Saturday, December 1, 2012

A big milestone

My birthday portrait with the Fairhaven Walkers
I am so much better I cannot believe how sick I was a few days ago. Not entirely 100% quite yet, but this morning I went out in a driving rainstorm to get this picture with my Saturday morning walking group. We met at Lake Padden to walk twice around the lake for a total of 5.2 miles. I made it for one loop, and we took this picture first thing, thanks to Cindy, our fearless leader (the second person in the front row behind me). It was raining hard and I asked for a volunteer to take the picture, so even with rain you can see that 15 of us showed up!

Yes, it's true: today is my 70th birthday, and where my 60th was painful, I am so grateful for my life and my health right now that I feel unbelievably lucky to be here today. It doesn't hurt a bit! Now I am back in my warm and cozy apartment with my partner, getting ready to enjoy the rest of the day together.

This is a milestone that neither of my parents met. Daddy died at 62 and Mama at 69. All through the past year it has been on my mind, and while I was with my family members, more than one of them remarked on the significance of being the first in our immediate family to make it. My son Chris only made it to 40, so again I am feeling incredibly fortunate. And to have found a community of like-minded folks here in Bellingham also makes my heart swell with gratitude.

Yes, three score and ten! Whoever said that would be a complete life? I've got lots of living still to do, I think!
:-)

39 comments:

  1. happy happy happy birthday
    happy happy happy birthday
    happy happy happy birthday
    2 U 2 U 2 U!!!!!

    smiles....glad you are feeling better...have a sick little boy here...for the last 3 days...so tending the sick today...

    and glad you just got the pic and not hike today...rest, get back to 100%...smiles...and enjoy your day

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  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! And I'm glad you're on the mend!

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  3. Seventy looks fabulous!
    What a beautiful smile...and I'm so glad that you are feeling better.
    Happy birthday, my friend.
    Love,
    Jackie

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  4. first, i LOVE that photo! so you!

    second, to know that you have lived longer than your parents is indeed something worth celebrating - and savoring. :) bless you, dear djan with a few more decades!

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  5. Happy Birthday sweet D-Janity! I have followed your blog for a good long time now, our only child has a friend and former roomate who turns 35 today, she is a skier, hiker and all around out door enthusiast just like you are..Congratulations upon getting to be 70, my mamma died at a little over 40 my father lived a lot longer only he was not in our childrens lives until I found him when I was 21 I am 64 he had another life and family after my momma died, it was a sad situation..We love B--ham as we call Bellingham, very similar thinking to Boulder where you lived before going to B---ham, we miss colorful sunny colorado and progressive intelligent people, everyone we met in Colorado was from other places and they were kind, loving and non-jugmental just like B---ham, we live far south from B--ham, but I kinda feel connected to your blog reading it daily, My oh, my are you an active person, it inspires me daily, best wishes for a peaceful, loving day and all thru your year many good and sweet wishes to you ciao!

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  6. So pleased you were able to get up and out for your birthday photo. Good to see you are well on the way to total recovery. Happy,happy birthday. Can't wait to see what you do on your 80th!

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  7. Where to start?
    With the obvious first - HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I hope that there are many more hikes, dives, markets and movies for you to enjoy and share.
    Glorious smile - and no-one in their right minds would a) think that you were 70, and b) think that you had reached your use by date.
    And I am thrilled that you are feeling better - don't push yourself too hard.
    And, to finish this very long comment - please sent some of that rain this way. We need it.

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  8. HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear, dear friend!!!

    I hope you don't mind, but I saved that picture on my hard drive - because it's beautiful and made me smile.

    I hope you've had a wonderful day, and that your partner has spoiled you to bits.

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  9. Congratulations and Happy Birthday. You are in inspiration to all of us.

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  10. Happy Birthday, DJan! I'm glad you have made this milestone and I hope you will help me reach mine too with your good example and encouragement. You are my role model!

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  11. Happy Birthday, DJan! We've only known you a short while, but feel pleased that we found you! You are an inspiration! Here's to many, many, many more years of hiking, and jumping, and movie-watching, and writing!!

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  12. Happy birthday DJan! I can tell you had a wonderful day. It feels like you've got a monkey off your back when you live longer than your parents. I don't want to live as long as my Dad. His last years were not good quality, but that's another issue.

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  13. I forgot to say congratulations for winning the picture on TexWiseGirl. An extra birthday present!

