More birthdays

Marnie aged about two and a half - big blue eyes, always smiling

There are two birthdays in my family today. My eldest grandchild, Marnie, will be 30 and my youngest, Jack will be 5.

Marnie is my eldest daughter’s elder daughter and Jack is my youngest daughter’s younger son.

Jack aged about two and a half - big brown eyes. He's looking unusually serious in this photograph.

Out of curiosity, I wondered what they have in common, having been born under the same star, Scorpio. As with weather forecasts, I always choose the analysis with which I agree and wish to come to fruition, so I sifted to arrive at the best result.

The first thing I read was that they are well-known for their ruthlessness, not something to be encouraged. I disregarded it. That’s the joy of astrology – you can pick and choose what to apply! The second attribute was single-mindedness and I would agree with that in both personalities. I also liked the third characteristic, with caveats. 

It said that they don’t see limitations in their lives and won’t let anyone tell them they can’t have what they want.  I can see that could be translated as being pig-headed and maybe throwing tantrums when thwarted. Again, not something to be wished for.

I went to another site which told me that Scorpios are loyal and passionate and have an intuitive sixth sense verging on clairvoyance. They are deep and secretive, obsessive and emotional, temperamental, honest, ambitious and brave.

Discarding all that, I can say with certainty that they are both, though 25 years apart, chatty, inquisitive, single-minded and very loving. Jack talks all day, from the moment he wakes until he falls asleep. Marnie is also a talker and they both have a lovely sense of humour.

Marnie has broken her leg badly in two places so will not be gallivanting tonight, painting the town red. Jack isn’t old enough to jaunt yet!

Happy Birthday

 

Happy Birthday

This week there are two birthdays in my family. My second grandson, Elliot, will be 25 on Saturday. My second great-grandson, Luca, is one year old today. Elliot and Luca are cousins, not quite first cousins as Luca’s mother, Kiri, is Elliot’s first cousin. She is three years older than him

                        Elliot and Kiri, just over twenty years ago

Celebrating birthdays was not always a commonly held tradition. It is only in the last century and a half that it has become customary for everyone to celebrate their birthdays. Before that only notable, important figures like rulers, Pharaohs for example, were celebrated.

However, Pharaohs did not celebrate their birthdays on the date they were born but on the day they were crowned. Pharaohs became gods at their coronation and so were reborn.

In Ancient Rome only men were allowed to acknowledge birthdays.

The song traditionally sung on birthdays started as a greeting song to be sung in classrooms.  ‘Good morning to all’ was written in the late nineteenth century and the melody was adopted by ‘Happy birthday to you.’

During the 18^th century German bakers started making cakes to celebrate children’s birthdays but it was the Ancient Greeks who are credited with putting candles on cakes. They made moon cakes as offerings to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and put candles on them. The crescent moon is a symbol associated with Artemis.

                    Luca on the beach this summer with his sister Ariella 

I think the celebrations for Luca and Elliot will be very different but I hope they both enjoy their days.    

Elliot at another cousin's wedding last year

July 21st - Wedding Day

July 21^st – Wedding Day

Detail from Bethan's dress 

After what seemed like months of endless rain Bethan and Robert’s wedding day dawned bright, warm and sunny. It was a long, busy day but such a joyous occasion. The ceremony was simple and moving and the affection for Bethan and Robert was expressed warmly and vociferously.

They had engaged a photographer to take formal and informal shots of the day. Consequently, none of us took any photos of the bride and groom – something of an oversight, I think! I hope that others took some. 

The bride and her maids . . .
The one I’ve posted here shows Bethan with her bridesmaids. I think one of the bridesmaids’ boyfriends took it.

 I don't know who took this photo! 

Our grandchildren, Marnie's boyfriend, Dean, and David Walliams

After the official photographer had left Barry took some photos.

Some danced . . .

. . . others watched

A small marquee in the grounds made a pleasant lounging area  away from the disco beat 

Unfortunately, Bethan wasn’t feeling at all well on the day, though no-one would have realised it as she smiled and mingled and looked radiant. She didn’t eat anything and managed the first dance but then went to bed. 

Happiness!

She came down for breakfast the next morning but again couldn’t eat anything. Fortunately, she was feeling better and able to eat again by the time they caught their flight to Santorini in the early hours of Monday.

Barry and I are rarely ill but neither of us was very well, either, and the day passed in something of a blur. We’re all on the mend nowJ

Notwithstanding, it was a lovely day and it was a joy to celebrate it with Bethan and Robert and their friends. It was a delight to have all our family together, too, and our grandchildren had a wonderful day, first as junior ushers and bridesmaids, and then as cousins having a good time with their Norfolk cousins.

Giving thanks challenge

Well, it's proving to be more of a challenge than I can meet! It's not that I have few blessings, far from it, more that the day doesn't stretch far enough.
So today, this evening in fact, I'm thankful that I can babysit for my son and daughter-in-law's children now that they're back from NYC. I'm happy that we shall see more of them and that they will see more of their cousins from both their mother's and father's families.
I must be sure that I am truly thankful and don't seem smug.
To see others' blessings please click here and thank Leah for hosting this challenge.

Camera Critters #74 Cousins reunited

My Camera Critters this week are all two-legged humans.
Our son and daughter-in-law returned to the UK on Bank Holiday Monday after two years living and working in New York City. Just after Susannah and I visited them last September Lehman Brothers collapsed and as Gareth was employed by them he thought he might be leaving sooner than planned. He wasn't a trader but worked in IT and fortunately Barclays took over the section for which he worked. So now he's back in Canary Wharf.
Gillian's and Gareth's children were together again for the first time in two years. There was great excitement - they had spoken to each other on Skype but nothing beats seeing each other in the flesh.
Getting a 'team photograph' proved tricky. Two years on they are all physically bigger and were very squashed on the three-seater sofa. Apart from that Gareth's children were tired having come in on the 'red eye'. This is the most satisfactory shot we got - from left to right, Eve, 8, Marnie, 15, Callum, 11, Kiri, 14, Elliot 10, Louis, 6. Eve, Elliot and Louis are Gareth and Nina's children. Marnie, Kiri and Callum belong to Gillian and Paul.

Marnie is exceptionally mature and capable. Recently she volunteered to stay with her 92-year-old great-grandmother, Barry's mother, who had fallen and broken her arm. It was not an easy task but Marnie performed cheerfully and without complaint and stayed until we insisted she came home. She is very good with young children, just like her mother, and manages to have fun with them without spoiling them.
Thank you to Misty Dawn and Tammy for hosting this meme.
To see more Camera Critters please click here