You're Invited To My 50th Birthday Party!

Did you see CTV News tonight? The story was fantastic! And I guess the secret is out. I'm turning 50 next month. I can hardly believe it.

When my dad turned 30, we threw him an Over The Hill party with black balloons.

When I turned 30, I was really happy that all the old people (probably the 50 year olds) would stop calling me "kid." My sister and law and I went on a free bus trip to Bimidji. We did all the free stuff except the gambling. That was the only way we could afford to celebrate away, and it was definately a fun, sister bonding weekend.

 When I turned 40, I threw a BBQ party for my Regina Souls Harbour staff, complete with party favours! Crab legs were donated that day so we all feasted on those. Now that I live in the Maritimes, I can't vouch for the freshness of those crab legs! And of course, I could no longer pull one over on the staff and continually turn 39...

Now I'm a few weeks from 50 and wondering if I should keep it a secret or tell the world. Because once it's out, there's no going back. I'll be honest, I've had issues with ageing. I want to be young - youthful. I think I spent my 40's dreading the big Five-O.  I've always felt younger than my age, and maybe that has to do with hanging around people who are younger, or maybe because I don't have children of my own to remind me of the passage of time.

But I do have 5 siblings to remind me. Thank you, Richard. And I thought it was pretty incredible that they wanted to spend the day with me. But to make a huge trip to the prairies was going to be expensive and time consuming, right in the middle of our busy summer at the Mission.

I decided that I need to embrace 50, not fight it. And so, here I am, revealing it to the world on my blog.

 I'M TURNING FIFTY, EVERYONE!  HALF A CENTURY OLD!

Yes, born in 1968. I'm an old lady now. I can wear brooches and gaudy jewellery with abandon.  I can wear crazy mismatch print pants and tops.  Oh, wait.  I already do those things!  I can join the red hat society and wear red hats and purple dresses!  I can read Zoomer magazine!

When we first moved to Halifax, we had no one to spend holidays with, so we spent them at the Mission, with guests, volunteers and donors. It became a really special tradition, and Souls Harbour Rescue Mission grew to be family to us. And as you probably know by now, we received a Windsor Foundation matching grant for $50,000. So, one thing lead to another and it seems like a fun way to celebrate my birthday.

50 For 50 Birthday Party 

Come & Go 

Friday, July 27, 2018 

12:00 Noon to 7:00 PM 

Come one, come all!  We'll have birthday cake and Chef Ryan's fancy popcorn. We'll have tours of the Million Dollar Bus! And we'll have an opportunity to make a donation to the LIFE Recovery Shelter in honour of my turning 50.

I sincerely hope you'll pop by. Join me for a coffee and a chat. Meet my new friends Mandy and Ryan from Million Dollar Bus. Tour the bus!  Tour the shelter space in it's "BEFORE" state.  And if you've never seen the renovated Drop In Centre dining room, we'll give you a tour of the amazing renovations, too!

Looking back on 50, I want to remember that I donated my milestone birthday, so that 10 men in the margins could have new life. So they could go from darkness to light. And I hope you'll come and remember it with me.

Oh, and in the end, my father-in-law turns 80 next month, and my nephew turns 30.  So we're heading West for a 30/50/80 party.  And on my actual birthday, I'll get to spend it with my siblings.  AND we had Airmiles so the trip was free!

It's going to be a great year, so LET'S PARTY!