My baby - my precious Joey - is 28 years old today. Happy birthday, Joey! He was born at 3:50 p.m. on October 5, 1978. My, how the time flies past. Sunday evening we will have a family get-together to celebrate his birthday. He has asked me to bake a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum! Can’t wait! Joey and his wife moved into a new home last week - and it’s only about 5 -10 minutes away from where RT and I live. I’m very excited about that! Click HERE to read last year’s post and see photos of my sweet baby boy.

On September 17, 2005, I started The Median Sib. It’s hard to believe it has been one full year. Here are some stats for The Median Sib’s one-year birthday:

Number of posts: 716
Number of comments: 1330
Number of hours spent writing posts: ?? (lots more than one would guess from the content)
Number of readers: it varies from 50 - 200 a day - depends on what I write - not a lot readers by many standards, but I’m fine with my numbers. I’m not out to win a popularity contest.
Most comments for one post: 164 (my first post about Mary Winkler got a lot of people riled up!)
The category I write the most about: “That’s My Life”
The second most popular category: “Politics”

Important things that have happened in my life since I started blogging (implying NO correlation between blogging and the following events): I sold my townhouse, I moved in with RT, we picked out the plans for our dream house that we hope will be a reality soon, I joined Curves, I was invited to join The Cotillion, my granddaughter started kindergarten, I celebrated my 57th birthday, RT and I went to Alaska and got married.

Congrats to me for one year of blogging, and here’s to a second year. May it be a year of love, fun, insight, and peace.

That’s right. Today’s my birthday. Since I was born in 1949, that makes me (Can it be true?!) 57 years old today. Holy maroly! Just doesn’t seem possible. Time truly goes by much too quickly. Since I’ve done a birthday tribute to RT, each of my siblings, my mother, my two children and my two grandchildren on their respective birthdays, I figure I may as well finish up the family and do one for myself. So, without further ado, here’s my photo tribute to myself.

 

As a newborn

 

 

 

My first piano concert (also one of the last).

 

 

 

 

 

With my father and three of my siblings. Notice that this is the photo of me that was used for my blog header.

 

 

 

Appropriately decked out for my birthday a couple years ago.

Okay, that’s enough photos.

So Happy Birthday to me!

How have I celebrated my birthday? I’m not complaining, but ONE of my errands today was to buy underwear for RT. Of course I also had a manicure and pedicure, RT and I ate breakfast with some friends, and tonight we’ll go to a party for our pastor.  So far, so good.

Today is PawPaw’s 59th birthday.  He was 21 when we married in 1969.  My how time flies.  I have no way to post photos of PawPaw since my computere isn’t set up, and he probably wouldn’t like that anyway.  So I’ll have to settle for a no-photograph tribute.

In 1967 I was sitting at the college grill with some friends.  PawPaw walked up to the table and started talking - mostly to me.  We hit it off immediately, and he soon asked me out.  On that Valentine’s Day, I woke up and hiked down the dormitory hall to the bathroom.  When I returned there was a big heart-shaped box of chocolates on my pillow and a lovely valentine.  He’d gotten one of my friends to place them there as soon as she heard me leave my room.  PawPaw has always been really good at surprises and picking out gifts.  I remember being overwhelmed with joy at such a sweet expression of caring.

He’s a strong man.  Our son tells him he has “old man strength.”  Our son is a tall and strong man himself, and yet he still is amazed at how strong PawPaw is.  I don’t think there is any physical task he won’t at least attempt.  Last year we were looking at some land and had to cross a small creek.  He had on waterproof boots.  I didn’t.  He just picked me up and carried me across - and I’m definitely NOT a waif.  He’s a successful businessman, and yet he still drives a bulldozer to build the road to our new house.  A couple weeks ago he was clearing some trees for an electricity cable and a tree he’d cut started falling toward a fence.  He literally held the tree up by himself until I could move the truck and get a chain around the trees and pull the tree in the other direction.  Incredible!  His hands are large and strong.  Since my hands are small, it’s nice to have his hands available for opening jars, too.

However, PawPaw’s strength isn’t just physical. He’s the rock of our family.  Family and church are important to him, and I know he’ll be there if I need him.  He has incredible determination - starting his own business after years in the corporate world.  Our daughter is a vice president in his company, and our son’s business is a subsidiary of his company.

I call him PawPaw here at TMS because that’s what our two granddaughters call him.  There is nothing sweeter than hearing their little voices saying “PawPaw.”  He is an outstanding father and grandfather.  And he has the funniest sense of humor.  We do a lot of laughing when we’re together.

One of the things I love about PawPaw is his consistency.  Whenever he has to travel on business - from the day we married, I could always count on his calling me every single day - sometimes more than just once.   

I’m glad we’re back together, and I’m looking forward to being married to him again.  Happy Birthday, PawPaw!

