As a gift for my 50th birthday, my Heavenly parents, who know me best, orchestrated a weekend of everything that brings me the greatest joy. I don’t feel like I had much to do with the planning as the weekend unfolded and went from one glorious moment to another. Amy and I left Thursday morning from St George to catch our mid morning flight to Boston, MA. We slipped into the last seats on a full flight and arrived in Boston to a beautiful sunset over the harbor. With a little help from several helpful people with fantastic accents we caught the Charly and arrived at our hotel without incidence. The hotel was in a perfect location, near restaurants, the train, and parks. We chose Greek for dinner and indulged in zucchini fritters, gyros and Greek fries with feta. Before bed we researched our itinerary. On Friday we awoke to perfect weather and went for a run along the water. We opted for breakfast in the city and had amazing shakashuka at a quaint cafe. We walked through the historic downtown area, saw the Old Townhall and were impressed with the number of beautiful churches We visited inside the Trinity church and enjoyed the Tiffany stained glass windows that depicted several unique biblical scenes. Matthew, Mark Luke and John were featured on the opposite side of 4 women representing 4 values. I loved the stained glass of Mary and the baby. No depiction of the garden of Eden. One of our favorite places was the Boston public library which feels like a temple. It was a memorial from a mother to her son after he died on the Titanic and was the first building to loan a book or provide free internet. While we were downtown we discovered that Monday is the Boston marathon! The place was full of energy and Amy and I got pictures at the finish line! The rest of the morning we savored the gorgeous Beacon Hill area and the stunning fall displays in the window boxes and doorways. They were so picturesque, we wanted to capture every one on camera. To give our legs a rest, we caught the train to Cambridge and grabbed a healthy lunch at sweet greens. It broke a good rule, because it’s a chain, but was so fresh and delicious it hit the spot! We walked the Harvard campus and discovered the building where Jeff Barrow worked! We attempted to visit the library and art museum, but immunization proof was required! Learned that lesson the hard way. We found a Mikes bakery and bought a couple of cannoli for dinner. They were rich and delicious and best enjoyed on the commons at Harvard. We walked by one group of students intent in conversation, all in the quintessential pose of intelligence: head cocked, hand rubbing chin, brow furrowed. I’m pretty sure they were also all wearing tweed. Our legs were spent, so we returned to the hotel and Amy got me hooked on a Netflix series called love on the spectrum. It was so indulgent to binge tv until late knowing I could sleep in! On Saturday we did a little workout at the gym and headed into the city again. Today was market day and we enjoyed all the charming shops and venues. We had a delicious popover with eggs and cheese for breakfast and then explored Faniel Hall. It is called the cradle of Liberty and was where both abolitionist s and suffragists pled their cause. Today it is used for swearing in attorney’s house pass the bar and new citizens who have immigrated. We decided to walk the freedom trail to see the significant historical sights but had a bona fide cup of Boston baked beans in the park. Pretty sweet, but the molasses was delicious. The freedom trail took us to Paul Revere Square, the church where he set the lantern, Bunker Hill and our favorite, the USS Constitution, Old Iron Sides and museum. It was especially fun to see some of the places we are discussing in our constitution class and marvel at how many close calls formed our country, seemingly almost by luck or accident. We walked along the beautiful Boston Harbor and some locals recommended a local chowder restaurant. I had the lobster bisque and we shared a slice of Boston Creme pie for dessert. It was a perfect last meal in Boston! Since the night was still young, we did a bit of shopping, gifts for the boys. I found a sweatshirt I liked at Banana Republic and when I went to purchase it was .$99! Another evidence to me that God was planning my birthday knowing how much I love a good deal. After another delicious night of tv and sleep, we were off to the airport to experience our best miracle of the trip. No seats left on the plane so Amy sent me ahead. I turned back to look one final time and Amy had slid on by the skin of her teeth. We were headed back to Las Vegas. I love traveling. I love traveling with Amy because of our good deep talks and belly laughs. I’m so grateful for Tony to stay behind. His willingness to be at home means stress free travel for me. Tony had a horrible weekend where he tore his hamstring during a racquetball game during the World Senior Games competition AND BYU lost to Boise State in football. As expected, neither of the boys showed much compassion and were less than attentive or even aware of his plight. I feel intense gratitude to believe that I am worthy of this much fun, joy and even indulgence. I only fought guilt feelings a few times by repeating to myself, “You only turn 50 once!” What a great way to end 50 years of life and start 50 more!
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