Happy Birthday!


Today would have been my mom's 70th birthday.



That is me up on that pony. Is that Gail leaning over? I find it hard to believe that she would get that close to a horse's mouth.

She always made really interesting party hats. I like these a lot. They're totally charming.


I like this progression.




Somewhat like my niece and nephews here...

this one is one of my favorites, because my mom's face--that was her cranky face when she was all grown up, too.


My mom and pop at their wedding reception.

Mom and Dad at my Nana and Poppa's 47th anniversary

Mom and Pop in their younger days...

My mom's last Easter. I'm leaning over her because we didn't put her wig on--so I just covered her head with my hair--goodness knows I had plent of it. Gail bought me that dress. A lot of people came over that Easter, which was unusual for us, but a nice day.

So that's it. Happy would've-been Birthday to my Mom. We miss her. We all miss her. I wish she could have met all our babies--in the family and out of the family (there's a LOT of babies around--and getting grown-up kids now, too)!

Happy St. Pat's!



As you may know, I'm in a bagpipe band -- for County Armagh, acutally. I play the tenor drum, and swing my sticks around (though flailing may be a more appropriate term). Up until this year, Gail has always played beside me, but due to her increasingly large belly, she has decided not to carry a drum. So, I was solo.





Belly where the drum should be.



Anyway, Joe and I played the Huntington Parade, and the NYC parade and the Rockville Centre parade. Huntington was fine, though I was more than a bit hungover and paid a fair headache price for the two-for-one deals of the night before. Gail came, staked out her spot, and watched the parade, eating hot pretzels and drinking lemonade. New York City was hot. Hot and Long. And I contemplated, somewhere around the 60s, that I would just move to the side, take off my drums and jet out of the parade. I was really really hot. Rockville Centre was easy breezy. All my friends were there to watch, as well as my lovely sister, in her fold-up chair.



Joe, drumming



Me, laughing. Gail became the preggie papparazzi and kept snapping pictures, but I took one of her and Gerry, our bass drummer.



Gails In n Out of the parade.



And then, in great Rockville Centre Parade Day tradition, we went a-drinking.



Me and Gail (Gail wasn't drinking. She's pregnant. Also, Joe likes to tell strangers that she gave up drinking for Lent)



me and Kate

Also appearing:

Baby Kayleigh (apparently her mother is unworried by my drunkeness...though, to be fair, it was in the beginning of the day).

Shannon and Cat.

Colleen!

Mr. O!

Mrs.O and Reilly the dog!

Also: Sam, Christine, Rob, Eileen and a couple of people I've never before met!

Really, it was super fun. When we wore down, we went to Cat and Shannon's house for pizza and Rock Band. Don't hate, kids. It was a magical day with a great ending...and did I mention the fried ravioli?

I've also started my million dollar quest on book collecting. So far, I've spent 14 dollars, and made 0 dollars. But that may be a different story next week!

For my brother John:

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/

Live FROM DARYL'S HOUSE!

Peace out, Hall & Oates!

A special message to my Carter-girl:

Click your tape recorder for some Kenny Loggins. Or Kenny Rogers. Or Lionel Richie if that floats your boat...but there' s a slideshow a'coming. The kid is gettin' old, friends...



















































Happy Birthday, my friend! I can already tell...you're going to make me laugh every time I see you. You are a funny girl. (you are very smart and pretty, too, but I find being funny to be the best trait a gal can have.) Happy happy happy BIRTHDAY!!!
Love, Aunt Feather