It's my birthday, at least for 45 more minutes
For the past few years I have had birthday funk big time. I've wanted them to be special. To be celebrated. Heck, I do it for everyone else, planning and baking and present making. This was the year to turn it around.
So advanced preparation took place, with Mr. Knitsonya taking the day off work, but I started feeling the malaise coming on when cake talk started. I've ordered my own cake before - a sad thing that I did not want to repeat. Then I blurted out what I wanted. Croissants in the morning. A day at the beach. Fish tacos. Picking strawberries. All this time I'd wanted something or someone outside myself to make my day great. I had frittered away birthdays wanting, when all I needed to do was ASK. Asking for what you want - such a foreign concept. Is it just me or do others find being direct so oddly disconcerting?
So lesson learned. Yes, another Knitsonya homily. If you ask for croissants, someone will bike down to the bakery and bring them
and ditto a birthday bouquet.
You can spend the morning catching up on email, uninterrupted (bliss) and the afternoon won't be too windy for the beach.
Your family can happily spend time over there,
while you knit over here.
If you look for heart-shaped rocks, you can find them.
And as for cake, well someone other than you can ask for the writing.
Comments (33)
That looks like a super special birthday, I'm so glad you had such a lovely day. And you're so right about the asking, I've resented people for not being able to read my mind in the past. Things are so much sweeter since I started asking.
Posted by sarah | June 23, 2007 1:49 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 01:49
i hate to ask, but it sure beats a craptastic birthday. and, daggone lady, that sure looks like a swell time! i hope your year is just as happy.
p.s. that's gonna be a swank sock
Posted by robiewankenobie | June 23, 2007 4:13 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 04:13
Well, happy birthday!
Posted by Mama Urchin | June 23, 2007 4:20 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 04:20
Happy birthday, Sonya. Within the first few sentences of your post, I knew I was going to relate hardcore. For so many years, I've built up anticipation of my birthday and planned in my head all that I've wanted to occur on that day, and always felt somewhat let down when the day came around, and those things in my head didn't materialize. I realized what I'd always been hoping for was that someone read my mind and figure out what it wanted on that day. When that dawned on me and I saw what a silly expectation that was (and that I was going to continue being sad on my birthday if I kept having that wish), I started speaking up about what I wanted, and have enjoyed birthdays much more ever since. It sounds like that's happened for you, too. And it sounds like next year's birthday will be even better, now that your armed with the knowledge of what you need to do. Your day sounds like it went beautifully. I hope you enjoyed all you asked for.
Posted by sulu-design | June 23, 2007 4:37 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 04:37
Maligayang kaarawan, dear Sonya! What a lovely day for a lovely, special, talented, funny, rockin' woman
*<:o)
(birthday smiley)
Posted by Lisa K. | June 23, 2007 6:05 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 06:05
Lokks like a wonderful day- Happy Birthday!
Posted by mimi k | June 23, 2007 6:16 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 06:16
What a sensable person you are to be born in JUNE when there is a hope of beautiful day. (it always rains on my birthday)
I hope you had the happiest of days..
and a mea culpa for my not contributing to it.
(a box will find its way into the mail, i promise, and soon!)
Posted by helen | June 23, 2007 6:32 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 06:32
Happy birthday!
Yes, it can be hard asking for what you want, but how wonderful to get it when you do. A moment of sympathy here for those who do ask and don't get; the rest of us are the lucky ones. I'm glad you had such a lovely day - just about perfect, by the looks of it.
Posted by Tsarina of Tsocks | June 23, 2007 7:48 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 07:48
Happy Birthday to you! It looks wonderful, really.
Asking for what you want can really help a situation. The rest of the family, they're not like moms. Mom's are special that way.
Posted by Michelle | June 23, 2007 8:04 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 08:04
well it sure looks like you had a spectacular day. amazing isn't it? the realization that we are always learning, especially about ourselves? glad you asked for what you wanted, it looks like it came through in spades.
happy birthday.
Posted by stephanie s | June 23, 2007 8:10 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 08:10
Happy Birthday! Looks like you had a wonderful day!
Posted by KelInCal | June 23, 2007 8:15 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 08:15
Happy Happy Happy birthdayyyyy Bunnnyyyy Girl. Life is kinda funny with a, bunny girl, she loves to sit and knit and maybe go for a stroll. She super duper nice and has some adorable kids, they never ever make her wanna pop her lid. She's got a Mr. Sonya he is, oh so nice, he gave her what she wanted, a croissant so nice...She's sittin' at the beach huntin' for heart rocks...She's bound to sing to songs that have words like Boondocks.
Random, I know. It rhymed while I sang it. hehehe xoxoxoxoxo Vanessa
Posted by A Fanciful Twist | June 23, 2007 9:13 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 09:13
Happy Birthday Sonya!
Hope you had a great day! Cheers to many, many more.
Posted by Eva | June 23, 2007 11:15 AM
Posted on June 23, 2007 11:15
Happy Birthday!!!
This year for my 30th I decided that I wanted someone else to plan my birthday for me. I had been planning so many events that I just wanted a break.
