Mid-Life Crisis

Today is my birthday. I'm 45 years old. Maybe that's why a couple of days ago I cut myself some bangs after not wearing them for a number of years. I had bangs all through my adolescence and young adulthood and finally decided a few years ago to grow them out because I was tired of fighting the bang battle. I have naturally curly hair, so getting bangs to behave like bangs is not easy. It has been nice for a number of years now to just wash and go. With bangs, I have to blow dry to get the desired effect.

But maybe it's worth it. I think they may take off a few years. What do you think? Here are a few birthday pictures (taken by my daughter) for your consideration.

Without glasses:

With glasses (do I look more intelligent?):

Enjoying the new reading corner:

Thanks for being my official photographer, Caitlin!

I know, this post is an exercise in total vanity. But I'm entitled, right? I'm now closer to 50 than 40. The wrinkles are multiplying, the hair is graying, the eyes and mind are failing, and the body is going. Gotta take what I can get.

Happy birthday to me!

Tag, I'm "It"

Angie and Kim tagged me for this one (or maybe I'm just flattering myself that I'm the Cheryl they had in mind). Whatever the case may be, here goes.

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Let's see, that would be 1998. At the time I had been married for 11 years and had two children ages 6 and 3. We were living in Peoria, Illinois, where my husband was serving as Cantor at the downtown Lutheran church. I was teaching freshman English Composition at Illinois Central College and accompanying the Peoria Area Youth Chorus, which my husband directed. We lived in a nice 3-bedroom split foyer home in West Peoria with an awesome back yard, and I didn't appreciate the simplicity of our life at the time.

What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

Catch up on the laundry, email and blog reading after a weekend away from home.
Read through and give feedback on the speech my husband is writing.
Do some planning for Vacation Bible School.
Get allergy shots.
Go grocery shopping.

Snacks I enjoy:

My favorite snack is a cup of coffee and something sweet.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Pay off all debt and invest enough money to live on without having to work.
Establish trusts for the charities of my choice.
Send the kids to college.
Fix/update everything in our house that needs it and then sell it and buy my dream house.
Hire a maid.

Places I have lived:

Texas: Austin & surrounding area; Denton; Houston & surrounding area
Illinois: Peoria & Chicagoland

Jobs I have had:

Grocery store cashier.
Drug store cashier.
Health clinic receptionist.
Nanny/housekeeper.
Substitute teacher.
Marketing research interviewer.
Secretary to an insurance salesman.
Piano teacher.
Piano accompanist.
Junior high, high school, and college English teacher.
Academic advisor.
Proofreader.

6 peeps I would like to know more about

I need to get to work on that task list mentioned above, so I'm going to leave it at three:

Michelle D. (I already know a lot about her, but she hasn't blogged in a while, so I'm hoping this will encourage her.)
Michelle P.
Supermom