This is 60

Wow, seeing the number there is a little alarming. Today is my 60th birthday, and while 30, 40, and 50 didn’t hit me, 60 is feeling a little different. Funny, because the last birthday that felt like a real change was when I turned 20, and I felt for the first time like my childhood was well and truly over.

This is a stupid ad I keep seeing while playing NYT games. I feel targeted.

So here we are, not quite a Senior Citizen for movie theater discounts, not quite eligible for Social Security, but certainly getting closer to both.

When I started my blog 20 years ago, I was just turning 40. This is a picture of my cake from the wonderful party that Ted threw me then. The little picture that pops up next to my comments on most of your blogs is also from that party. We are not having a party this year. When Ted asked me what I want for my big 6-0 birthday, I said that I want to go to France this fall. I will have a 1 month sabbatical from work in 2026, and I would like to spend part of it in Europe. I’ve been saving credit card points and getting checking account bonuses and so on, and putting it all in a high interest vacation account. We haven’t really discussed the specifics yet. Will we go somewhere else in addition to France? Greece perhaps? Will we go to the South of France as well as Paris? Or just Paris? How much time will Ted and Maya be able to / want to take off? Will I stay longer, either on my own or with a friend? Lots to think about. Right now I’m just squirreling money away and dreaming of Paris.

Earlier this week, Ted and I went to San Francisco (photo at the top of the post) to see the Manet and Morisot exhibit at the Legion of Honor, which was wonderful. My original wish for my birthday was to go to the exhibit and then have lunch in the City, but I changed my mind and decided that I’d rather stay closer to home. So we went early. I didn’t know much about Manet, and I had never heard of Morisot, but I loved learning about their friendship and their art. As a woman, Morisot was limited in her opportunities, but forged ahead and was a successful artist anyway. It helped that she married Manet’s brother, who was supportive of her endeavors.

For my birthday today, I want to go see Hamnet in the theater, and we have reservations for an early dinner at a local French restaurant that we have not yet tried, but gets excellent reviews. It sounds like a perfect birthday to me.

This is the message that came with my gift from my brother, via email. I love my ridiculous brother.

How about you? Do you like having a quiet birthday, or a busy birthday? I’ve had both, and loved both.