*sigh*
I ended up not doing anything. Other than a birthday dinner that *I* arranged.
I guess it's true that if you want something done right you'd better do it yourself. (Or at least direct it yourself.)
And that looks like one of those delish chocolate opera cakes from Tartine!!! Is it? (I just ordered their cookbook soley because it has that recipe.)
Posted by maria | June 23, 2007 5:12 PM
Posted on June 23, 2007 17:12
Happy Birthday KnitSonya! Glad you got what you wished for!
Posted by becky | June 23, 2007 5:46 PM
Posted on June 23, 2007 17:46
Happy Birthday to yooooooouuuuuu! We crabs love our trips to the beach, don't we??? So glad it was a beautiful day for you all around - my bday is next week so I'm thinking I need to see the ocean too... maybe Big Jim will take the day off for a quick trip to Half Moon Bay! -- I think I'll ASK! Thanks for the inspiration! xoxo Lindy
Posted by Lindy | June 24, 2007 8:12 AM
Posted on June 24, 2007 08:12
Happy Happy Birthday! It was made to order!
Posted by erin | June 24, 2007 8:19 AM
Posted on June 24, 2007 08:19
Mercury Retrograde post isn't letting me comment, so I'm commenting here for the next post, if it let's me:
Yes. When my brother mentioned this to me on Friday night suddenly a lot of things started to make sense (or the fact that things weren't making sense made sense). Does that make sense?! Heh. Anyhoo, it makes all that baloney be more baloney-ish. So you can let it all go, yay!
Posted by xtina | June 24, 2007 1:26 PM
Posted on June 24, 2007 13:26
very happy birthday! sounds like a lovely day!
Posted by hpny knits | June 24, 2007 6:43 PM
Posted on June 24, 2007 18:43
Yes your so right all you have to do is ask but boy can that be hard! Happy, happy birthday Sonya.
Posted by carolyn | June 25, 2007 2:41 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 02:41
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Sonya
Happy Birthday to you
Hip hip hoorah!
Posted by carolyn | June 25, 2007 5:44 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 05:44
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
yes, why do we find difficult to ask?.
It looks like a wonderful day...
Posted by monica | June 25, 2007 6:28 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 06:28
Happy birthday!!! June birthdays are the BEST! So glad your was wonderful and just what you wanted!!! :)
Posted by amanda button | June 25, 2007 8:52 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 08:52
Happy birthday, Sonya! That looks like it was a great day. I'm so glad you asked for--and got--just what you wanted. I'm going to have to give that a try...
Posted by Jen | June 25, 2007 9:40 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 09:40
Ah, yea! Happy Birthday! It looks like asking was just the ticket!
Posted by laeroport | June 25, 2007 10:18 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 10:18
YAY!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday, and good for you for detailing your wishes. Menfolk, I think, need particular prodding in this area, even if they are quite willing to come through with the requested goods.
Posted by Lizbon | June 25, 2007 3:00 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 15:00
well, much happy belated happiness to you on such a grand day. it's as if you blew out those candles at the start of the day since you got everything you had hoped for. sending you love and kisses from afar dear friend. xxoo happy birthday xxoo
Posted by kristin | June 26, 2007 9:25 PM
Posted on June 26, 2007 21:25
Sonya, belated wishes on your special day. I wish you a year of happiness, peace, knitting, and love.
Posted by Isobel | June 29, 2007 11:16 AM
Posted on June 29, 2007 11:16
Happy Belated Birthday to you Sonya.
I'm crap at asking people for help but when it comes to birthdays I do ask Tom for things I like. I have such a long list of craft books etc etc that I want you see. I don't think I'm very good on surprises being a control freak. Take my 50th birthday celebration I want (five years hence!)I've got in my mind exactly what I want and where.
I did used to expect Tom to be able to read my mind when we first met adn give me the day I wanted but he wasn't that good at it (poor bloke) so now I ask and I don't feel bad. However, I love planning lovely things for him and the children and surprises at that and hope they won't ask for what they want. Weird - I need to meditate a bit on that one!
Posted by Simmy | July 1, 2007 1:24 PM
Posted on July 1, 2007 13:24
Hope you had a wonderful birthday!! And well done you saying how you wanted to spend it - I might just follow your lead when my birthday comes around. (Watch out Mr. Faerydi!!!)....
Posted by Dianne McGrath | July 1, 2007 11:52 PM
Posted on July 1, 2007 23:52
Catching up on some blog reading and I learn now (two weeks after the fact) that it was your birthday. Happy happy belated birthday!!!
Posted by Maritza | July 10, 2007 6:57 AM
Posted on July 10, 2007 06:57
happy belated birthday!
Posted by jen b | July 10, 2007 10:40 AM
Posted on July 10, 2007 10:40
Amazing how simple the solution is, ask for what you want! and how nice that you got it. Looks like it was a great day. Happy Belated Birthday!
Posted by Kat | July 17, 2007 11:35 AM
Posted on July 17, 2007 11:35