40 Diamonds for 40: Cyn Slips In Under the Wire

About 14 months ago I reached out to a host of friends and family for input into what truly was a vanity project intended to help me over the hump of the year of turning the big 4-0. I was, and am still, amazed by the responses, the submissions, the photos, the reminiscences, and oh, the FEELZZZZZ.

If you are counting, and I'm not ... really, I didn't get 40 responses. But if we are going to take this 40 Diamonds for 40 allusion all the way to the end, it doesn't matter the size or number of the diamonds, it's that you have any diamonds at all. Sometimes it's important to remember that, and, when the February funk suddenly sneaks up on you and brings you crashing down at a glance at the calendar, it's good to have friends in reserve to slip in a shiny happy moment, just under the wire.

Friends like Cynthia. Cynthia, my Big J co-hort; the apple/pumpkin picking party planner; she of car rides home in the wee small hours; my conspirator at work and life/office gossiper, excuse me we have "discussions"; documenter of the unobtainable TV-star silly-girl goofiness; she who has the back-stage access to special events aka OMH OMH it's STINNNNNNNG! moments; her, down in the trenches; understander of goofiness; the friend who made me a Friend of a Friend of Ellen; and who is as camera shy as me, unless it comes to certain fitness gurus or opera stars; and who likes me despite the fact that I loathe and despise opera; and the fellow Baker in the literal and figurative senses of the word.

Thanks, my friend. How did you know that I needed a boost today? (Just under the wire ...)

To My Dear Friend [Auntie Nettie],

On this, the last night of your fortieth year celebration, I am finally submitting what I hope is a small gem in your 40 Diamond birthday tiara. If someone else has had this same idea, then forgive the redundancy, and bask in the fond reflections that bounce off of those who love you.

So for my part, I offer you 40 carats that describe a most wonderful diamond ~ [Auntie Nettie] 

auntie, beautiful, caring, companion, cook, crafty, daughter, dependable, diligent, fair, 
faithful, foodie, forgiving, friend, fun, generous, gentle, giving, honest, humble, intelligent, kind, 

librarian, loving,  organized, patient, photographer, playful, professional, sharing, sister, steadfast, strong, supportive, trustworthy, understanding, wise, witty, wordsmith, 

 and, to cover all of the things I might have missed, 

 supercalifragilisticexpialidocious