Did I Hear Someone Say, "PARTY!"

She had a birthday, shout hurray!

They want to sing to her today!

One year OLDER and wiser???? too,

Happy birthday to you!

Sean's Q & A

Her Question:

His Answer:

Fun and Silliness Ensue:

365 Days Down, an Eternity of Bliss Yet to Go . . .

Congratulations to Ashley and Jordan on celebrating their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Time flies when you're having fun, and though I can't speak for the newlyweds, the time has sure flown for me! I can't believe that my little girl has been married for an entire year. Unbelievable. Daily I thank the Lord above for Ashley's wise choices in whom, where and how she married. It will bring her (and the rest of us) all the happiness in the world because of those choices. Happy Second-Year-Of-Marriage, Ashley and Jordan!

They're still going at it . . .

The Maitre' D and the Pianist

(Then the Pianist and the Maitre' D)

The fun stuff
The menu

After a shrimp appetizer and a fruit sherbet interlude came

Vegetables in Creamy Cheese, Salmon ala Wellington and Napoleon Rice. . .

Let them eat cake!

And I think Jordan is still trying to get icing out of his nose . . .

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Fait Accompli!

I know! I can hardly believe it myself! I am quite proud, in a humble sort of way, to say that I made my way through the very good, but very difficult to read/understand/fully digest novel, Middlemarch, by George Eliot. Whew! Coming in at over 800 pages and filled with lots and lots of references to obscure British politicians and reformations, this book was something of a struggle to stay loyal to until around page 300 or so. At that point, I became really invested in the characters and truly cared what became of some of the better behaved ones. The cads and busybodies were also engaging, but I really liked the main character, Dorothea, the best. George Eliot leaves us with this bit of truth which should make every one of us value ourselves a little more, despite our unacknowledged love and unheralded contributions:

Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were
not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the
strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the
effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the
growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that
things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to
the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited
tombs.