Woo Weee, It's my birthday!!

December 2, 2012

Hello, Readers!  It's my birthday ... happy birthday  ... yep, it's my birthday ... happy birthday!  Sixty-six years ago today, I was born on a cold, snowy day in Glenwood, Minnesota.  My mother wrote in my baby book that I was a pretty baby ... not red.  I had wisps of brown hair and big blue eyes.  Hmmm.  I look at my baby photo that was taken when I was six months old and laugh ... I can see the mischievous look in my grin and eyes.  I had spirit then, and I have spirit now!!

I like birthdays.  Milestone events I like to call them.  I'm still alive and kickin' which is a good thing.  I used to have birthday "weeks" ... when my children were growing up, they had birthday "weeks" ... a time of celebration  just for being born.  How about that?!

Miss Dottie~~December 2, 2011

Last year, I was in Florida for my sixty-fifth birthday.  What a wonderful memory making day it was.  To be able to celebrate at my favorite restaurant with some of my dearest family members was over the top.  Have I mentioned often enough that I have a fabulous family?!  LOL (that's laugh out loud in text talk!)  I vowed to make my sixty-sixth year a memorable one.  It has been and, for that, I am grateful!!

I'm a kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of lady.  My daughter sent me a box for my birthday with instructions NOT to open it until today.  Well, it arrived yesterday, and I couldn't wait.  I opened the box and OMG, inside was a beautiful sweater and shirt.  I texted her thanking her for the gift and she said, "Hello?!  You're cheating, it's not your birthday."  I informed her that I was of the opinion of why wait for tomorrow when you can celebrate today!  Yep!  That's me.  Carpe' Diem ~~ Seize the day!!

To celebrate my birthday, yesterday, Michael and I drove to Clifton, Texas to attend the Norwegian Country Christmas festival.  We got there pretty late in the day but still managed to have a great time.  Next year, we will definitely sign up for the Norwegian Lutefisk Dinner.  We went to the activities center to get a glimpse of the Norwegian crafts ... I won the door prize of the hour ... a beautifully cross-stitched hand towel.  How cool is that?  We visited with renowned bronze artist Jack Walker, took a horse-drawn carriage ride, toured the Bosque Historical Center that featured Norwegian heritage in the area, and then drove out in the country to the Old Stone Church.

Old Stone Church ~~ St. Olaf Lutheran ~~ Est. 1864
Has no electricity ~~ oil lamps in use
Still holding services



Norwegian women with the towel I won!!
Yes, they spoke Norwegian!!

Norwegian Heritage Bosque County



View from carriage ride
Beautiful park with sculptures

I had not driven out in this area of Texas before.  The terrain was absolutely breathtaking!  Evidently, it reminded the Norwegian settlers of their native homeland.  They built churches and homes from the limestone that was plentiful in the area and farmed on the rich land.  I laughed ... I thought native Texans were crazy about their state ~~ the Norwegian Texans were wonderfully proud of their communities established on the rolling hills.  In fact, Norwegian was the main language spoken in this small area of Texas until 1969.  I hadn't heard Uf-da since I left Minnesota ... well, it was prevalent there!

 

Here I am, December 2, 2012 ... It's always nice to think about my heritage on my birthday.  I am one half Norwegian and am drawn to know more about my history and the history of the Pedersons and Torgusons!  They were such trail blazers ~~ kind and loving folks who lived their Lutheran faith.  I am so looking forward to meeting them in Heaven!!  My mom used to say that she was a duke's mixture of English, Scottish, French, and ??  Maybe that's where I get my spirited side?? 

Miss Dottie

PS  Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.~~Jean Paul Richter