My Perfect Day(s)

My perfect day?

That's easy. It was only yesterday. My birthday. And a great one it was, too.

I think I talked with everyone I love, which was awesome. Those little "gifts" of conversation went on and on, one here, one there, from morning until night. I even had a nice long chat with my one-and-only-brother who lives in Ohio. We don't get the chance to catch up all that often these days, and it was so good to hear his voice.

The weather cooperated yesterday with a gorgeous late-May day of clear blue skies, low humidity (a minor miracle in Tennessee), a mid-80s temperature, and a balmy breeze.

Isn't it wonderful to be able to wear summer clothes again, not all those heavy winter things?

I admit, I didn't work yesterday. Oh, I kicked a few ideas around for the next chapter in my new book, jotted a couple of lines of dialogue on a notepad, but I never booted up the computer to actually write. I gave myself permission to take the day off.

And sat in the sun.

Later, my husband took me to dinner at one of our favorite places, the Back Inn Cafe, here in Chattanooga where I was given (surprise) a free dessert (yummy Italian cream cake) to celebrate. The salmon I ordered for dinner was tasty too, but that cake definitely topped off the evening! Good thing it didn't have candles, though. Wouldn't want to light up the entire restaurant--and besides, at this point in life who's counting?

I think I'll pick a permanent age and stick to it from now on.

Perfect.

What did I get for this birthday? My husband presented me with the Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons I've wanted. Apparently, my few broad hints did the trick. So the next time we go to Cabo San Lucas, probably in December, I'll be fluent. I hope.

We were there in early May with our son Hal and his girlfriend Kim, but none of us had a good grasp of Spanish then. We did, however, have a marvelous time. It's hard not to in such a beautiful place among such friendly people. With family. Great company.

In Mexico, even on vacation I did do some writing. The timing was excellent. I was at the point in my new book where the heroine Tess and her ex-husband Grady unexpectedly spend a week together in --guess where?--Cabo. This changes their post-divorce relationship to the max. So imagine me on the deck of the condo on another gorgeous morning, gazing out at an expanse of the Sea of Cortez that stretches endlessly from the beach below the building to the horizon. Laptop on my, well, lap. And the words flowing from my fingertips. It was easy to get the details of setting right when I was sitting in the same spot, more or less, as my characters did. I hope they had as good a time as I did. I am a lucky woman.

I've digressed here, I know. One perfect day into another.

But something does tie these two times together--and that's people.

The people I love, real or even imaginary, are the most important aspect of any day for me.

Absolutely perfect.

Thanks, you guys, for being the very best part of my life.