeeze, I was asked to be the keynote speaker for the Susan G. Komen MBC Conference on November 10th. Lots to do. It will get done although I do wish sleep were not necessary.

Thank you once again, Eclectic Alie for hosting Weekend Coffee Share.

Have a good week and weekend, Everyone. Make it great.

 

Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.

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