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

A small rant about celebrating birthdays

Birthdays celebrated.

When someone becomes famous (or infamous) someone or another looks to find out that person's birthday.
Then many years (perhaps) later, a column is written, celebrating that "on this day was born so and so."

Excuse me.  The birth of that person, whoever he/she may be, is entirely the work of the mother.
Let's start giving credit where it's due.

Mother of (Washington, Lincoln, Ghandi, King) had labor all night long, and at (insert time if known here) o'clock, a healthy (puny?) baby boy (girl?) was delivered....nah, that's still being passive for that mother who did all the work.  A baby was born by mother with all her might and efforts, giving a new life by all the energies which she had.  She may have regretted (and many do) that this had happened (as a result of her pleasure,) or probably (definitely) that of a man.

Yes, many a birthing mother says she will never do this again!
Funny how we get over the pain, enjoy being a mom of that precious little helpless thing, and somehow again enjoy the way babies come into the world, and end up doing it all over again, and again, and again...

Thanks to all the women ancestors who gave birth to all the sons and daughters that ended up with my parents, myself, my children...and so on.

So let's remember that whether it's the first year of that child, or the 20th, or the 75th, that a mother had to push it into life. (Note, the exceptional easy labor, and the wonder of modern medicine where caesarean sections allow the birth to be less strain, but still require the months of pregnancy, and the recovery of a mother's health later back to normal.)

All hail mothers!

Happy birthday son, Russ!

It's only once in a lifetime you get to turn 50.

So I hope you enjoy yourself with your family, and have many many more happy birthdays!
Wish I could be there to give you a big slobbery mom-kiss.  What, that's a bit of ketchup on your chin? Well lick my hankie and I'll clean it off!

Here you were in 1972, around 5 years old.  I don't know the location though, but it had dirty floors (just look at those socks!) and you felt totally at home enough to wear your undies while looking at some comic or a coloring book (I'm guessing).

And this is a family looking out the windows of the Hancock Building in Boston, (Sept. 1973) except my sons couldn't have cared less about the view.  Grandmother Rogers has her back to the camera (held by Grandpa probably) then Peter McRae (my fiance' at the time) and your very own blond mom.  Marty is framing one side of the view, while Russ is on the other end, literally!

In case you don't remember family history (well, you were pretty young!) Pete and your mom got engaged during this trip to Massachusetts from Florida. But things didn't work out as planned, and we never married.  But this is about you!

School days, Tallahassee FL 75-77

The Georgia Tech and DelSol years!

As you encouraged your 3 daughters to come downstairs on Chrismas morning...

You on the right at the Heym family reunion, wearing same shirt as your dad!

you and your lovely daughters

You and your lovely wife, Michelle

And a more recent selfie of you and Michelle!

Recent shot of Russ on vacation...a big thanks to Michelle for posting pics for me to see!

I am so proud of you, dear son.  And I love you till the end of time.  May your life continue to be  filled with laughter, hugs, challenges, adventures, trips, new things to do, and good health.

Mom! Sniff, sniff.

Beauty as I pass by...

In my neighborhood, I daily pass these peonies.
So pretty...

Tightly curled, all those thin petals waiting to burst open...when?

Peonies are such lovely flowers, but their stems seldom are strong enough to hold them up!

My neighbor Faye is also concerned about the weight of the blossoms!

And today is my first-born's birthday! Happy birthday Marty, and many more! I love you!

Hope to see my pottery friends on Saturday dropping by the Black Mountain Tailgate Market...even if I may only be shopping since other Mud Buddies are taking care of our sales this week.  I love my Mud Buddies and all our friends in Black Mountain NC!