HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY

 Taken 20 years ago, this photo is a good example of how I will remember my mother.

I gave her the pillow for her 73rd birthday.

Born on a Monday

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

LITTLE GUSTAVA

Little Gustava sits in the sun,
Safe in the porch, and the little drops run
From the icicles under the eaves so fast.
For the bright spring sun shines warm at last,
And glad is little Gustava.

She wears a quaint little scarlet cap.
And a little green bowl she holds in her lap.
Filled with bread and milk to the brim,
And a wreath of marigolds round the rim:
" Ha, ha ! " laughs little Gustava.

Up comes her little gray, coaxing cat,
With her little pink nose, and she mews,
 "What's that ? "
Gustava feeds her, — she begs for more ;
And a little brown hen walks in at the door;
"Good-day!" cries little Gustava.

She scatters crumbs for the little brown hen.
There comes a rush and a flutter, and then
Down fly her little white doves so sweet.
With their snowy wings and their crimson feet:
" Welcome ! " cries little Gustava.


So dainty and eager they pick up the crumbs;
But who is this through the doorway comes ?
Little Scotch terrier, little "dog Rags,
Looks in her face, and his funny tail wags:
"Ha, ha!" laughs little Gustava.

"You want some breakfast, too? " and down
She sets her bowl on the brick floor brown;
And little dog Rags drinks up her milk.
While she strokes his shaggy locks, like silk:
"Dear Rags!" says little Gustava.

Waiting without stood sparrow and crow,
Cooling their feet in the melting snow :
"Won't you come in, good folk? " she cried.
But they were too bashful, and stayed outside,
Though " Pray come in ! " cried Gustava.

So the last she threw them, and knelt on the mat
With doves and biddy and dog and cat.
And her mother came to the open house-door:
" Dear little daughter, I bring you some more.
My merry little Gustava ! "

Kitty and terrier, biddy and doves,
All things harmless Gustava loves.
The shy, kind creatures 'tis joy to feed,
And oh, her breakfast is sweet indeed
To happy little Gustava!


Celia Thaxter
American writer/poet
1835 - 1894

Branded:Sunday, June 8, 1958

How is our baptism to be improved by us?

The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism,
 is to be performed by us all our life long,
especially in the time of temptation,
 and when we are present at the administration of it to others;

by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it,
 and of the ends for which Christ instituted it,
 the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby,
 and our solemn vow made therein;

by being humbled for our sinful defilement,
 our falling short of, and walking contrary to,
the grace of baptism, and our engagements;

by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin,
 and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament;

 by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ,
 into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace;

 and by endeavouring to live by faith,
 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness,
 as those that have therein given up their names to Christ;
 and to walk in brotherly love,
 as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.


Col 2:11,12
Rom 6:2, 3-5, 4, 6,11,22
I Cor 1:11-13
Rom 4, 11,12
1Pet 3:21
Gal3:26,27
Acts 2:38
1Cor 12:13, 25-27

Larger Catechism Question 167

Link to baptism posts on http://hiddenart.xanga.com/tags/baptisms/.

Links to children's baptisms.

Gustava (Gustie) Amanda Daniel Jordan

Today is my paternal grandmother's birthday.

Born in 1896 -  December 11

Died in 1959 -  March 4

when I was only ten months old.

I have a few reminders of her ~

a pastel-colored baby quilt featuring a kitten

several tried and true recipes like Garlic Cream Cheese, 1-2-3-4 Cake, and Cranberry Shrub.

Her just-older sister, Beulah Naomi aka Baba, lived in Atlanta near us, visiting at holidays and occasionally inviting me and my sister to luncheon at Rich's Magnolia Tea Room. Knowing her gave me a tiny bit of insight into my grandmother's personality.

Here's a link to the story I wrote about her four years ago.

But that's not very much.

Guess that means it's time to contact relatives and gather more details about this important lady in my life.

Birthday Blessings

April is so full of family and friend birthdays (two dozen at last tally) that I'm posting this poem as a tribute to all who enjoy natal days this month ~

Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings now,
As your birthday nears.

Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who've enriched your life
Just by being there.

Think about the memories
Passing  years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are

Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"



by Joanna Fuchs


Just wondering - do you send birthday cards? 

Email, snail mail, or voice mail ?

Happy 30th Anniversary






A good relationship has a pattern like a dance and is built on some of the same rules.

The partners do not need to hold on tightly, because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but gay and swift and free, like a country dance of Mozart's.

To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement, to check the endlessly changing beauty of its unfolding.

There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand; only the barest touch in passing. Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back -- it does not matter which. Because they know they are partners moving to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it.


Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Gift from the Sea

Photo compliments of mmcarthystudio aka DD#2

Happy Birthday, (Father) Abraham!

"Oh, no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"*


Today remember this fine historian, theologian, philosopher, writer by reading something by him.

It's his 173rd birthday!

The Christian Classics Ethereal Library makes it easy with their online articles.

Or at The Kuyper Foundation.  I'm particularly interested in To Be Near Unto God, 110 essays inspired by Psalm 73.


Also, Happy 76th Birthday to my father who introduced me to this Kuperian principle!


*"Sphere Sovereignty", in James D. Bratt, ed., Abraham Kuyper, A Centennial Reader, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998) (p. 488)

25th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

(l-r) Norman, Carolin, Vivian, Dan, Dana, Ken
Charlottesville Road, Newfane, New York

Sunday, August 20, 1978

Patrick's Path

Wishing you always

Walls for the wind

A roof for the rain

And tea beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you




And all that your heart may desire.

Brothers and Birthdays

Ten reasons to celebrate the birthday of my younger brother with a cake baked by my daughter ~

1)  He never fails to remember mine.
2)  He leaves messages on my voice mail.
3)  He likes my cooking.
4)  His wife is nice to me ;-)
5)  His #1 son answered my email.
6)  His #2 son enjoyed a Summer Sunday with us.
7)  His daughter writes sweet thank-you notes.
8)  His #3 son's lacrosse game prompted this get-together.
9)  He remembered to share a book with me.
10)He shows his appreciation.










Here he is on the left, posing with DH.

Both fellas have July birthdays.

Brothers and Birthdays.....

Just go together.

My Hero

On the battlefield, when surrounded and cheered by pomp, excitement, and admiration of devoted comrades, and inspired by strains of martial music and the hope of future reward, it is comparatively easy to be a hero, to do heroic deeds.


But to uphold honor in ordinary circumstances, to be a hero in common life, that is a genuine achievement meriting our highest admiration.

Booker T. Washington

1856 – 1915

The Homeward Leading Lane

Today would have been Grandpa Jago's 84th birthday and I know we family members are thinking about him.


What follows is a memorial poem composed and delivered by the pastor who conducted the funeral on November 13, 2001.


He took the homeward leading lane,
While still lingered summer's day,
Then slowly walked 'neath autumn's sun,
As we shared with him the homeward way.

We sat together in quiet thought,
As we did his life and love recall,
And thus we shared the homeward lane,
As autumn leaves from the trees did fall.

Then as the days took on a morning chill,
'Neath autumn skies so clear and bright,
We reached the gate in the homeward lane,
Where he bid each of us good night.

He then walked on beyond our view
To climb heaven's front porch step,
As we lingered by the homeward gate,
And held each other as we wept.

Yet in our tears there is no despair,
For Jesus was his homeward way and gate.
So when we take the homeward lane we know,
He will for us on heaven's front porch wait.


C.R. Hill, Jr.
In Memory of Norman S. Jago
Copyright 11/11/01

A O LINCH MD

In honor of my maternal grandfather, Albert Osborn Linch, who died on this day fifty years ago, at the young age of 58, I'm highlighting one paragraph of his inaugural address to the Fulton County Medical Society.  It speaks directly to today's healthcare fiasco.

America today stands at the cross-roads, and there seems to be a tremendous urge to go down the road of least resistance, which leads to chaos and ruin. If what I say smacks of non-medical politics, let those that are burned make the most of it.

America must have a change in the way of thinking of our men in high political places or our way of living will surely collapse. Justice Brandeis warned, "The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, but without understanding."

