Patti, it wasn't exactly will power. You get real practical when you are married and have very little money. I finished up teaching the school year for two reasons. First, this was a rural high school 15 miles from the city, and they may well have not been able to find a teacher for the rest of the year as this was an era of teacher shortages. I did not want to do that to my students. Moreover, I would be finishing my masters with the summer classes at the university in the city, or I would have had to start over. I did not want to do that and we looked forward to the greater income I could earn with a graduate degree. We are both financially practical people. When I finally joined my DH, I had $10 in my savings account after all the summer tuition and a final visit to the family dentist!

Thank you, everyone. This birthday has had a long celebration because of the kids' work and vacation schedules. My younger son had just finished a case, so he flew out from New York City two weeks ago, and he and his older brother cooked a dinner for us. My older son is quite the foodie now, so he set the menu and assigned some to his brother. We started with sangria made with rose wine (the rose is to please their dad) flavored with peaches, raspberries, oranges, and cointreau. Then we had a really delicious cold watermelon and tomato soup, which is not cooked, but it is pureed in the blender with mint, shallot, and almonds. The main course was a lovely halibut filet battered and deep fried for fish tacos, with cilantro, shredded cabbage, and two sauces. Dessert was a pear gallat the younger one made with salt and caramel gellato sprinkled with finely chopped, toasted pecans. Somewhere in that evening, I opened my gift from the older son and his wife, which was Tom Collins glasses for the mojitos he is a master at concocting. He introduced me to them, and that is now my favorite cocktail. Of course, we had to try them out immediately too. We felt duly pampered. Our daughter and grandsons came down for a day out, and we decided we would have lunch together after she returns from the family vacation. So now it is my birthday, and the kids are flung far and wide. The eldest is our daughter, and she and her family are vacationing in a beach condo with all the in-laws in Destin, Florida. My older son and DIL are enroute to visit with his in-laws in Montana, but they are taking two weeks camping at national parks to and from there. They love to camp. And my younger son is back at work in Manhattan. My brother called. We have been trying to get together for dinner this month, so we will do so tonight at Morton's. It will be nice to see my sweet sister-in-law and their son and have a nice birthday meal with family too. I cannot believe I am as old as I am. This post was edited by sheilajoyce on Tue, Jul 30, 13 at 16:26

So what did you end up by having for your birthday dinner?? It sounds like it would be a great time!

hmm Caroline, I didn't receive it, and the email I use on this site is correct. Did you send it today because I often empty my junk or trash folder without reading the emails. Didn't empty it today though and there is nothing in it. Anne