Older but Proud

I’m not proud of myself. Turning forty is not much of an accomplishment though it is a milestone. I have a few more gray hairs than I did last year and a little less money. I am very proud of Maura though. She can keep a secret.

My parents came for a visit last week to help me celebrate my birthday. Their arrival was a surprise. I’d begun to wonder when they were going to come, because they almost always come for a visit sometime in the spring and I had not heard a date mentioned this year but I did not know they were coming for my birthday until my mother called from the highway to tell me not to go out until they arrived. The remarkable thing is not that my parents surprised me with a visit for my 40th birthday; it’s that Maura knew they were coming for months (since December) and she never let it slip. Even when I asked her the previous afternoon why she was so excited she said it was because the next day was my birthday and did not give a hint that the real reason for her excitement was that she was going to see her grandparents.

My parents’ visit was enjoyable for everyone, as was our celebration of my birthday. We went to dinner on Friday. Where we went was another secret that Maura kept very well. She did spill the beans on that one eventually because she dropped a clue that she didn’t realize would give it away. Dinner was in the Monday Club Bar at Upstairs on the Square, on Winthrop Square in Cambridge. It was restaurant I had wanted to try for months but it’s beyond our means except for special occasions. I was not disappointed. The food and the atmosphere were superb and the company was wonderful. Three generations of Elletts were joined by my good friends Andrew and Julie Tittler (Uncle Drew and Auntie Julie to Maura). Maura made me proud once again by behaving very well at the restaurant. I hope she learns that dressing up and being on her best behavior can be fun once in a while. I think she had a good time at dinner and I made sure I told her how happy I was at her deportment.