Birthdays

24 July, 1942, 17:23 CET, Aosta, Italy

24 July, 1942, 11:23 EST, Winchester, MA

 

I hung onto being 81 as long as possible, telling Rick, my husband, that I knew the time I was born, and officially my age wouldn't change until after the exact anniversary that I took my first look at life outside my mother's womb. I adjusted the time because I live on a different continent in a different time zone.

I didn't know the time, I was created, other than my father came home for lunch on an October day. Later, I was to learn that I was a rhythm, diaphram and condom failure. No wonder, I've been called stubborn.

To celebrate my 82nd, we drove from Geneva, Switzerland to Aosta, Italy. The Alps, some snow covered, cascades, racing white foamy streams and thick forests were a gift in themselves.

Close to 17:00 CET, Rick suggested we go to the small café in the hotel. It had cases of pastries, each a work of art. Despite my love of chocolate, I selected an apple tarte. He found a small cake with three kinds of layered chocolate.

We chatted about what we'd seen since arrival and what we wanted to see before departure the next day. Roman ruins were high on the list. 

The waitress, dressed in the required black slacks and white blouse, arrived. The other waitress and the manager were with her.

She carried my tarte with a yellow and white candle on top.

It was 17:23.

I was/am officially 82 with another year ahead of me.