Happy birthdays

Today is my oldest granddaughter's birthday.  Cayenne is in college now, and I'm so thrilled for her. I was glad she weathered Irma the hurricane at home in Tampa with her family, rather than staying at college (where she's only been a month) in Jacksonville, FL.

Proud dad, Marty. (Just grabbed this from his Facebook post, (somehow I didn't have it before 11:30 am today)

Cinnamon a proud mom with her new grad, Cayenne.

End of August was not only my paternal grandfather, George Rogers' birthday on the 28th, (more about him HERE) but also my son, Russ' wife Michelle's mom, Joanne. Wish there was a term for co-mother-in-laws.

"Poppy" 1877-1960, George Elmore Rogers Sr. a Texan all his life.

A lovely family photo from way back - Michelle on left and her mom Joanne on right (birthday Aug 28)

I just found out my neighbor across the way has his birthday Aug. 27, while mine was the 23rd.

Another person in my church community has the same birthday I do (1 year older) and she's also a clay artist!

Remember I like to make funny faces at my age!

Beginning of September, my maternal grandmother (above) Mozelle Miller Munhall (1897-1960) just had her birthday on the 8th.

My paternal great-great grandfather had his on Sept. 10, (Alexander G. Swasey, 1784-1861) born in Swansea, MA, died in Newport, RI. He was a mariner and ship builder and wood carver.

Did I forget my youngest son, Tai, who had his birthday on the 4th of Sept?

Tai as a teen (who just turned 38!)

Or my middle son, Russ, who had his birthday a week before mine, on Aug. 16? His wife is Michelle, pictured above with her mom and dad and sis.

Russ who just hit his half century mark!  Congrats to you!

So many children...growing up, getting older, and living such interesting lives!

Next birthday in my family is Michael, my oldest grandson! But not till October...

Michael on left, Cayenne middle, and other brother, William on right!

And in case you read my recent Rant about Birthdays blog, here are the mothers of the birthday folks, the ones I know anyway.  Congratulations to birthing such wonderful people!

Cinnamon Arkwright Heym, mother of Cayenne and William.
Betty Bass Rogers, mother of George Rogers, Sr.
Rose Kinsella Fiore, mother of Joanne
Mataley Munhall Rogers, mother of myself
Eugenia Booth Miller, mother of Mozelle Munhall
Sarah Helon Swasey, mother of Alexander G. Swasey, Sr.
Myself, Barbara Booth Rogers, mother of Marty, Russ and Tai.
Deborah Lewis Thurston Fernandez, mother of Michael

Happy birthday son Tai

Well, it's an annual thing.  Having a birthday.  Each time the earth comes round to the place it was in on the day you were born, there's that birthday thing, counting that you started life at 0, then spent that first year learning so very much.

Anything new to be said?

Just sending you all my love, and wishes that this birthday is happy, and that you have many many more.

I love you,
Mom

Oh, here's a link to 200+ photos from the Burning Man Festival...whow!

Mothers and sons

Happy mother's day to all the women who carried another human being under their heart for 9 months...and gave birth in whatever manner, then spent the next however many years feeding, cleaning, dressing, guiding, teaching, nursing, disciplining, hugging, laughing and crying with their children.
   

My grandmother Ada Phillips Swasey Rogers with her firstborn, she's in her wedding dress!
She had 5 sons and one daughter, and only 4 of the sons lived to be adults.  There are now 8 cousins alive as her grandchildren, and many of them are grandmothers themselves.

My maternal great grandmother, after whom I was named Barbara Booth, though I never met her.

Below, my mother on the left, with her mother, Moselle Booth Miller Munhall by her side, and my little sister in front.  My mother worked most of her adult life outside the home, as well as clothed, cooked and fed us, and cleaned our home! We were glad Dad brought home the bacon!

These were women of the 50s!

My mother, Mataley Webb Munhall Rogers, in high school in the 30s.

My mother before I was born...

Good friends Christine and Martha (in hat) who are both nurses!

Last week was Nurses Week, and I'm reminded of the nurturing creative care that these people give, even if not actual mothers.

So whatever may become of us mothers, no matter how our children may have grown and had their own lives, we are still women with memories of lots of joys, sorrows, laughs and sharing.

Happy Mother's Day 2017.

Shared with Sepia Saturday...a bit late this week!
I've been wanting to gather these photos of myself, and my family of mothers and sons...sorry it's not on theme for the Sepians.

Rope lines and canvas

Some times of "roughing it" while camping in a tent, in campground with picnic tables and flush toilets...in the Smokies (Smoky Mountains National Park) Great to have a place to park and unload car right on the camping site.

About 1992-4

The tent had poles and rope lines and stakes.

The canopy over the picnic table was hung by rope lines from trees, to keep rain from the 2 burner camp stove and eating area.  But we really enjoyed life by bringing little folding chairs upon which to lounge around a campfire (even if it was in a designated metal box.

My youngest son, Tai, enjoying his selection of reading material...I wonder what it was...

We even took our chairs over to sit by the river nearby.

I would spend some of my vacation when Tai was out of school camping.  If we were able to, we'd meet my middle son, Russ, and he'd join us for a camp-out.  He loved showing Tai things in nature!

Sepia Saturday (HERE) suggestion this week is about ropes and patterns, and I think I've linked to that, not to mention the thought of how clothes and towels would have trouble drying when out camping!

Woman Hanging Laundry from Tenement Porch. Manchester, New Hampshire (1936) New York Public Library Digital Collection 

Our theme image this week comes from the on-line digital collection of the New York Public Library. What immediately appealed to me about the image was the geometry of it and you may want to provide examples of lines and angles within pictures from your own collections. There again you may want to display your dirty washing in public - as ever the choice is yours. Simply hang your stuff out on or around Saturday the 29th April 2017.

 Today's Quote in thinking about things drying...

Dryness promotes the formation of flower buds...flowering is, after all, not an aesthetic contribution, but a survival mechanism.

Ann Haymond Zwinger