Friday, June 09, 2006

A Birthday in Paradise

I put this picture of one of the ancient arches in Rome into the blog to remind me that I am not just getting older but, rather I am aging like a bootle of fine, and very expensive I might add, wine. And we all know how much I love the fruit of the vine.
Our society does not value the elders like many societies do. We have also had to redefine what older is. My great aunt, the maiden one, was the one who lived with her parents, taking care of them, until their death and then, in turn, took care of each of her brothers' families. She helped raise me as well until she died when I was five. We would drop her off on Sundays at the Catholic Church and procede to the Methodist one every Sunday. And, after church, we would visit relatives I did not know, actually chatting with them, in the two cemetaries. Maybe that is why I still chat with my Mother, Aunt and Uncle when my sis and I change the decorations at the cemetary here.

We have a tradition in our family, it's origin lost in time, of calling a member on their birthday and singing the Birthday Song as off key (not hard for any of us) on one's birthday. The phone will ring today and it will be my sister. She and I are the only two left of our family besides our kids and she and I carry on this odd tradition. My kids will sing to me tonight when they get here. And E started my day off right with a kiss and a Good Morning Honey, which is how we start each day.

I'm off to enjoy my morning at a cyber crop and then out to lunch at one of my favorite places. More pics to follow. Watch this spot! Enjoy your day all. Posted by Picasa

8 comments:

:Jayne said...

HaPPy BIrThDaY to YOU!
HApPy bIRtHdAy to YOU!
HAppY BIRThdaY DeAR JULES!
haPPy bIRthDAY TOOOOOO YOU!

That's my off key song for you!
Many Blessings on this, your day!

:Jayne

altar ego said...

Happy Birthday, dear friend! So glad that I'll get to spend part of your day with you--I've been looking forward to this all week. And thanks for sharing your family birthday tradition with me this year when you called ME to sing Happy Birthday! You're the best!
xoxo

Pam in Moncton said...

Happy birthday Jules!!! That's a great tradition of singing, and so you must imagine me singing to you. In fact you can imagine our whole choir doing it as they certainly would if you were here and they knew you. I hope you have a lovely day and that the year to come will be filled with good times and happy memories.
Pam

eljay716 said...

Hope you are feeling better and have a wonderful day today!! I can sing but people around here would ask me to stop. In my head I sound like Frank Sinatra singing to you!!
love ya
linda

Mae said...

Sounds as if your day is off to a great start, Jules.

Celebrate the day you were born!

Mae : )

Cindy Marchant said...

Nice way to start the day, Jules. Have the happiest of birthdays!

crazydarla said...

LOL Jules, my family ALSO has that same wonderful, amusing, crazy tradition and even though I am in my 30's now I still look forward to the phone calls every year. That is one of the things I miss the very very most since my Dad died...he always made us feel extra special on our Bdays and he was always THE FIRST to call and belt out the tune long and sweet in his offkey voice! LOL Happy Birthday dear Jules, you are indeed like a fine wine, treasued and loved more than you know!!!!

Darla

Ruth.E said...

By now it is probably the day after your birthday, I hope yours was a good one. it sounds like it might have been. My happy birthdays are often sung off key (or is that flat?) so I will spare you and leave that for your sister. My family used to do similar for me until I became the black sheep of the family, still every family needs one of those if just for the gossip. Keep smiling,
Ruth