Mr. Alberta's Birthday Challenge

I wanted to tell you what a special 50th birthday I had, but I haven't had a single moment to sit down and write until now. Those silly girls Ava, Magenta, and Amaryllis had The T Minus Five Countdown, giving me a present day for the 5 days preceeding the big five oh. Then, on Tuesday, they baked me carrot cake iced with cream cheese cupcakes. Aren't they the best? When I got home from school Tuesday, Mr. Al sat down with me for a few minutes, like he usually does, to ask about my day. After hearing that I'd had a rough one and that my nose was just a little bit out of joint, he decided to go ahead and give me my present. On his way down to his office in the basement, He said, "Don't get too excited; it's really stupid." Well, I couldn't imagine why he would give me something stupid, so I decided to reserve judgement. When he came back upstairs, he handed me a legal manila envelope, and this is what was inside:



A COLLAGE! That he made himself! I don't know if you can see the details clearly, but it's made of snippets from travel brochures we picked up on our two trips to Charleston, South Carolina. This city reminds us so much New Orleans where we spent the first four years of our married life, and we enjoy everything about Charleston: the antiques, the gardens, the music, the history, the art, the food, and the romance! The birthday surprise includes a long weekend at Charleston Place, in October or November, whenever it gets a little cooler, and hours of eating, strolling, shopping, and looking at art. All of this was conveyed via collage and poem, and I was so surprised and touched that I just cried. I don't know what I ever did to make such a wonderful, thoughtful man love me, but I sure am glad I did it, whatever it was. I have to say that he was quite pleased with himself about the collage. He said that he's thinking about hosting an accounting art challenge blog, now that he's unleashed his hidden talent. I think he could do it! But, then, I'm his biggest fan right about now.

Here we are:


I haven't told you much about our sons (except that Andrew is a shark freak) but here they are: Andrew (left) and Wesley(right). Aren't they the most adorable things you've ever seen? Not that I'm prejudiced or anything.



We had a long, chatty dinner with them at R.L.S. Off the Square, our favorite Cajun restaurant in nearby Covington.

Andrew, who just turned 27, made my birthday even happier by announcing that he had applied for re-enrollment at the University of Georgia. He only lacks 16 hours toward an English degree. He's not sure what he'll do with that degree, but I think he would be a phenomenal high school English teacher. He sings; he dances; he plays the guitar; he juggles, and kids love him (go figure!)

Wesley will be 20 on Monday, and he's our family liberal, majoring in political science at Georgia State. Wesley's just a big, sweet, lovable can-do kind of guy and has been since he was 2 years old. He's the kind of person that inspires trust and makes everyone feel better just because he's in the room. While Andrew is a Fourth of July sparkler, Wesley is a candle glowing in the dark. To use a cliche: they are the absolute lights of my life.

I wanted to share my family birthday celebration with you, since we couldn't all have a party together in person and since so many of you sent me your warmest, kindest birthday wishes. Thank you so much for all you did to make my day special and for what you do every day. Here's to at least 50 more art-and-love-filled years.

Love, hugs, and dreams
Alberta