Fifty, but who's counting?
I had hoped to be sipping red or rosè wine in Lisbon on my 50th birthday (I can't believe I'm that old), but alas, work and life got in the way and the Portugal trip got scrapped. Then we thought we might be able to put together a one-week trip to the East Coast; that didn't happen either. In the end, I spent a relaxing day doing nothing out of the ordinary, but treating myself to little pleasures such as breakfast out, a more expensive bottle of wine than we usually get, a variety of good cheeses and olives, roasted tomatoes, a new mustard, some chocolate and, of course, gelato. Not a bad way to celebrate a birthday for someone who doesn't like crowds and finds planning a highly stressful activity.
On the knitting front, there's a new Wing o' the Moth on the needles. Ah yes, I am turning into a serial knitter.
Avevo sperato di passare il mio cinquantesimo compleanno sorseggiando vino rosso o rosè a Lisbona, ma il lavoro e la vita in generale si sono messi di mezzo e il viaggio in Portogallo è saltato. Poi abbiamo pensato di fare un salto sulla East Coast; anche quello non si è realizzato. Alla fine ho passato una giornata normale, ma viziandomi un po': colazione fuori, una bottiglia di vino speciale, una varietà di formaggi e olive, pomodori arrostiti, una senape nuova, un po' di cioccolata e, naturalmente, gelato. Non un brutto modo di festeggiare il compleanno per una persona che aborrisce le folle e lo stress della pianificazione.
Sul fronte della maglia, c'è un nuovo scialle sui ferri. Sto diventando una serial knitter.
Comments
But didn't you know!?! Fifty is Nifty!!!
Best Wishes!!!!
Posted by: Bobbi | September 30, 2007 3:55 PM
Happy Birthday, Francesca. May you have a long and happy life.
By the way, you don't look 50. 40, maybe but most likely, even younger than that.
Hmm, we'll need to stage an intervention soon ;-)
Posted by: Marina | September 30, 2007 4:11 PM
Happy 50th Birthday from a first time commenter. I found your blog recently (via Ravelry - what a great place). Sounds like you had a lovely day. I couldn't believe it when I turned 50 either. Looks like a great start on that shawl and I love the colour! Absolutely nothing wrong with being a serial knitter either!
Posted by: Gaile | September 30, 2007 4:15 PM
happy birthday!
as for the knitting, who cares about serial knitting when you have such a gorgeous yarn?
Posted by: amanda | September 30, 2007 4:18 PM
Happy Birthday! I can't believe you're 50 either (I've seen your photo). (I'll be joining you there shortly). Your birthday "celebration" sounds perfect.
Posted by: carlene | September 30, 2007 4:26 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! This is a big one. I hope you're able to do something exciting, even if it's a little belated.
[raising a glass to you...]
Posted by: The Feminist Mafia | September 30, 2007 4:39 PM
I knew this was coming up but it slipped right on by--hope you had a lovely day and best wishes for a great year to follow.
Theresa
Posted by: theresa | September 30, 2007 4:58 PM
Oh I was wondering about the trip.
Sorry to hear that it didn't work out. But sounds like you're having a good day.
Enjoy :)
You only turn 50 once. celebrate all year!
Posted by: May | September 30, 2007 5:07 PM
Happy Birthday!
Holy cow, I really did a double take when you said you were fifty. You seriously do not look a day over 35. I am not exaggerating at all.
On the plus side, you now get to imitate Molly Shannon on SNL screaming out: "I'm fifty! Fifty years old! And I love every minute of it!"
Posted by: Sway Knits | September 30, 2007 6:08 PM
I firmly refuse to believe that's your real age! I mean, come on, you look at most 35! Don't even try to convince me it's true!
But Happy Birthday to you! :)
Posted by: Agnes | September 30, 2007 6:13 PM
Happy Birthday! Sounds like an enjoyable day...travel later!
Posted by: karen | September 30, 2007 6:29 PM
I would never have guessed 50! But then I can't believe I'm 51! It's the best decade!
Sounds like you celebrated in the best way - good food and good company. Glad you had a wonderful day!
Posted by: Ava | September 30, 2007 6:46 PM
oh, FIFTY is a GREAT age to be!
