Sorry… no photo this year… I keep losing my entire post when I try to add it! I am so bad at this tech stuff!

It has been four years since our sweet Ruby left us. Yet I feel her presence every day. She was so full of life and love, joy and compassion… and despair. I treasure the memory of her brilliant smile and the way her face would literally light up… a real spark from inside that would shine out! She was truly made of star stuff! Pure joy!

Today my Munchkin would have been thirtythree, a magical number, double threes. How i would love to be spending this day with her! We would start the day with Eggs Benedict, an incredibly rich feast she researched and cooked for Mother’s Day one year… fantastic! We would sit back and enjoy our coffee and and conversation… all morning. The afternoon would be spent shopping, including looking at jewelry, textbooks, and kitchen gadgets. Next, a nice dinner in a Thai restaurant. Then home for the part of the day we’ve been waiting for.

The best part of the day… the Fire. Ruby was raised in a house with a fire pit in the back yard. Fires have been a big part of all our celebrations and we have spent many enjoyable hours with family and friends sharing so much of our hopes and dreams round the Fire. I know that one of her favorite smells was that of the pit smoke on her clothes! No doubt, that smell triggered many memories of hanging around the fire… And so, we would end today with a birthday cake with 33 candles, small flames in her honor, and a glorious fire in the pit! We would get lost in the flames… and then the coals and embers… we would talk and laugh the night away… Wishing you a most wonderful birthday!

Oh, Munchkin, I love you so much and miss you always!