We are borrowing from the future and robbing the purses of our children and grandchildren by continuing the deficit operation of our government. It behooves us to fight in every way possible those who would torpedo the medical profession and scuttle American freedom to satisfy the whims and political aspirations of these demagogs.

I plead with you to support your political leaders who are interested in free enterprise and in the economic operation of your government.

January 19, 1950

Let us not grow weary in doing good.



Here's a link to the entire address

Here's a link to another entry about AOL.

Happy Birthday DD#3

In 1991, we enjoyed this heart-shaped Red Velvet Cake for your birthday.

In 2010, I understand that you made your own birthday cake: German Chocolate.

There are many years in between.  So, I'm on a mission to document your birthday cakes.

Have you ever seen a cuter 3 year old?

















The birthday dress was compliments of Grandma Jago.

Any Birthday Valentines at your house?

Happy Birthday, Dee!

 1974

Here's a link to another photo.

My maternal grandmother was a big part of my childhood, living with us for the last twelve years of her life.

Very precious, full of memories.


Were you blessed with a close relationship with grands?

Robert E Lee - Happy 203rd Birthday!

I love remembering the following passage from the writings of Robert E Lee.

It was first made public by Colonel Charles Marshall in 1887, in Southern Historical Papers published in 1889.

More recently you can find it in Richard Weaver's essay on the Christian warrior, found in The Southern Tradition at Bay, pg 209.




My experience of men has neither disposed me to think worse of them, nor indisposed me to serve them; nor, in spite of failures, which I lament, of errors, which I now see and acknowledge, or, of the present state of affairs, do I despair of the future.

The march of providence is so slow, and our desires so impatient, the work of progress is so immense, and our means of aiding it so feeble, the life of humanity is so long, and that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave, and are thus discouraged.

It is history that teaches us to hope.



Here's a link to the Marks Collection, which distributes this fine print entitled "The Christian General".

Holiday Weddings

















Twenty-eight years ago Thanksgiving weekend, we gathered to witness the marriage of one of my sisters.

I had married the Christmas before.

See me there on the left?






In fact, I think most of my siblings married around the holidays. Two of us at Christmastime (five years apart), one at New Years, another at Memorial Day. I guess the convenience of an extra day off helps with scheduling.

So far, one of our daughters has married at Labor Day, another at Christmas (on our anniversary ;-)).

In 2010, I have four nephews getting married.




First comes love,
then comes marriage,
then comes the baby
in the baby carriage!

Fashion on Fridays

Costume parties usually provide more fun than ordinary gatherings and long ago there was one such one for me that did just that and remains very special.

While I'm not fond of the current holiday (or anything scary/horror for that matter), Halloween brings back romantic memories for me. It's the anniversary of our first date.

Flip the calendar back to the Fall of 1976, when I was starting my second year of college. We had a large group of friends that socialized together. (Here's a link to a group photo.) It centered around one of the smaller dorms on campus - Koon Hall - thirty plus fellows with a wide variety of interests (football players to yearbook editors) and activities (keg parties with professors)

On October 30th, they hosted a costume party and I was invited. Earlier in the week (Wednesday breakfast, to be exact) a certain resident of said dorm asked if I would accompany him to the college play at 8p on Saturday followed by the costume party.

It was a magical evening.

I could write lots more about every.single.detail.

But I'm not the Pioneer Woman.

I'll let this photo speak its 1000 words.

Thirty-three years ago today.....





















Costume made by yours truly and fashioned after one of my mother's 1940's party dresses. I needed it for one of my sorority's rush parties.

I was NOT responsible for DH's costume which was a total surprise, by the way.

His sense of humor has been a blessing over all these years.



A few weeks later - more costumes!
















Happy Halloween!!


Dont forget to change your clocks!

Fall Birthday Menu

Pork Roast (crock pot)
with apples, onions, celery & raisins

Fordhook Lima Beans
Steamed Cabbage
Corn Muffins




Cavit Pinot Noir


Pumpkin Cheesecake

(Cheesecake Factory)

Opening presents is fun no matter where you are!