All the magic starts now....
that is a lovely color for the new shawl....
yummy!
Posted by: greta | September 30, 2007 7:21 PM
Gorgeous, talented and stylish and I'll bet you're a lovely person too. Happy Birthday. I turned 50 this year too.
Posted by: Grace | September 30, 2007 8:16 PM
happy, happy! i hope you had a great birthday :)
Posted by: mai | September 30, 2007 8:16 PM
hope you had a tremendously great birthday! ;) tantiii auguriiii a teeeeee.....
Posted by: andrea | September 30, 2007 8:27 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Francesca!!
May you be very happy!
It was so interesting thing to talk about colors.(I seemed to miss a chance to leave my comment on your last post.)
You alway choose the colors which match you nicely. I have several favorite colors but I know the favorite colors don't always match me wonderfully. A yarn owner once told me that choosing colors are the most hard step for knitting.
At the first, what is the most important factors when you pick up yarns for your project?
I would like to learn colors from people actually.
Thank you.
Posted by: Koko | September 30, 2007 8:33 PM
Francesca, you look like 40! Congratulations once more!
Posted by: Maud | September 30, 2007 9:50 PM
Happy Birthday!
I thought you were *maybe* 33, but no more. Wow. This doesn't compute.
Posted by: Sylvia | September 30, 2007 10:27 PM
Joyeux Anniversaire , Francesca !
Danièle (56 , VBG)
Posted by: Danièle | October 1, 2007 12:08 AM
Happy birthday!! Sounds like a perfect day. I had to laugh when I read about "planning as a highly stressful activity" - I'm exactly the same (and a bit ashamed of it I'm afraid) - what a relief to realise there are others! Are you going to share your secret about how to (almost) look half your age? I too thought you were in your early or mid thirties.
Posted by: marie | October 1, 2007 1:00 AM
Tantissimi auguroni di buon compleanno, Francesca!
Ho letto due volte quello che hai scritto perché non ho creduto ai miei occhi per quanto riguarda il numero. Puoi negare almeno 15 anni di sicuro. Tra 11 anni anch'io voglio stare così :-)
Posted by: Zita | October 1, 2007 1:09 AM
Happy birthday! May you live so many of these years among mohair skeins... (anything more delicious??). Serial knitter: you are in good company.
Posted by: gomitolina | October 1, 2007 1:34 AM
Happy Birthday! Wings looks like delicious red wine. What a lovely color!
Posted by: fleegle | October 1, 2007 3:25 AM
50? really? i can't believe it!
happy belated birthday - it sounds like a good one to me.
Posted by: kris | October 1, 2007 4:00 AM
Happy 50th! lol I thought you were a graduate student!
Posted by: Kate/Massachusetts | October 1, 2007 4:33 AM
Auguri Francesca, MA..
Io non ci credo che tu abbia 50 anni! Io, dalle immagini viste dal blog, te ne davo 34! Chiara
Posted by: Chiara | October 1, 2007 8:03 AM
happy birthday! i think low-key birthdays are the best :) here's to many more!
Posted by: lekkercraft | October 1, 2007 8:03 AM
Happy Birthday, Francesca. May this be the best year yet!
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday dear Francesca...
Happy Birthday to you...
Posted by: kitty kitty | October 1, 2007 9:25 AM
That sounds like a wonderful day! I adore the colour of the new wing o'moth...is this going to be the red year?
Posted by: rosie | October 1, 2007 10:27 AM
Happy Birthday! But 50?? I'd have guessed 30's, maybe 40.
The 50's are the best. I've found that my mouth opens up and I say stuff I never would have said when I was younger. And nobody is too shocked, except maybe me. It's like, "did I really say that out loud?"
The red moth will be perfect.
Posted by: Lorette | October 1, 2007 10:57 AM
Happy belated birthday--and I would NEVER have guessed! :-)
I knit the Moth last year, and it's my favorite shawl ever. So beautiful, so perfectly named. I hope to do at least one more myself--it's worth serial-knitting. :-)
Posted by: Beth S. | October 1, 2007 11:24 AM
Happy (belated) Birthday!! may your year be filled with innumerable little pleasures.
you've been sailing along at such speed on all these beautiful lace knits!
