How golden is life?

Today is my friend's birthday. It's an ordinary, rainy October day here in Vancouver and, at first sight, there's nothing remarkable about it.Except that it's Norman's birthday.Being Her Majesty's subjects here in Canada, his family has applied to the Queen's office some weeks back, and she has sent him a birthday card.You see, Norman turned 100 years old today. What a magnificent age! Huge party on Saturday.He is a retired dentist. Maybe that's the key to having a long and happy life, do you think?Maybe it's magic.I love this quote by Roald Dahl. I love this quote because it suggests that maybe all we need is to open our eyes and let more golden, more magic into our lives. How do we do this?I made this little piece years ago. It is a thick piece of wood, (a piece of leftover tread from an old stair), a decoupaged picture from a calendar page, and some bronze leaf applied probably with something like acrylic medium because I'm sure I didn't have the money for gold sizing, brushes etc.Years ago. Maybe 20+ years ago.It's not made with the kinds of materials people tell you you must use in order for it to last, to not disintegrate or explode or be eaten by moths or something, which will certainly be the case unless you use archival, acid free, sterile correct materials...etc. You know the people I mean?I did my own thing. And 20+ years on it's still shining and looking lovely. It stands on my desk behind photos of my daughters and makes me happy each time I see it.Today I photographed these leaves to show you. Earlier, I pressed them flat and dry between some books, applied some acrylic medium and lay a small sheet of gold leaf on top.They are just dried leaves. Gilded for no reason at all except that I like looking at them.They are brittle and fragile and the more I have them around the more they will crack and break, and the more the gold will probably rub off. Maybe it will maybe not, but the point is I want to have them around, not framed behind glass or stuck in a book to preserve them. I want to handle them, walk past my desk and see them, pin them up on the postcard board in the kitchen if I want to.Enjoy them.That's the key for me; being surrounded by beautiful handmade things I love. Right now gilded maple leaves bring magic into my life.Your task, golden hearts, is to find, surround yourselves with, and concentrate on the things which bring magic into your life. :)Or you could always become dentists. :)Super quick reminder about my giveaway and  linking back with Sandi for what delights me at home.