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I’ve had the flu, so this week’s Castle Life update will be a (very) short fairy tale, starring me.

Once Upon a Time

Smilebox_191495658Chapter 1

A girl met her prince. He was tall, dark, and handsome. (Actually, he was a Republican. But he was definitely tall.) They fell in love, and got married. *

Chapter 2.

He brought her to his castle and they lived happily ever after.**

The End***

*Okay, so thirty years of life happened between Chapters 1 and 2. They included:

MONTHS

SPENT:

36

Pregnant

96

Changing diapers

192

Getting offspring into or out of carseats

180

Driving to Sunday School

48 bazillion

Driving practice with teenage drivers. (Note: this item is multiplied by Parental-Terror units, which include the number of times your life flashes before your eyes…)

134 down, 10 to go

College tuition

360

Thinking up something to have for dinner

0

Playing with my grandchildren (but I’m not bitter. Much…)

**In the romance-writing biz, we aim for the HEA (Happily-Ever-After), or—if we’re milking it for series potential—at least a HFN (Happily-for-Now. No, it doesn’t mean Hell, eFfing No…).

I was thinking about the HFN today when I went to a friend’s birthday lunch. She’s 93, so I asked her to tell me about her favorite birthday ever. “Considering the alternative,” she told me, “Every birthday I make it to is the best one ever.” So of course, I asked for her secret to a long happy ever after. She answered right away. “Have a lot of friends who remember you even when you can’t remember their names.” A few minutes later she added, “Don’t say no to sweets.” And finally, “Don’t look back.”

***So it turns out that my Chapter 2 was a HFN, and we’re about to start on Chapter 3. Hint: What do Scots wear under their kilts? Stay tuned!

What was the best birthday you can remember? How about the best birthday advice?