Sylvia's Journal

All through my childhood the day before my birthday I was reminded that this or that activity was the last one I did while being this or that old. It is a habit that Axel has assimilated. And so he prepared my last breakfast consumed during my 59th year on this planet and reminded me that I was drinking my last cocktail (ginger beer and dark rum) and had just finished my last workday. As of tomorrow I will be entering my 60th year with the big birthday looming at the end of this next year. I used to think 60 year olds were ancient; now I think we 60-ish folks are pretty cool.

We had dinner at Paul’s. Over a delicious and enormous meal, accompanied by real wine, we discussed Wiki leaks between us six nationalities: Belgian, Dutch, American, British, Australian and Sierra Leonean (with some of us of double nationality). After that we drifted into other philosophical matters such as ‘meaning what we say and saying what we mean.’ We laughed about things and people, complained about things and people, marveled at things and people, agreed on things, disagreed on things and then (because all the things we said and thought we all agreed that Wiki leaks was not a good idea. And then we parted.

Back home I unraveled the fancy vintage glove I am knitting from real Cashmere wool ($40 per glove!). It was a little disappointing as I thought I was nearly done. However, after the thumb and index finger were completed it stopped looking like a glove. Knitting is a great exercise in patience, humility and perseverance.