Posted by: meowgirl | October 1, 2007 11:29 AM
Happy Birthday! I must say, you shocked me when you said you were 50, you look nowhere near there! Your WOTM looks wonderful so far!
Posted by: Bea | October 1, 2007 1:28 PM
Happy Birthday! Sounds just perfect!
Posted by: Melanie | October 1, 2007 1:40 PM
Happy Birthday! Sounds like you found the perfect way to celebrate. :)
Posted by: Nonnahs | October 1, 2007 5:42 PM
Happiest of birthdays to you! mmmm...olives, my favorite.
Posted by: Kyra | October 1, 2007 9:11 PM
Happy belated birthday Francesca! Of course, you are not old!! 50 is the new 40 hey?
Posted by: laurence | October 1, 2007 9:25 PM
Happy Birthday!!!!!
Posted by: strikkelise | October 2, 2007 12:58 AM
happy birthday. been there.
Posted by: jude | October 2, 2007 4:18 AM
YOU'RE FIFTY?! I thought you were --maybe-- early 30's, like 32 max!!!
1. Happy Birthday!
2. What's your secret? (Please tell me it doesn't involve any eye of newt because newts are so cute!)
3. Love that red color on your new WotM--guess we should have sensed a color shock on the horizon after the "Picasso's blue period" post ;P
Posted by: Jade | October 2, 2007 6:46 AM
50? Really? We should all look so gorgeous at 50! I'm sorry you didn't get to go to Portugal but really I had to laugh when read about your scrapped trip. My husband and I have tried to go to Lisbon twice and have had the airline cancel our flights both times. It's become a mythical place for me now. But maybe next year, for my husband's 50th?
Posted by: Peggy | October 2, 2007 6:56 AM
Happy, happy birthday Francesca!!(and how did I miss seeing this post on time?)
All good wishes to you!
Posted by: Karen | October 2, 2007 7:21 AM
Francesca,
Happy, happy Birthday!
What's the recipe of turning 50 and looking 35 :) anyway? You should share it.
best wishes, Silvia
Posted by: Silvia | October 2, 2007 7:41 AM
I hope it was happy, it certainly sounds it :)
Happy belated 50th!
Posted by: mel | October 2, 2007 3:57 PM
Happy Birthday! They may not end up how we plan, but they are usually still just as good :-)
Posted by: disentangled | October 2, 2007 5:08 PM
happy birthday! it sounds like a lovely day
Posted by: Bobbi | October 3, 2007 12:34 PM
I hope you had the best of birthdays!!
Posted by: lomester | October 4, 2007 8:11 AM
Happy belated birthday! Parabens!
Posted by: Mari | October 4, 2007 11:12 AM
A belated birthday from a lurker, and hey, this gives you a year to plan a splendid trip to Portugal!
Posted by: Shel | October 4, 2007 1:32 PM
Happy birthday! I hope you had a great day!
Sorry to hear that the plans for Portugal got put on hold. Maybe you should come to Japan? I can take care of the planning for you :-)
Posted by: Rachele | October 4, 2007 10:13 PM
Wow, I can time it. You're 50 and there are 50 comments ahead of me!
The "0" birthdays are so cool. You get an entire new decade to use in fresh and unique ways.
I hope that yours was a happy birthday and that there are many more.
Posted by: Laura | October 5, 2007 9:59 PM
Happy belated birthday!!! Honestly, from your pictures you look 30! Here's to another great year!
Posted by: hege | October 7, 2007 9:43 AM
Happy Birthday...I found being fifty a toughy but fifty one is worse! hah! Love your blog!
Posted by: Marianne | October 8, 2007 5:31 AM
Belated happy birthday!
Posted by: frances goodman | October 10, 2007 9:04 AM
Happy birthday! Gratulere med dagen! (in Norwegian) hope you had a nice day!
Posted by: Hanne | October 11, 2007 2:20 PM
Oh! I missed this post! Belated Happy Birthday! 50, you say? You had me fooled, I thought you were in your 30s, and therefore younger than my 47 years! I hope you had a really pleasant day.
Posted by: domesticshorthair | October 15, 2007 9:49 PM