Jan's Black Box Birthday

 Lyrics to When I'm Sixty-Four have been echoing through my head for days now.  I have been moping about.    Being 64 is simply turning one year older.  There are no exciting benefits.  No big parties...no getting to draw retirement...nothing special.

Doug, in his way tried to cheer me up a bit with birthday hints.  We seldom do birthday gifts for one another but this year he said I was getting a present and it was coming in a BLACK BOX.  Even I know that Tiffany uses blue boxes but I wasn't sure about Cartier.  That doesn't sound quite right.  Why would he buy me jewelry to wear in the wilds of Canada?  Quite a puzzle but it distracted me from the Will you still need me?  Will you still feed me when I'm Sixty-Four?

And then came my birthday morning.  I sprung out of bed to find my present and there it was in the promised black box.  It was too big to be jewelry and too small to be a vacuum cleaner.  Carefully I opened the lid and WOW!

Not every girl gets a gold Islander knuckle buster salmon reel for her birthday!  Better than Cartier for certain.

PS  For those of you who are neither old nor Beatles fans here are the lyrics to When I'm Sixty-Four.

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooo
You'll be older too, (ah ah ah ah ah)
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.

I could be handy mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck, and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, Wasting Away.