Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's...Sixty???

Israel joined the United Nations on May 11, 1949. Siam officially changed its French name to "Thaïlande" (English name to "Thailand"). 1949, After many years of misery through the depression and World War 11 postwar prosperity is starting to get underway with companies now able to supply the cars, Televisions and the other goods demanded in a consumer society. The cars got bigger, the TV's got bigger, with some 6.2 million new cars sold in the US and nearly 10 million Televisions in American homes, A new type of TV program appeared we now call Soap Operas ( the name came from the fact many soap manufacturers sponsored the shows to catch the stay at home mum with advertising ) . China became a communist country and Russia had the Nuclear Bomb which increased the tension between East and West ( The Cold War ). http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1949.html And He was born 1949--60 years ago this year.

Yep. It finally came around--His 60th birthday. I can't say He seemed all that excited about it. Didn't want a party. Didn't want a fuss. And, he bought his own present--a much needed, spankin' new, very adjustable, leather executive office chair with that "new car smell." He'd been sitting in a raggedy old 70's piece-of-crap chair for years now so it was nice to see that go.

A nice dinner, a bottle of wine, and birthday card...He craved a chocolate cake but decided it wasn't on His diet. But, I went to Schnucks bakery for a small chocolate fudge cake with fudge icing--YUM!!! (Yes, I make an awesome chocolate cake, but oven is still not working.)
But he got something else too, a nice surprise I think. I commissioned a painting by a local artist friend and neighbor to commemorate his life at this stage. Please go to: http://sweetartstl-news.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-birthday-dennis.html.

All in all, He had a nice day. And when He realized that, his attitude changed.

• I think it's wonderful that you could all be here for the forty-third anniversary of my thirty-ninth birthday. We decided not to light the candles thir year - we were afraid Pan Am woudl mistake it for a runway.- Bob Hope
• Q: What greeting card if on sale only in Kentucky?A: "Happy Birthday, Uncle Dad."
• It's an awful thing to grow old alone. My wife hasn't had a birthday in six years.
• You know you're growing old when by the time you've lit the last candle on the birthday cake, the first one has burned out.
• You know you're growing old when the heat from the candles on the birthday cake keeps you from getting close enough to blow them out.
  

Sedona AZ

We saved Sedona for the last but realized that we should have scheduled more time there. Oh well. It was a warm day, 90's, and we weren't in the mood for hiking. But we saw about all the formations from the road and did some shopping, walking and drinking. No picture I show you here will do justice to the scenery--you just have to see for yourself. I bought some postcards of Sedona then left them in the rental car when we turned the car in. sigh.

Rich in history and beauty, I hope you follow the links and discover more, because I can't describe it in this blog.

We drove through the town and saw very commercial shopping areas on each side of the road. We looked for and found one gated shopping center that I had seen on the net, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, a Sedona landmark since 1970's, Tlaquepaque treats visitors to an excellent collection of over 40 galleries and shops bordered by four superb restaurants. Modeled after Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque offers outdoor dining as well as events, private parties and weddings. (From their website.) We browsed through most of the shops and saw some beautiful things. There are many more places we should have gone had we realized it. Even though we stopped at the visitor's center, we didn't gather the "right" information.

We had drinks on the patio at the El Rincon, Sedona's most recommended and visited restaurant. We were still full from our wonderful breakfast in Jerome, so we didn't eat there. www.ElRinconRestaurant.com

Jerome, Verde Valley and Sedona are places you just have to experience for yourself--laid back and relaxing even without spa treatments.

From Wikipedia:

Sedona (pronounced /sɨˈdoʊnə/) is a city and community that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,220.[2]
Sedona's main attraction is its stunning array of red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks of Sedona. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The Red Rocks form a breathtaking backdrop for everything from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails.
Sedona is named after Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of the city's first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedona,_Arizona