One way to spread a birthday over a whole week is to have friends who can't send their birthday wishes until after the fact. So from your globe-trotting friend!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR AZURE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU A LITTLE LAAAAAAAATE
Sounds like a great b day to me. I am kinda dreading mine this year as it is 2 days after our ten year aniversary.
I am going to hijack for a moment and shamelessly ask for a read and input on a long post with the ugly truth about me and my M. Whenever you have time, it would be greatly appreciated and please don't cheerlead at all.
If you aren't up to it that's ok too. No problem!!
jenhoco
Sometimes the lights all shining on me, other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's been. -- Grateful Dead
Hey Azure ~ I am so glad you had a nice birthday! I like to stretch out my birthday celebrations too!!
Your interactions with H made me smile. I think you handled things soooo perfectly. I also think that you will be friends with him in the future. He obviously still cares about you in some way or he wouldn't have gone to all that trouble!!
You goals sounds terrific...keep up the great work!!!
Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.... (thoreau)
I am so sorry to hear about your doggie. Critters are such a source of companionship and comfort and their discomfort just pulls on our hearts. I can truly relate to your worries about your sweet pooch.
I liked reading about your goals and admire the effort that you are putting into taking the time and care to help you move on. Your H's actions seem to convey confusion if not ambivalence. But it is still impossible to gain any substantive answers that might be predicters of things to come...except, I would bet people would tell me I was positively psychic if I said, things will continue to be confusing for the time to come. Ugh.
You are on YOUR path. Weird, huh? You were on your path before all this happened, too. If anything, I am learning how important it is to identify my path and stick to it regardless of who I choose to walk the path with me. I think that learning this will prevent me from having someone else's confusion place me on a rocky path that I had not chosen for myself.
Hey Azure ~ I just finished a book I thought you might like!!
It is called "Finding your own North Star" by Martha Beck. It talks about listening to your essential self to figure out what truly makes you happy!
Like the book you are reading now, it is full of excrcises that really get you thinking!!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.... (thoreau)
I also just read this book and have really gotten so much out of it. Martha Beck is very witty and tells a good story, yet never fails to make her point that it's only when your internal compass is pointing to your own North Star that you'll find happiness. I especially liked the section on the power of intuition. -- MicheleTW
Jen, MichelleTW,
I DID read that book as well, and I LOVED it. Of all the books I've read since H left, that is one that really stands out. Not only is MB wise and compassionate, she's also very REAL, and she is so freaking funny!
I was reading that last fall, and have been thinking about returning to it. There's also something about actually DOING exercises, rather than just thinknig about them, that seems to shift something inside me, even if I approach the task with reluctance!
Quote: There's also something about actually DOING exercises, rather than just thinknig about them, that seems to shift something inside me, even if I approach the task with reluctance!
ME TOO!!! And I too often approach them with some resistance. But I'm learning that pushing through resistance is usually a very rewarding thing for me to do (thank you yoga class for this lesson).
Incidentally, this book is one that's sitting here in my office and I was thinking about re-reading it... I'll take this as a little nudge to do that. Now that it's finally dry here, maybe I'll go read on the deck today.
Azure, just wanted to say how grateful I am for the surprising new gift of friendship with you. Neither one of us wanted to be here, right, but here we are with new friends. Well, that at least is cool! Thanks for a nice outing last night with me and Maya.
No problem!!
I think you handled things soooo perfectly. I also think that you will be friends with him in the future. He obviously still cares about you in some way or he wouldn't have gone to all that trouble!! 
