I'm up to number 82

In honor of the occasion, friends treated me to a lovely dinner at Murphy's. Can't say as how I feel any older than I did yesterday, tho for sure I'm not feeling any younger. Bother! However, I did get a picture taken, courtesy of the restaurant management, which had also honored me with a birthday piece of bread pudding to die for. BTW, the picture gave the lie to something I read later on the web, to the effect that Polaroid had closed down its analog film operations; the company still has a good thing going with firms and people that win PR points by taking a picture and presenting it on the spot. Is there a digital equivalent on the market as yet?

Our party sat beneath a dark, looming bust that we all decided must be Beethoven (whatever he might have to do with the olde tyme Western theme of Murphy's), but when I asked the waitress, she explained that, no, it was Louis XIV (whatever he might have had to do with the olde tyme Western theme of Murphy's). Naturally, I had to take a picture of the Sun King, shining brightly on one and all, once he was lit by the camera flash.

Still More Links: I missed the boat on a proper tour of the Ecohood over on Dameron Street; it seems that Andrew Millison, the guiding light for the concept locally, has moved to Oregon and put his property on the market. Doing a little nosing around, I found two interesting blogs from down in the Verde Valley. Pamela Ravenswood of From My Point of View ponders those hokey piles of stone that visitors leave all over the Sedona area, sees one that looks like a woman -- and adds boobs. Nick's CrAZed Ramblings tells the saga of a solar installation over time and several posts.

A Date Shared...

Well, not that kind of date. Besides, I was a bit young for this hunk out of history. Sigh. Why Clark Gable? No, not nostalgia. Really. Fact is I got tagged. By Mr. Avus, he of the handmade Roman-style daggers. The idea is to come up with:

#1. Two famous people who share your birthday, which is February 1. Would you believe Clark Gable? New Yorker satirist S.J. Perlman? I'll add Boris Yeltsin and operetta composer Victor Herbert for good measure.

#2. One famous person who died on my birthday. Let's do that one much better. There's Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, she of Frankenstein ... comic Buster Keaton ... Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.

#3. Three major events in history that occurred on my birthday. An auspicious day it was indeed. The first portion of the OED was published in 1884 -- definitions all the way up to a-n-t. On that date in 1902, the Empress Tzu-hsi forbade binding women's feet. The first-ever session of the US Supreme Court sat on 2/1/1790, and Elizabeth I signed Mary Stuart's death warrant Feb. 1, 1587. I know, that's four, but it was impossible to choose any to drop.

#4. A holiday. I went searching, I did. I cuddled up with The Google big time. What did I find out? February 1 is not only Robinson Crusoe Day but it is also Bubble Gum Day. Worldwide, I presume.

Thank you Mr. Avus for a good change of pace. Not only that, but I located some neat sites. For example, brainyhistory.com and the illustrated American memory page of the Library of Congress, not to forget history.com (the History Channel's site). Having these sites pointed out will make matters far easier for the four I'm about to tag in turn: OmegaMom, the LazyArtist, Ms. Karen down in Scottsdale and Mr. Cat-alyst. Go to it, guys!

80 -- Count 'em -- 80

February 1, 1927. That's the day I came along. The Crash hadn't happened yet. Politically, Herbert Hoover was the future, albeit a short future. The place was Riverside in a California that was wonderful; which few moderns would believe ever existed.

I was just reading a blog by a woman musing on the meanings of her 40 years. I'd buy 40 in a nanosecond. On the other hand, one of Mom's friends assured me that the 80s were fine. "It's the 90s when things start to go wrong." She's in her 90s. All I can do at this point is prove her right or prove her wrong. All of those years of heavy smoking are playing catch up.

This should be the occasion to break out an old picture or two. Unfortunately, my ailing computer, tho repaired, sits in the shop in Sedona waiting for a ride; my loaner refuses to connect to the printer/scanner and isn't capable of reading the DVD full of pictures that I created as a backup. Therefore, a birthday blog that is completely wordy. I think I'll go toast GrannyJ with a wee tot of brandy! See you tomorrow, one day older.

103--Count 'em--103

Birthdays, that is! It was a big day for Mom, who was born in Phoenix at the turn of the last century, back when cars were very few and far between and radio had as yet to be invented.

Today we celebrated her birthday, first with a small family luncheon, which included two grandnieces down from the high country, as well as my small family.

It was an early goodbye to Mom's greatgrandaughter and granddaughter.

And over to a bigger party with friends she has made while living at her assisted living facility.

A pleasant and quite unexpected surprise came from a large group of carolers from Unity church. The wandering minstrels added "Happy Birthday" to their Christmas program.

And were followed by yet another unexpected visitor!

It was quite a day. I'm exhausted....

Note: the daughter has posted her version of our afternoon with the Nutcracker.

Happy 10th Birthday To Las Fuentes

Some 300+ older folk make Las Fuentes their home currently. Today was the 10th anniversary of the facility, occasion for a big birthday bash.


Ready to greet guests -- the brass at the assisted living section.


More brass -- GM Linda Villa, together with my Mom, who's lived at Las Fuentes since the turn of this century. I think my amazing mother, nearly 103, is now officially the oldest resident. We still play Scrabble!


There were goodies galore, throughout the main floor of the facility. Which is to say, five different locations.



Piece de resistance -- a chocolate fountain for dipping one's strawberry or a pineapple chunk. First time I had ever seen such an indulgence.


Entertainment -- here a guitar, elsewhere a harp, two other elsewheres piano music, and in the 5th venue, a flute plus guitar.


And a lot of just plain old fashioned socializing -- always the best part of any party!