Susan Senator

A golden day. Not at all like the day I was born, 44 years ago, when there was a freak snowstorm. Mom says I was born easily, at 5 a.m. She was awake for it all, which is kind of unusual for births back then. She said my nose was a bit squooshed and so I looked a little funny, but I had a head full of black hair and she was in love. She said in a day or two my nose straightened out and she put a little dress on me and she saw that I was beautiful. And thus began a lifelong tradition whereby most things that are ailing me can be fixed by putting on a pretty little something.

The sky cleared around midmorning, with occasional eggplant-colored clouds that filled the sky and then were split by the sun pouring through. It has been around 70 degrees, too. A day custom-made for me, or so I would believe were I in a manic phase.

I had the belly dance class with Deanna this morning, and my friend Allison joined me — I met Allison 8 years ago, when we both took our babies to an infant music class. (Right now that “baby” of mine is annoying me because he just won’t start his homework!) I persuaded Allison to give the class a try. She loved it! Deanna showed us a dance routine to go with a drumming CD, which I happen to own because I bought it from Shadia, my other BD teacher! So now I have a one-minute dance routine. Don’t ask me to perform it, though; I have already forgotten it! I tried to show Ned; he said, “It doesn’t really look like belly dance.” Gee, thanks for the encouragement!!

But he brought me home some of those gorgeous Party Favor cupcakes, with the one inch thick icing. Mine had flowers on the top; Benji and Nat had big purple spiders on theirs. Max has a pumpkin; Ned has a flower (?) not sure why. Then I ate cheese and crackers, (not just cheese), what a treat, and I had half an apple, which I’ve been craving. Yes, fruit is verboten on this stupid diet of mine, because it is full of sugar (carbs). Tonight I will have dessert, too, and bread with dinner!

This a.m. all the boys got in bed with me! They are so big! Then they gave me cards, mostly drawn by Benji. Ned’s card was beautiful, and said how this had been a year of a lot of happiness and pain, a lot of learning about myself, and how he loves me so much. Wow. He always writes a lot on my cards; a man of many (written) words, for such a quiet guy.

I got a new coin belt for dancing from the boys, a Greek music CD and gift card to Anthropologie from Mom and Dad, a birthday card with a button that reads “old” and crystal earrings from Sarai, my sister-in-law, whom I adore, funky earrings from Ned’s dad and stepmom, who are great, and the costume from Ned, which has not arrived yet. Laura says that something “belly” is coming in the mail. She got me an obscene birthday card; I guess I’m now at that age!

Ruth and I had lunch together and then hour-long massages at our healthclub. Just fantastic. Then we soaked in that bubbly hot tub and had a eucalyptus steam. By then I was ready to pass out, so I got dressed and headed home.

Had some nice birthday emails — a couple of male admirers (!) and also old and new friends!

Right now I’m downstairs trying to figure out what we’re doing tonight. Ned wants us to go to this divey belly dance club in Cambridge, but I think I feel like wearing my hot red dress and going out someplace fancy!