Happy Birthday to me!

(Above:  Photos of my son, Mathias Lenz Dingman, and his dancing partner, Maureya Lebowitz, in the leading roles for Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty.)

Today is my fiftieth-fifth birthday.  I'm been claiming this advanced age since January the first, trying to get used to the number before it was actually correct.  Yet, it still seems strange to find myself the age of a popular speed limit. LOL!  Where have the years gone?  What have I done with all that time?  Mostly, I'm stunned ... but I do know that plenty has taken place during the past fifty-five years.  For one thing, I had a family.  My elder son grew up into a professional ballet dancer ... and today his Facebook page included photos I hadn't seen.  Mathias was the prince in Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty earlier in the season.  Now ... this was a great way to start a birthday!   


(Above:  My mat cutter ... piling with work ... forty-four new pieces for the Richland One School District's permanent art collection.)

The rest of today has been spent cutting forty-four mats for the Richland One School District's Permanent Art Collection.  This is a lot of work!


(Above:  The AIDS Benefit Foundation's "Dining With Friends Dessert Finale 2014" at the Koger Center.)

I'm not going to have much time to celebrate my birthday but that's okay.  I had a great time last Saturday night at the AIDS Benefit Foundation's annual "Dining With Friends Dessert Finale".  I had a piece in the silent auction and spent time with friends like Cindy and Forbes Patterson (above).

(Above:  The AIDS Benefit Foundation's "Dining With Friends Dessert Finale 2014" at the Koger Center.)

You can almost see my piece in the photo above ... hanging on the temporary black wall.  It sold!  The night was very, very nice and for such a worthy cause.  (The desserts were great too ... plenty of chocolate for Steve and cookies for me!)


(Above:  Lancet Window XLIV. Inventory # 3178.  Framed: 31 1/4" x 11 1/4". $375.  Click on image to enlarge.)

Since then, Lancet Window XLIV was also finished and more new work is on its way.  Steve has been keeping up with the World Cup and also tending our yard.

(Above:  Steve's pet weed.)

I have absolutely nothing to do with yard work.  Since I don't do any of it, I don't voice an opinion ... which is only fair.  Steve has his own way to tending the yard.  Every year this includes allowing one week to grow.  This is his "pet weed".  A few years ago, I backed our car into his pet weed.  This year, he picked a new location ... far away from the cement parking area.  I have praised this weed ... anything to get out of helping in the heat and humidity here in South Carolina!

I'm linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber artwork.