My nephew, Josh, is a birthday buddy with PawPaw.  Josh turns 26 (I think) today.  He’s a soldier, waiting to be deployed to Iraq.  His mom has a tribute to him on her blog and a photo that brought tears to my eyes. 

Today is my sister’s birthday.  Janice is the oldest of the seven siblings in my family.  She’s the mother of two - Charmaine (Reasoned Audacity) and Gil (a college professor and entrepreneur).  She’s also the grandmother of seven.

  

 In the above photos, the first is Janice as an infant, and in the second picture, she’s the one in the black outfit holding the baby (at the time) Beth.  Interesting/Funny sidenote: Just looking at that photo, I realize that FIVE of the people in the photo have blogs!  (Terry has Alone on a Limb, Joan has Daddy’s Roses, my mother has Ruthlace, then Beth has Blue Star Chronicles and then I have this blog.  The two in the photo who don’t have blogs - Janice and Debi - make their living writing and/or speaking professionally. And the seventh sib, David, wasn’t born yet when this photo was taken - and he doesn’t have a blog either.)

And here is Janice with our Mother.

Janice was/is such a good “big sis” - always taking care of us younger ones and being like a second mother at times.  I remember growing up, I always looked up to her and Joan because they were so grown-up.  She’s a smart lady, too - got her Ph.D. and she speaks literally all over the world about Christian women issues.

So happy birthday to Janice - the greatest big sister in the world.

On May 21, 1919 a baby boy was born to a young couple, Grady and Lillian, in a poor, small mill town in Georgia.  He would be the first of five sons.  They named him Charles Columbus - after his father, Grady Columbus.  Charles grew up with his brothers enjoying the life of a small town and eventually meeting and marrying his sweetheart, Ruth, from a neighboring mill town.  Charles and Ruth’s family grew to seven children - the perfect number they told everyone.  I was fortunate enough to be child #4.

If my father were alive, he’d be 87 today.  He died in 1986 at the age of 67.  Our family has undergone so many changes since his death.  There are grandchildren and great-grandchildren born that know him only through family stories.  Today - his birthday - I miss him a lot. 

This morning at church the sermon was on our residence and how earth is only our temporary residence.  Someday we’ll be in heaven which will be our eternal home.  At the fellowship dinner after church, the minister played a video by Diamond Rio, God Only Cries - it has tender lyrics if you want to follow the link and read them.  I like to think that someday I’ll see my father again in heaven.

What I remember most about my father is his enthusiasm for life.  He was always ready to get out and do things. He was a people person. He was also a loving father. Once when I was around 5 years old, I cut my foot outside in the yard.  I remember crying for my daddy.  To me he was the one who could make everything better.  Even when I was an adult, I’d visit my parents, and when I’d leave, he’d stand in the driveway waving until I was out of sight. 

I’ve written about Daddy before.  I wrote a poem about him once a few years after his death.  I’ve shared it here once before, but I want to share it again in honor of his birthday. 

To Daddy
Are you up there, Daddy?
Sitting up in heaven
Watching us here on earth?
Laughing at us, wondering about us,
Or crying?
Life is such a crazy hodgepodge
Happiness - sadness - exhilaration - depression
All put together
Are you there? Seeing . . . and caring?

I miss you
I miss telling you about my victories and defeats
You always were interested
And wanted to know more.

Where are you?
I don’t understand death
I remember dreaming about you several years ago
In my dream, we were at the Flea Market
I heard your voice, your laugh
I saw your face - you were alive
I want that dream again

Mother told me that when she was nine years old
And her father died
She prayed that she would dream of him
Because she knew then, and only then, she could see him.
I’m so much older than nine now
Yet I still want to dream of you
I want to experience again the peace of your unconditional love.

I remember one day I visited you - I was a parent myself then
I had the flu, and you tucked a blanket around me
Set me in front of the fire and cared for me
One brief evening so many years ago
And yet I remember - with longing.

Maybe you were the only person who was completely on my side
No judgments. No expectations. Just acceptace - and love.

When I was a little girl
You were the one I wanted to comfort me when I was hurt or sad
I was special. I was Cabbie.

You were the one who told us stories
Of growing up with four brothers
Your adventures skinny-dipping in the Yellow River
Your near-miss in the lightning storm with Uncle James.

We children would crowd around you
In your little office behind the house
“Tell us more,” we’d plead,
And you’d oblige.

One Friday in 1986, you were visiting us
And we were at the Grand ol’ Opry laughing together
The next Friday we were gathered around your grave.
Life changes forever too quickly
No time for a final “I love you”
Or a smile, or a good-bye.

I want to drive up in your driveway again
And see you waiting for me
“There’s my Cabbie,” you’d say
And I would be a little girl once more
Safe, protected . . . in the arms of fatherly love.

