Red Fern

I chose Red Fern, a 100% vegan restaurant for my birthday dinner. It's a lovely treat for me to be able to read a menu and choose what I'd like to eat, rather than decipher a menu, figuring out what can be left out of a dish to make it work. The whole family was very willing to go there, recognizing they might be trying new things, or deciphering the menu to figure out what they would want to eat.

It was a beautiful August evening, and we enjoyed the walk through the gorgeous Rochester city blocks, chatting about hobbies and architecture and life.

We sat outside where I could watch the people go by as we talked about the Little Library style we'd each prefer to go in our front yard.

The conversation delightful, the food delicious, the weather perfect. It was a splendid birthday outing.

Not being a cake eater, the dessert options were a delight for me as well.

And after the dinner, the relaxing walk home on a cool August evening.

There were also some surprise gifts. Yessa found puzzles that were places we had visited on our Portugal trip.

As I've aged, birthdays are less important in many ways, BUT, I do appreciate having a day where I can choose what is a favorite thing or two just for me. This year was perfect for that. And I did my birthday burpees the day before, so that felt good, too.

Monkey's birthday comes next! Then we're through with birthdays for awhile. This was a good one for me.