55.

"That's a hard ten," said the historian this morning. It was the second thing he said, after happy birthday. "Which is not so easy to get."

It took me a minute to figure out what hard ten meant. Right. Craps. Two fives, as in: fifty five.

Even though there are two identical numerals in it, the number fifty-five isn't as monumental as you might think. It's not iconic. There are places where it is the speed limit, and that's about it, numerologically speaking.

But fifty five is how old I am today, which was a pretty good day that ended up being a great day. For one:

1. I made myself pancakes, to start the day off right.

2. I taught the students about verb types and sentence patterns and, from the evidence on the ground, totally scared them nigh unto death.

"But it's going to get easier, isn't it?" one of them asked, and I was forced to say, "Nope, it's going to stay hard."

I was prepared and everything. I explained thoroughly and we practiced away. But still: it's going to stay hard. I'd like you to show me the student who thinks that's good news.

3. However. After that class, it turned out that it was still my birthday and moreover, I could go home. Which I did. With dispatch. (<< note purposeful sentence fragments to your left.) Upon arrival, I made myself a sparkling lemonade, which hit the birthday spot. I also turned on the swamp cooler. Refreshing!

4. I took a small but restful birthday nap.

5. We went over to my daughter's house where we had a delicious dinner. My children had each made lists of 55 memories for me--so touching and lovely, I can barely discuss it. My mom and dad did the same, and also dug out pictures of me from the deep dark past. And there were cupcakes.

And the moon is full. Or almost full? So close it hardly matters.

That is the end of the birthday report, and thanks for putting up with it. In conclusion, here is a picture of me when I was twelve, on my birthday.

Lisa, it's your birthday.

𝄞 Happy birthday, Lisa . . . 𝄫

Obviously, I'm quoting from the Simpson's, not singing happy birthday to myself. Gosh. And frankly, there was no need, since I received a swell of birthday wishes and it was grand.

Here are some of the happy facts of this weekend, which we treated like one delightful celebration:

• the teeny tiny strawberries grown by Weeks Berries of Paradise, the ones that are a distillation of the strawberry, so fragrant you swoon a little bit.
• blueberries grown by the same people.
• the happy accident of finding, in the archaeological dig that is my study, a recipe I'd saved for a blueberry cake (from the NYTimes Sunday Magazine). Ladies & gentleman, it was delicious. I AM PACKRAT (in honor of the archaeological dig and its riches).
• a beautiful handmade book made by Montana artist Gerri Carlson:

• two movies (The Hangover and Julie & Julia)(for those who know I've already seen The Hangover once . . . you're right, there's really no excuse. The historian hadn't seen it. It was at Brewvies (still). My veggie burger was delish. AND I did laugh a second time. Quite a bit.)
• make that three movies--my youngest daughter and I saw The Ugly Truth, which was kind of ugly, it's true, though it had a redeeming virtue or two . . . and there was popcorn. And good company.
• breakfast out this morning.
• a chat with my oldest friend.
• a visit from my son's old friend, and then my son and his family.
• Mad Men.

I also worked quite a while on stuff for my course, read the newspaper, talked to the kids in Scotland, who sent me an awesome video of the granddaughters singing Happy Birthday, then everyone dancing to "Stop Your Sobbing," which, what a thoughtful present! And the aforementioned birthday wishes from one and all--I feel thoroughly celebrated. And it's not even concluded--my middle daughter has invited us to her house tomorrow for a barbeque and water games (and to play with my grandson)--and I hear there are birthday wishes awaiting at the historian's son's house full of granddaughters.

And so, as a fitting conclusion to this self-congratulatory post, I offer you this:

It was a lovely, lovely day.