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  14. That is the very best 70th birthday pic I have ever seen!! Happy, happy birthday, dear one! Enjoy! You are truly blessed. :):)

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  15. Happy birthday and lots more!
    The picture is fabulous - you are an inspiration to those of us on your heels.

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  16. Happy happy happy happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  17. And what 70 should look like for all of us. You look great DJan and provide a wonderful role model for those of us over 65. Or, actually anyone.

    Happy Birthday!

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  18. Happy happy birthday, dearest DJan.. and many, MANY more to come.

    I'm glad you're feeling better. From what I can see, 70 looks GREAT!

    I found this post after midnight (my time) but it's still your birthday in your time zone.. whew!

    :)

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  19. You made it. As we knew you would. Now that you've passed your parents' milestones, there's nowhere to go but onward!

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  20. Happy Birthday!! You don't look a day over sixty!
    So glad you pulled through that virus..nasty nasty..and you aren't a spring chicken any longer..more like a summer/fall chicken:)

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  21. Have a very happy birthday and celebrate such a great milestone. We're waiting for your memoirs when you hit 100!!!!!!!!

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  22. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DJAN! ALOHA FROM HAWAII!

    That is a splendid photo of you with your friends. Wondering who will be in your 80th birthday photo. Same people? We can only hope!

    Glad you are feeling better.

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  23. Whenever I'm having a sluggish day I just think of what you might be doing and it inspires me to move. Happy Birthday!

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  24. Happyg birthday DJ. And you are "lookin good!...:)

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  25. Happiest of birthdays to you! 70 is a great accomplishment and you do so much to stay healthy that I celebrate you!

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  26. I used to walk, rain or shine, around our one-mile block with my Fox Terrier, Autumn Eve. but I can't do it now. It will be spring or summer 2013 before I will be able to walk anywhere.

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  27. Dear DJan - Happy to hear you are feeling better from that bug you had and feeling well enough to hike around the lake in the rain. What a great photo of you and hiker buddies and just so you know, Happy Birthday Again. You look great and this is indeed a nice way to celebrate and have your partner to spend the rest of the day with spoiling you. Take and heal well. lol

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  28. I'm glad you are feeling better. I was just sick myself. The day after Thanksgiving. Whew. I almost missed the turkey.

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  29. Congratulations on this fine milestone in life! It is lovely to read your happy post. And well done on the walk in the rain!

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  30. Many congratulations D-Jan. It is indeed a milestone and I think that if I make it to 70, I will feel the same. You are a marvellous example of how to enjoy life to the full.
    Just look at you in that picture - showing off and having such a good time. Smile xx

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  31. Wow! 70! You look hardly a day over 55.

    Congratulations and best wishes. (And I suppose you're going to tell me that this is what jumping out of airplanes does for you.)

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  32. Hi DJan, Sure enjoyed finding your blog. I did that by seeing that you won TexWisGirl's Run*Around*Ranch November giveaway, the beautiful heron drawing. I was hoping to win but I'm delighted to see it coming to the Pacific Northwest. :-) Wow, what a nice job you do with your blog. Excellent photography and interesting write-ups. I am south of you down in Seattle and have been trying to develop some blogging skills for the last couple of years. Hope you will stop by and check out John's Island. I find the comments that folks leave for me it encouraging and fascinating, so please do so if you like. Now, congratulations on 70! Hope you have many more and will look forward to following your posts. John

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  33. Happy Belated Birthday!
    I love the photo
    you're a force of nature ya know :)

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  34. Checking back in to see how you are feeling...(being 70) :))
    Sending you a smile, my friend.
    Hugs,
    J.

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  35. You look fantastic for 70 years old! I think I wished you a Happy Birthday in an earlier post but, just in case I didn't, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! xx

    What a lovely group of people...I so happy for you. :)

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  36. Almost a week later, but FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!!

    That photo is fabulous! You sure look like you're celebrating!

    Hope you're feeling better! Hugs!

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  37. Dear DJan, happy belated birthday! You do have a lot of living left to do, I'm looking forward to another wonderful photograph when you reach 80!!!! And 75 is a good number also! Peace.

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  38. Belated but,
    Happy Birthday DJan!
    That is quite the smile you have in that photo, a great start to your 70th year.

    Sorry to hear about your illness. Traveling when you aren't feeling well is never fun. Glad you are better now.

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  39. I'm so late reading this but my joy for your feeling better and enjoying this time is nit diminished. Keep loving what you do.You are just a super lady in my mind:)

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