Birthday Thoughts & Wishes

  Hey.. today is my birthday.. well.. so what ?   actually, I don't have a -LOT- planned for my actual birthday.  I'm now online at the public library..  I'm planning some kind of a walk today.. maybe a trip to the YMCA.. then to a friend's club tonight to listen to some music and have some fun.  Not really a social extravaganza..  I'm open to someone taking me out for Lunch or Dinner, though.  Any takers ?

   So.. today's my birthday.. It's just another day, right ?  It all depends on your perspective.  Birthdays usually make me stop and think, to evaluate where I've been and where I'm going, to "ponder & wonder" about life and everything.. Guess I'm just odd or unique in that way.. most days seem to just pass us by, without much deep thought or musing about what is going on in our lives..

   
Here is a brief list of my thoughts and wishes on my Birthday :

•  I miss all of my friends.  It often seems that, no matter where my friends are located (even if they are right down the street), we do not take the time to "know" each other and enjoy each other's company.   I'm hoping that in the coming days and years, I will make the time and effort to spend more time with my friends.

• I love my family : my mom {Betty} & my dad {Bob Sr.}, my sister {Susan}, and two nieces {Cassidy & Lisa}.  My aunts : dad's sister Margaret { in a retirement center in SC }, and mom's sister Jayne { who lives less than an hour away }.  And all of my many cousins on both my mom's and dad's side of the family.  I recall a lot of wonderful times in the past.  Family times, not a lot of them, but each one a precious memory.

•  People and Experiences are more important than Things and Possessions.  I'm sure that this conviction has changed over the years.  And there are certain things that I treasure: my guitars,  certain songs, movies or TV shows, etc.  But I'd trade any thing for an opportunity to enjoy more time with people that I am unable to enjoy any longer.  And I'm struggling with just how much time I spend with those that I love.  We all need to value that time, and look for more of it to share.

•  I want to value and treasure the life that God gives me each & every day, and thank him for it, and use it wisely.  Not to say that I am doing that perfectly, but it is my desire.  Guess as life goes on, and our time gets shorter, we come to want to treasure it more.  I understand now that I've got less time to live on this planet than the time that I've already lived.  I'm "over the hill" so-to-speak.  But I don't necessarily want it to be all downhill from here on out.  I'm wishing to accept life's challenges, and hopefully they will help me to grow and learn even more than I have in the past.

•  I don't have a Bucket List, but I do want to "Love Life" and enjoy it more.  Not to say- I'm open to new experiences, and not opposed to lists, necessarily.  But I sorta want to "take life as it comes", as God grants me to live it a day at a time.  And he helps me to realize He is the source of all good things.  He is my Source and my Provider, and He is the one who is truly my best Friend of all.  Thank You Lord.  =)

This little Birthday Wishes post has been "way too serious" for me.  It was good, but I'm not used to getting so "heavy."  So just want to take a moment to INVITE YOU to my Party :  "Bob's Birthday Bash"..  next weekend on Sunday, June 22 .. you can find more details at this link :

go to  Bob's Birthday Bash / Event Page

  

If you are one of my friends, or if you'd like to be, take the time to write to me, and plan to come join us for my Big Bash on the 22nd.

 

My Three Buddies

    
    My three buddies.. Here they are , snuggling during the cold spell that we had sometime in March.  Now that it's springtime, they are "fit to be tied," they are gallavanting all over the place, and it's hard even to keep track of them.  But one thing's for sure, when they are hungry, they come around, meow-ing and looking pitiful, and eager to see you.  It's funny how food can be such a strong motivating factor, isn't it ?

Bob, the 1500 Meter Man

 I just walked a 1500 meter walk this morning at a local college with a group of other walkers in the RCSG competition.  My time for 1500 meters was 14:10.  Is that okay ?  One of you walkers let me know.

  MORE LATER.. 

Bob & The Statue

LEFT : Me Inside the "Semi Circle" @ Rowan Public Library, sculpture by Matt Amante of Winterville, NC  { check out Matt Amante and Matt Amante Sculpture }

RIGHT : Mini-Me .. shrunk down half my size. Wish I could figure out to do this in real life.

LUNCH @ ROMANO'S

   I ate lunch today at one of my favorite places, Romano's.  My best friend Ruth and I go there occasionally to eat lunch.  It's probably her all-time favorite restaurant.

  We had spaghetti and pizza today.  Their pizza is fantastic and the slices are huge.  Their Friday special is two slices of pizza and a drink for $6.95.  You may say, "Just two slices of pizza?"  Yeah, but their TWO SLICES is like a whole pizza.  I sorta wish that I'd taken the picture BEFORE I started eating, but then I was pretty hungry today.  So one-and-a-half slices were gone before the thought occurred to me to document our lunch.
  
  Here's what my friend had : spaghetti.  She loves the spaghetti and also the baked ziti and chicken parmesan.  I highly recommend this place to anyone living in the Salisbury, NC area, or when passing through.  We are on I-85 between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, halfway between Charlotte and Greensboro.

  If you love Italian food, this is the place!

Blogging Refresher Class

   
   This morning, I'm taking a refresher course in "Blogging for Beginners", offered at my local public library.  I took the course originally back in June 2013, and it resulted in this blog being created!   I'm extremely grateful to the library and to the librarian that began teaching this course.  It's opened a brand new world to me.. the world of Blogging !

We are studying :

• What is a Blog?
• Types of Blogs
• FREE Blog Creation Sites
• Writing Your Blog
• Promoting Your Blog

    I'm learning so much and hoping to benefit from it by making my blog even better !

Another "Blast from the Past" Photo

   Okay.. here we go again.. as if.. these photos are cropping up all of the time.. from nowhere.. I don't know.. but then again, I wouldn't have to share them.. but I ultimately do.  I don't care.   Hey.. I can't look any worse now than I did then..  right ?

    This photo of me was taken around 1973 (I was 18.. I look about 12!) in the lobby of my school in Hollywood Beach, Florida.

   It was a great time for me.. but evidently, I was studying theology and not FASHION.. What a tie.. right?  lol.. ha ha!