44

I'm bidding farewell to 44 today. 45 years ago it was Pancake Tuesday, and my Mom was hungry enough after giving birth to have an entire pancake breakfast but the nurses told her that she needed to stick to tea and toast. (I think my Mom hates tea and toast to this day.)

4 is my favourite number, and a year ago I wondered how 44 would fare. A trip to Europe, getting a puppy, and attending part of the Vancouver2010 Olympics...? it fared very, very well. (and I may end up adding 'figuring out my food insensitivities' to this list...)

Sometimes I wish I had the ability to press a small button on my temple and take a snapshot of what my eyes are seeing. (Don't you?) Until science catches up with me I'm forced to stand there and tell myself to 'remember this' in hopes of recalling the picture later.

Snapshots like last weekend, walking the dog with Neal and Maeve and a friend. The kids are hiding in a copse of young trees, climbed up into the entangled branches, calling the dog. I can't really see them, but I can hear them giggling and calling out across the snow. Blaze is bounding through and around trying to find them.

And, following my son's 'look!' comment to see another plane pass by underneath us while we're in the air. It's contrail is perpendicular to ours.

Or, looking in the rearview mirror and catching a passing glance between Maeve and Neal. Sometimes it's a giggle, sometimes a glower.

I hesitate to proclaim this, but I think this may have been my favourite year so far.That digital camera implant would've really come in handy.