Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Birthday Reflections
Feb.15 ,05
Reflections on my birthday:
Today is my birthday, but my mind and memories bring back thoughts of birthdays past. I know I had birthday parties as a child and I know my friends did also, but the only recollection I have is once seeing a brief blurry black & white movie clip with my grandparents in it. I must have been 4 or 5. I also remember looking forward to presents and getting a yearly card and check from my aunt from Rhode Island. A place so far away that we never visited her there but saw her during her frequent visits to NY to see all of her family. My first visit to her home was when an old friend and I drove up the New England coast.
But birthday thoughts go to days that are much more significant: my daughter's birth, the trip to the hospital, taking pictures, being with my wife and first picking up our newborn and feeding her in the nursery. My wife was exhausted. It’s a good thing that men don't have to go through the birthing process or the planet would be seriously underpopulated.
I can remember most of my daughter's parties -- mostly at home. One early one had a clown who did face painting. The parties were filled with happy smiling kids and lots of cake, much of it homemade. When the kids were really little their parents stayed and partied also.
Well I guess I still look forward to the cards and call from my sister. Presents are nice, too, but the actual milestone holds less allure. There's no waiting for that magic date to get a drivers license, no entry into the hidden world of adulthood. It's mostly a time to reflect, both in the mirror and my memory.
I desperately need to learn how to use the computer again; time to face the fact that learning involves work, and coordination that I seem to lack. Once again my wife is helping me type and punctuate my way through the maze of grammar errors.
Reflections on my birthday:
Today is my birthday, but my mind and memories bring back thoughts of birthdays past. I know I had birthday parties as a child and I know my friends did also, but the only recollection I have is once seeing a brief blurry black & white movie clip with my grandparents in it. I must have been 4 or 5. I also remember looking forward to presents and getting a yearly card and check from my aunt from Rhode Island. A place so far away that we never visited her there but saw her during her frequent visits to NY to see all of her family. My first visit to her home was when an old friend and I drove up the New England coast.
But birthday thoughts go to days that are much more significant: my daughter's birth, the trip to the hospital, taking pictures, being with my wife and first picking up our newborn and feeding her in the nursery. My wife was exhausted. It’s a good thing that men don't have to go through the birthing process or the planet would be seriously underpopulated.
I can remember most of my daughter's parties -- mostly at home. One early one had a clown who did face painting. The parties were filled with happy smiling kids and lots of cake, much of it homemade. When the kids were really little their parents stayed and partied also.
Well I guess I still look forward to the cards and call from my sister. Presents are nice, too, but the actual milestone holds less allure. There's no waiting for that magic date to get a drivers license, no entry into the hidden world of adulthood. It's mostly a time to reflect, both in the mirror and my memory.
I desperately need to learn how to use the computer again; time to face the fact that learning involves work, and coordination that I seem to lack. Once again my wife is helping me type and punctuate my way through the maze of grammar errors.
# posted by anchorman @ 10:15 AM 
Saturday, February 12, 2005
January '05
The new year has started and one of my resolutions was to keep some sort of log. And here it is, the middle of February, and closely following my daughter's instructions with the help of my wife, because I am technologically challenged, I am ready to begin.
January was a busy month.
The highlight for me, of course, was my daughter's visit along with her boyfriend. It was a week where I got back to the beach every day, at least for walks and managed to visit one of the westernmost private beaches on our island.
Planting, painting, staining, and sanding -- all maintenance chores that are part of the joys of home ownership -- moved right along this month. Some projects actually seemed to come to completion. Of course that's an illusion because, after all, a home is just a hole in the ground where one throws time, money, and effort.
January was a busy month.
The highlight for me, of course, was my daughter's visit along with her boyfriend. It was a week where I got back to the beach every day, at least for walks and managed to visit one of the westernmost private beaches on our island.
Planting, painting, staining, and sanding -- all maintenance chores that are part of the joys of home ownership -- moved right along this month. Some projects actually seemed to come to completion. Of course that's an illusion because, after all, a home is just a hole in the ground where one throws time, money, and effort.
# posted by anchorman @ 12:18 PM
