Let me eat cake.

Here in DC we have not seen any snow for awhile, and won't have to deal with any from the incoming storm. Rather a shame. I love snow, but this is normal for DC. It's going to rain: a cold rain that might include sleet. I'm telling you this winter has been mean.

But I'm feeling cheerful. I bought groceries today, my favorite thing. As I was shopping, I decided to give myself permission to eat cake every day from now until my birthday next week, if I want to. Cake is one of those wheat based foods that does not agree with me. I'm not allergic, hence sometimes I allow myself the pleasure, no matter the side effects, because I love cake. I really love cake. I even love the word cake.

Here is a picture of today's cake, a slice of vanilla with chocolate chips, from Whole Foods. It was adequate. Should I continue to search for cake, it's all uphill from here.

Last year, right before I turned sixty, I was kind of a wreck. I almost bought a ticket to Paris until my sanity returned, that is until I realized that spending my 60th birthday in Paris, in February, when everyone I love was not in that city, would have been a colossal waste of money, and depressing, too. I came so close to pushing the BUY TICKET button on the Air France site, you would not believe. But reason prevailed somehow and I ended up spending the day instead with a good friend here in DC, feasting, toasting, and taking a walk in the rain.

Coming up on age sixty one, I'm holding steady. In the wake of my nasty battle with H1N1 after the first of the year, I have remembered every day - so far - to be grateful for all the pleasures, dramas, traumas, aches and pains, big laughs and adventures that go along with living in a human body. I really did touch the grave when I was sick!

But I'm alive, completely well and completely whole, and I'm eating cake every day between now and my birthday next week. If I want to, that is. Only if I want to.

Life is good and I am grateful. Cheers.