Special Things

I had a birthday a few weeks ago and turned a big 32. Only one year away from 33 (For some reason I've always looked forward to that age. Double numbers are cool.) Hurrah! We usually have a quiet celebration doing whatever we feel like. I got to have pancakes for breakfast, lunch at a favourite bakery, noodles for dinner and a nice ice cream cake for dessert. Yummo. It was fun.


Anyways, as birthdays sometimes go when you get older, I woke up thinking about my lovely grandfather who passed away ten years ago. He was such a driving force of goodness in my life and while I feel that in some way, he is still with me, every now and then I miss that goodness terribly. He always had a way of making me feel so incredibly special. I have countless books with little cut out book plates of teddy bears bearing my name. Daintily cut out with big hands and carpenter's fingers. He would write me long letters, even when I was a punked out teenager. He taped me the entire series of The Wonder Years from TV. He recorded Triple J off the radio because I couldn't get reception in my country town. I love him dearly for that. I love him dearly for so many things. There aren't many people in life who express love so selflessly. I hope that one day, I might express that kind of love to my kids. It is so needed, especially when you're young. But also when you're older, in a different way. To know you are loved unconditionally. Not for what you have or what you can give to someone else. Just for who you are. No strings attached.

So with tears in my eyes, I open my present. It is from Chris and is preceded by a card. I open that card and this is what I see -


It makes me laugh out loud. Then I see this -


I laugh a little more. And then I see this -


Needless to say, by the end of the card I was smiling again. How could I not be :) Especially realising that while I've lost someone very dear to me, I have another in my life right now, equally as special. Hehe. Poor smoldering Edward. And poor sparkly Chris. He's a keeper.

PS> While we're on the topic (kinda) of vampires, look what we got the other day! Tru Blood YEAH!!


Complete with Beaver mascot. He was the only thing I could find with big teeth...