(written in February 1993)

Today, May 9th, is my baby brother’s birthday.  His name is David - and even his name has always been special to me - like the person.  I found this picture of me holding him when he was about a year and a half old.

 

And look at this next one.  Isn’t that the sweetest face in the world?  He got the reddish hair and freckles from my mother’s (of Ruthlace) side of the family.

Shortly after PawPaw and I got married in 1969, David came over and helped PawPaw paint a cabinet.  He definitely thinks he’s cool in that photo.

David grew up and married his high school sweetheart, Vicki, and they’re the parents of three gorgeous and smart girls.  He’s a wonderful father, runs his own business, is a hard worker, and he’s the most honest and good-hearted person I know. 

Ok, I can’t help it. One more photo.  This is one of my favorite photos.  It shows my father, along with Beth (of Blue Star Chronicles), Debi (holding the doll), and David - the baby of the family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!  I LOVE YOU.

Sweet Stuff is my first granddaughter, and she’s five years old today.  This past week she registered for kindergarten.  She’ll start in August.  My daughter said she acted so grown-up as they toured the school.  She had to sign a form, and she took on that responsibility confidently - writing her name, and only needing a little help with her last name.

Five years ago, when Sweet Stuff’s birth was imminent, my son, my future daughter-in-law and I waited in the hall outside the hospital room.  It wasn’t long before we heard a noise.  At first we weren’t sure what it was.  Moments later we heard it again, looked at each other in realization that it was Sweet Stuff’s cry, and I broke down in tears of happiness.  We were all laughing and crying at the same time.  It wasn’t long before we were able to go into the room and hold her.  She was a little over 8 pounds which amazed us since she was a few weeks early.

Since the moment she first came into our lives, Sweet Stuff has been an absolute joy to us.  I look at her face and see sweetness and intelligence and kindness and curiosity and love of life shining brightly.  She loves to catch my eye and wink.  It’s so cute!  And nothing is better than being loved by her.  She adores her little sister, Sunshine, and the adoration is returned.  She takes her role of big sister very seriously.  I love being Grandma Carol to both of them. 

This morning PawPaw will put the balloons I bought on her mailbox along with a birthday card.  Then later today we’ll attend her birthday party.  I don’t post photos of my grandchildren on my blog.  So you’ll have to take my word that both my little granddaughters are precious and beautiful!

Happy birthday, Sweet Stuff!  I love you more than you’ll ever know.

(Sunday 8:30 a.m. update)  Sweet Stuff just called me to thank me for the balloons.  I sang “Happy Birthday” to her, and she made sure I remembered that she was FIVE YEARS OLD now.  She’s been “ALMOST five years old” for quite awhile.  She’s very happy to be able to take the “almost” out of her age.

Although Sunshine’s third birthday was this past Tuesday, she had her party this morning.  For a long time in her preschool class she was the only girl with eleven little boys.  I think the rough ‘n tumble little boys have had an influence on her.  To say she’s a little tougher than Sweet Stuff would be an understatement.  Even though there are other girls in her class now, she plays mostly with the boys. The party was controlled chaos.  All the kids had a good time, though.

I think Sweet Stuff is getting a little wistful of all the hullabaloo about Sunshine’s birthday.  However her fifth birthday is only two weeks away.  So her turn will come soon enough.  I’ll be emailing my family some photos from the party.  It was fun.

Today is my brother’s birthday - my big brother, Terry.  In the recent photo below, he’s the one standing in the middle behind the chair - with a mustache.  In the heading for this blog, he’s the brother on my right.  Two years older than me - and the one I adored and looked up to once I got past adolescence.  He was the protective older brother of his three younger sisters, and the adored little brother of his two older sisters.

Terry and I fought a lot growing up - typical sibling rivalry since we were so close in age.  However, we became good friends in college and afterwards.  We attended college together in Kentucky.  Since he was two years ahead of me, he helped me adjust to school and kept me company on the long car and train trips to and from school.  He married Sheila who was in my class in college, and I married Ron who was in his class in college.

He and Sheila are the parents of two lovely young ladies who inherited their father’s incredible singing abilities and their mother’s beautiful hair.  Terry is a wonderful teacher who has parents begging to have their children placed in his class each year.  Terry often performs in local musicals, and he’s asked to sing in church, community gatherings and other occasions.  When I married Ron is 1969 Terry sang “Whither Thou Goest” at our wedding.  I just love to hear him sing. I think he would be perfect to play Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. 

He is a blogger at Alone on a Limb.  His blog has a variety of posts - from personal memoirs to local news to politics to education. Terry also has a website that has wonderful photos of him in some of his acting and singing roles. Check it out here.

Happy Birthday to my big brother, Terry.  I love you.