It’s my birthday tomorrow, which means two things:

1. It’s been exactly one year since I awoke thinking holy smoke, it’s now or never to put that domain name I bought when I was 62 to work. I had 16 hours before the calendar turned so, in a frenzy, I signed on to WordPress.com, sweated figuring it out, wrote a first blog post and – phew! – pressed ‘Publish’
2. The name of this blog has now passed from reality to wistful and symbolic. Oh, well.

I didn’t know where I’d take this blogging thing, but I figured there’s a generation of people looking at pretty much the same life stuff as me – such as that chronicled in my what-the-hell-happened-to-my-arms post and the chin hairs–tweezers reveal.

I hoped/intended to treat When I’m 64 like a weekly newspaper column with firm deadlines – still do – although according to my WordPress stats page this will be my 38^th post in the year. I don’t know what happened in those missing 14 weeks, but I’m guessing visits to far-flung daughters and little ones may have figured in.

This same stats page says my blog has been viewed nearly 6,000 times. That pleases me. And it’s typically 500 words long. Which also pleases me. A two-minute read. That’s my goal.

Most serious bloggers write according to a calendar they prepare months in advance. My posts occur while I’m doing dishes, standing in the shower, sitting in my hairdresser’s chair, my daughter’s kitchen, or lying on a spa bed. They’ll probably continue that way.

I’m looking at ways to enhance – not change – When I’m 64 in the coming months (and if I say it here, I’ll have to do it. Like announcing quitting carbs or wine). In time it may appear more organized so that not everything I write is categorized under Random Stuff.

I’ve a small and widespread family. The nearest members live a few hours and a ferry ride away. Daughter #1 lives in Australia and #2 in Ottawa. We can’t just drop in on one another and a lot of staying in touch happens via Facetime, Skype and annual trips to or from Down Under and across Canada. I’m sorry about my family’s carbon impact, but there are little people who must be seen.

But this past weekend, Daughter #2 and the youngest member of the family made an impromptu trip west and with a few of my beloveds we celebrated this newest turn of the calendar. As my brother-in-law said the following day, we did it with gusto. I feel well and truly celebrated. I also feel exactly like I did five, 10, and 20 years ago but with knee arthritis.

Anyway, friends old and new, thank you for pausing to read over this past year. Thank you for the encouragement and the feedback. Thank you for comments, ‘likes’, and email follows. Please come back again and again.

My age may change but When I’m 64 will stay pretty much the same.