Another Year Older

Yesterday I turned another year older. It was not a landmark year like turning 40, 50 or 60 but it got me thinking a birthday is much like a personal New Year’s celebration. I was happy and anxious to pack up my previous year, in which I suffered a broken ankle that has taken almost eight months to heal, and kick it to the curb.

I’m looking forward to this new year wondering what it will bring. While I’m not happy about getting older, the signs of aging are slowly taking up residence, like unwanted squatters, in different parts of my body. What I find really comical is my mind says, no screams, “you can do it!” and my body adamantly says, “do it and I’ll get even”. It usually does, which is why I have the greatest massage therapist ever on retainer!!!

But there are some major perks to getting older. Now, if I could just think of a few.

Body aches and pains aside, as we get older it’s good to reflect back on our lives. I like looking back and seeing how far I’ve come. I’m often amazed at what I’ve accomplished. Not because I’m great or special but because I never expected to go as far as I have. I am comfortable and like the person I have become. I also enjoy where I am in my life right now.

I’m willing, and eager, to try new things. I’m more apt to speak up than remain quiet. I don’t always take “No” for an answer. I’m a lot more confident and self-assured. I often push myself out of my “comfort zone” to overcome things that would have paralyzed me when I was younger. I guess, for me, these are some of the perks of getting older.

My husband took me to dinner at my favorite restaurant, the Sergeantsville Inn and we invited a good friend who happens to live within walking distance from this fabulous restaurant.

The Sergeantsville Inn is known for their Tomato Bisque. It’s a signature dish the owner/chef spent 30 years perfecting and it is always the same each time I order it. Last night was no different.

A pan-seared grouper followed atop a corn, crab, bacon and mushroom risotto surrounded with a band of tomato cream sauce. (Here’s where a picture would’ve come in handy. Next time I will take a picture.) It was light, mild tasting and oh so heavenly.

Dessert wasn’t on my radar but I didn’t want to be the odd woman out since my husband and friend were having dessert. I was hankering for some homemade vanilla ice cream and was disappointed when our waitress arrived to tell us they were out of ice cream.

Not a problem, I thought. I picked up the table top sandwich board listing the desserts and asked the waitress which of them were light.

“Crème brulee,” is light she replied. But I wasn’t in a crème brulee frame of mind.

“There’s also the key lime torte,” she added.

“That sounds perfect,” I said.

And oh it was!!! It arrived accompanied with a small dollop of “real” whipped cream, half of a strawberry and thin ribbons of chocolate and pureed strawberry zigzagged across the torte and around the edges of the dish. (Yes, I know here’s where another photo would’ve helped. Next time, I promise.) Like my entrée, it was light and the filling and crust melted in my mouth.

Not a monumental birthday but definitely a memorable one. I hope all of your birthdays are memorable.

Namaste,
Chris