Half Birthday Tidbits

My daughter testing positive for celiac disease is actually a relief. Ever since she came home from her first semester, she’s had this issue where she can’t keep a lot of things down. She had an unintentional weight loss of about 7 pounds. She doesn’t have 7 pounds to lose!  I was honestly scared that it could be something a lot worse. A lot of people live with celiac. It sucks, but it is what it is. 

Anna asked me if anyone on my side of the family has it. I said I don’t know, people in my family don’t talk about important things like what runs in our DNA.  Then I thought, let me text my cousin Raymond. He’s the son of my mom’s sister, and he’s always up in everyone’s business. This was the conversation. 

I guess you learn something new every day. I was laying down with Kevin and reading these messages out loud as they came in. Kevin likes to laugh at conspiracy theories. This might not be a “conspiracy theory”, I mean I just heard about it yesterday and have no idea, but the laughing was fun. Raymond’s next message was just telling me that King Arthur flour doesn’t have gluten, and I ended the conversation with a thumbs up. 

In other news. Whenever I’m not working I’m cutting up my 25 cent day finds into 6 and a half inch squares. It’s a therapeutic and relaxing activity. I do it sitting at the other end of the dining room table from Kevin while he’s gaming. 

The pants below are not going to be used in a denim chenille quilt, because they aren’t denim. They appear to be leather pants but aren’t. They are size 26, very long and wide. In the thrift store, I wondered if they were real leather. Whether they were or weren’t, the material would make great headbands. I looked in the waist for the tag, and the tag didn’t specify what they were made of. I threw them in the cart anyway, because 25 cents. 

Then while cutting them up, I found another tag in the leg. They’re faux leather, polyurethane outside and cotton lining. They’ll still make great headbands. 

Here’s Mitchell enjoying one bag of 25 cent jeans 

Here’s another pair in bright turquoise. I found a lot of colors this time. 

I also recently found out that a lot of knitters unravel sweaters for the yarn. There was a lady at 25 cent day with a cart full of sweaters, and I wondered if she was doing that. I didn’t ask, though. Some of the people push and shove on 25 cent day, so I don’t think many people are up for conversation. I cannot knit to save my life, but I imagine unraveling sweaters is as soothing as cutting squares. 

I posted this picture that day on instagram with the caption “it’s 25 cent day again!”  One of my friends, who has 8 kids and a grandbaby, was commenting all kinds of stuff about how she wished she had this place near her. I replied that on Wednesdays, people run in like it’s the supermarket sweep. She said, I bet. 

Today is also January 17th, which makes it my half birthday. A half birthday is the six month mark from your actual birthday. Since my birthday is July 17, then my half birthday is January 17, 6 months before and after, “halfway”.  I’m 47 years old.  So this makes me “3/4 of the way through my 40’s.”  Most people don’t analyze stuff like that, but I do. 

I think the rest of my life is going to be positive. I have some things to work out, but for the most part, life is a lot better than it was when I was young. I’m grateful for whatever time I have left, which I’m honestly starting to think is more time than I realize.