On Dec 25, my daughter turned 24.
We had a good Christmas Day, although I was busy cooking for 16 people!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!!!

My daughter graduated from University two weeks ago.  What an accomplishment.
I thought I would do a few comparisons.
This is me on the left, 29 years ago, when I graduated from Nursing School.  I was two weeks shy of 23 years old.  My daughter, on the right, is 23 and just finished her architectural history degree.

In August of 2011, my daughter, her friend and myself did a bike ride around the Greater Niagara Circle Route.  Quite an accomplishment for me.  It was fun.....ish.

In a blast of Halloweens past, here is a photo from 1999: my daughter started the tradition of The Wizard of Oz- inspired costumes!

Check out the trees behind my daughter in the photo!  The same trees, from the opposite direction, at 00:27 in the video.

Video made May 6, 2017

I don't feel older.  I don't feel 50- especially since the server at lunch the other day guessed my age at early 30s.  Okay, she was only 23 but still.

My birthday party went well.  To the people who came to celebrate, I thank you. 
I appreciate it. 
I am not really much of a party person - but I really wanted to celebrate my 50th.  I never had a big 1st wedding (which in hind-site is good), no baby shower that someone threw for me.  So just once, I wanted a 'me' party.  So I was planning it, along with my daughter and hubby, for a while.
It was fun!  The people who came were great!
It was nice catching up with those I hadn't seen in a while.
But there were a lot of people who didn't come who should have been there.  A lot of people who never RSVP'd at all, or who said they were coming and did not.  This is disappointing beyond measure.
I am not doing a 'poor me' cry by any means
BUT
life is short.
Spend it with the ones you care about.
I have seen people drive 3 hours to spend 10 minutes at a funeral. 
I really want people to make the effort while I am alive.

#DogFoodDonationSelfieforShanas50th
and a wee bit of food for Community Care

FROM MY DAUGHTER   -  So I'd just like to wish this lovely lady right here the happiest of birthdays!!!🎉 The big 5️⃣0️⃣!!! You've been there by my side through everything, even when no one else was. I don't know what I'd do without you in this world. I'm glad that you're my mom but the fact that you don't look anything like your age is nice because people still mistake us for sisters 👯 Even though I'm repulsive in public with my burping & I complain about everything, thank you for always being there for the laughs 😂 that have no reason & the cries that do. I notice our similarities more & more each day & I wouldn't want it any other way. Happy 50th Birthday Mother dear!

My daughter donated blood today.  As a birthday gift to me.

I want people to donate BLOOD as a gift to me for my birthday.
Save a life.
“It’s in you to give.”
Take a Selfie and share it HERE.
‪#‎BloodDonationSelfieForShanas50th‬
SPREAD THE WORD
Tweet and Retweet.
Share on Instagram.
If you can’t donate blood for whatever reason--
then buy a bad of dog food and donate it to your local
Animal Rescue Shelter or Humane Society.
Again, take a selfie!!
‪#‎DogFoodDonationSelfieForShanas50th‬
Thanks to all.

I got it from my Mommma Matthews 👋🏻👋🏻
I'd like to wish my favourite person a very
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! 🌺🌹🌷🌸 (Especially
since this is the first year EVER we will not be
together on this day) I wouldn't be the person
I am today if it wasn't for you. So thank you for
everything that you have done for me & the things
you'll probably still do 😂♥️ I'm glad that I didn't
 get switched at birth because then we wouldn't
 be able to pass as sisters with your wrinkle-free face 😉
💞💞💞I LOVE YOU MOTHER 😘😘

If anyone is interested, this is the video of the bike ride that my daughter, her friend and I made around the Niagara Region a few years back.