Lynnie, thanks for the roses. Just a morning or two ago, I sat at my kitchen window looking at the little tangerine rose bush, who won't admit winter is coming. It has one beautiful bloom on it now, and another branch with a spray of lovely buds. I don't know how it escapes the freezes at night. It's like it just refuses to leave just yet. Thank you all for the lovely wishes. For many years now, you've brought a smile to my face, and many laughs and a few tears. The day isn't quite complete without dropping in and seeing what is up in your worlds. You're the best.

My dad was so good about telling family stories, etc., but now I can think of so many things I wish I'd asked him. He spoke often about Alice's sisters (his Aunt Anna and Aunt Margaret), but never mentioned her parents. They were Scottish immigrants, and I learned from the 1880 census that they were Margaret and George (a servant), parents of six children. Growing up, I was close to my father's cousin Peggy, daughter of Aunt Margaret. It never occurred to me to ask her about her parents or grandparents. Who knew we would become so interested in genealogy and family history when we got (much, much) older? Maire, my newly-found cousin was told Alice's parents were very upset when she left, but her sisters kept in touch with her. I guess that means the parents did not? Maybe they did later. My dad never mentioned his paternal grandparents either. That was another hugely musical family. I just assume the musical talent was handed down from my great-grandfather (an assumption that makes no sense), but when I followed the family line back to England I found not musicians, but caterers and the Lyons Tea Company. This might explain my family's obsession with food. :-) So then I suspected the musicality came from my great-grandmother, but with a name like Phillips I didn't think I'd get very far tracing it. And I didn't. But thanks to FindAGrave, I encountered my distant cousin Roderick, who has done a professional job of tracing his family line--which includes my great-grandmother! Turned out the Phillips name started out as something quite different--a Polish name, as she was born in a part of Prussia that is now Poland. And Roderick tells me the family is quite musical. A mystery solved.

Thanks for the birthday wishes! This is the 5-0 birthday for me and it's just hard for me to believe it! After yesterday though, I'm FEELING it! LOL The house my boys lived in when they were in college is going on the market today so I was over there painting the kitchen cabinets and staging the bathrooms (cleaned them spic-n-span first). Oh my, I have soreness in places I didn't even know I had places! It probably didn't help that I came home and practically guzzled a bottle of wine while in the hot tub! So I guess 49 went out with a bang and 50 is coming in with a whimper. :-)

AWWWW...big wet sloppy kisses and a Happy Birthday to you Dakota!! She's a real sweetie and it is a heartbreaker that they don't live long... Now go bake her a cake or at the very least some white cupcakes!! (I did that after I priced a doggie cake at the store...17.00...it was more then a REAL cake!)