happy birthday to my cousin!

Today is my cousin, Deb's, birthday. I won't say how old she is but you can see we're close in age. In fact, we might be the same age for a few months until I get the jump on her in October.

We were always more like sisters than cousins. She was from an all-boy family and so was I. In the old days, before cell phones and the interwebs, we wrote real letters. Our families visited in the summer and on holidays, even though it was almost 300 miles across the state. 

Once in a while, I went there to visit by myself. It was a wonderful place to visit...Houston is in the SE corner of Minnesota, a landscape of hills and ravines. So different from the prairie side of Minnesota where I grew up that it seemed exotic. 

Deb had a room at the top of their stucco house with a tiny window over the bed. We would kneel on her bed into the hot summer night and watch the traffic around the park. 

Deb and Teresa at Tulaby Lake...maybe late 1950's.

Deb came for a visit this spring.

Deb as a little girl.

Two princesses taking care of daily hygiene. 

Me on the left in the tub and Deb on the right in the sink.

Deb and Larry at Mom's birthday party in Canby.

Deb in Rochester about four years ago.

I think this was taken at Tulaby, too, but I have an unreliable memory.

On our way to a bluegrass festival in Cedar Rapids.

Celebrating New Year's Eve. Our black boas left a trail of feathers as we left the fancy restaurant...all around the table, over the dessert cart, stuck to the butter dishes. 

We laughed ourselves stupid.

Deb came to visit me in Cedar Rapids. She got ready for bed in the bathroom while I got ready for bed in the bedroom. When she emerged, we laughed and laughed because were in the same attire....flannel nightgowns and navy blue knee-high socks. Hot Norwegian chicks, right?

This is us in front of our funky apartment in Mount Vernon. There are too many stories about those years to tell here. Most of them resulting in raucous, out-of-control laughter.

Here we are on our wine trip in California. Deb is a seasoned travel but this is one of about five trips I've taken in my life. It was a hoot. I envisioned myself riding in a convertible with my chiffon scarf flying as we tooled past palm trees, but in truth, San Francisco was so cold I had to buy turtle neck sweaters while I was there.

Good times, tough times....but always lots of laughter and memories.

Happy birthday, with love, Deb!