Today has a beautiful baby blue sky. The Lord scratched his white pastel stick across the sky canvas in a few places and drew some long slender clouds. Mother Nature added a every now and then cool breeze. My yard is absolutely full of goldfinches and cardinals. Their symphony is so pretty and relaxing. No modern world music is playing out in the neighborhood.

Penelope is asleep and missed the black neighborhood cat strutting by her. The cat glanced at me but didn’t look at Penelope. Oldest sister-in-law and her grandson stopped by for a porch visit on the way to baseball practice. She lets him drive when he has places to go. Don’t think I want to be fifteen again, though. The teenage years in today’s world are rough with all the social media influences. They both marveled at all the birds on the feeders in my yard. Oldest-sister-in law said, “Wow, I thought you made it up about all the birds you have in your yard.” She was amazed at the number of yellow goldfinches flitting around. The downy woodpecker couple were both eating from the same suet basket when the neighborhood hawk swooped down looking to snatch up his breakfast. That’s two visits when he’s missed his prey.

Stewart gave me an early birthday present this morning. A glow in the dark bird feeder, made of copper, with a pretty pattern cut out for the light to shine through. We put it on a pole on the back deck so we could enjoy it during our suppers. I had not hung the feeder up and gotten back in the house before some cardinals and goldfinches started feeding on it. Usually takes weeks for birds to visit a new feeder. A perfect birthday present! The birds love it and so do I.

My 67th birthday is Saturday, April 1, better known as April Fools’ Day. A day full of practical jokes and hoaxes. My granddaughter thinks that’s why I’m “so funny and full of jokes.” Mama told me I was born on Easter Sunday when the church bells chimed. Oldest brother told me Big Ma walked upstairs and told them the Easter Bunny had brought them a baby sister. Middle brother told Big Ma to “tell daddy we don’t want it. Let the Easter Bunny take it back!” Always thought this was a made up tale but oldest brother remembers that Easter morning and hearing middle brother complaining. Mama didn’t believe I was a girl, either. She was waiting for the doctor to say, “April Fools!” After two boys, I hope they were thrilled with my birth.

The next time Easter falls on April Fools’ Day will be 2029. Hope I’ll still be bird watching at age 73 — probably out the windows at Shady Oaks. To my friends going with me to Shady Oaks, please pack some bird seeds in your luggage! In the 1900s April Fools’ Day fell on Easter Sunday four times — 1923, 1934, 1945, and my birth year, 1956.

My earliest birthday memory is when I was about five years old. I can remember the dress I wore. It was baby blue with smocking and a white Peter Pan collar and had a big sash that tied in the back. I had a tiny wrist corsage of miniature roses tied on my wrist, a gift from my mama’s cousin Leita. We dressed up for birthdays in our Sunday clothes when I was little. My birthday cake had a little porcelain doll on top. Sometimes, in an old scrapbook, I stumble across the party writeup from the Roanoke Leader society pages. Never remember opening my birthday presents till after the guests went home. The party guests always placed the presents in a big wicker basket by the front door. Sadly, I broke the little porcelain doll years ago taking it back to Alex City.

Being born on April Fools’ Day was no joke. In school, everyone remembered my birthday and reveled in playing tricks on me. In elementary someone put the trash can over my head. A long tall skinny one from Handley Mills. Trapped my arms straight down. The teacher came in the room and jerked it off. Course everyone got a good laugh but me. Every time I saw those cans in the mills at Russell I remembered that day.

I love Mark Twain’s quote about April Fool’s Day! “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” — Mark Twain.

Happy birthday to me!