Happy Birthday, Joni!

Grandpa's Birthday

Family Photo

I have to say a big Happy Birthday to my daughter, today. The photo above shows her with her great-grandfather at one of his birthday parties. This one was held at a family picnic and fishing area on T.J. Smith's Lake Place north of Calvert. (Smith and Emil were friends from boyhood and became brothers in law and business partners.) Emil lived to be 96 and this was his 92nd Birthday. I selected this photo with wishes for a long, healthy happy life for my daughter, like her great-grandfather , his father, and his sister had.

This time of day, 41 years ago, I was begging for the ether that I had selected, and trying to kick the doctor in the face because he would not listen to me! They wouldn't give me anything so I decided to just hold my breath and stop breathing until I could pass out or die. I did pass out.

Sometime later in my room, the nurse woke me while putting a blue wristband on me. They said that I had a boy. I went back to sleep. Later, they woke me when putting a pink wristband on me. Now, they said that I had a girl. It seems that my roommate had a boy a few minutes before I had a girl. I would wonder if I had the right baby, but she looked like me.

Later, they told me that they wouldn't give me gas because she was turned wrong. In the process, I pulled a muscle in my leg, trying to get the doctor's attention! Had to stay in the hospital longer and could barely walk for quite a while.

She was a stubborn little thing, not in a hurry to be born, for sure. A typical Libra, at times.

It seems like only yesterday, but, now she is all grown up with children of her own.

Wishing you many happy returns, Joni, with many more to grow on!