And let's not forget another birthday of great importance...

...the birthday of my cousin; a sister of my heart. She is exactly three days older than me. We have celebrated our birthdays in one form of togetherness or another, as long as I can remember. Hmmmm, I remember... while blogging about my grandson's 15th birthday, I remembered our shared 15th birthday(How can I have a grandson that age?).

I lived (and live) in Chicago, she lived (and lives) in Nebraska. We wrote very long letters to each other (paper & pen, believe it or not) and added to them every day. During year 14, leading up to the 15th birthday, we often wrote of how we were looking forward to this most important birthday. We were going to be allowed to date boys once we turned 15. As luck would have it, there was a dance scheduled just after I was to arrive from Chicago (I am sure it was to celebrate our birthdays). We had the boys all picked out. Not only that; we each had a new dress to wear to the dance.

I finally got to her farm, we ran upstairs to her (and her real sisters') bedroom. I pulled my new dress out of the suitcase & she pulled hers from her closet. Yep, you guessed it...the same dress! Well almost; they were very "mod" with a black and white, large houndstooth check bottom and three decorative buttons just above the checks, however one top was green & one top was orange. I really can't remember which color belonged to which one of us.

We just laughed, went to our dance & had a blast...the boys are long gone, but we are still sharing our birthdays...

A most happy birthday my dear cousin, Rita; and may we have very many more; together.

More Birthday Blogging - Late entry

It was pointed out to me that I did not birthday blog for my grandson, on June 10th. In reality I had blogged & then deleted the blog. I was afraid I would embarrass him... a 15 year old wants to be on "My Space" not my space. However, now that his birthday is safely over, and I am sure he does not read his grandma's blog, I wish my very special 15 year old grandson; a very happy birthday & a wonderful year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLIN' DONOVAN

One Year and Counting....

Well, Pete and I have been married for one whole year. We have certainly had a wonderful and busy one. Two new grandchildren, many more family members, and other general life-building activities happened. We couldn't help but think this week-end of all the fun we had last year. The field looks quite empty without a big tent; and although everything is green now, its not quite like the sea of green of last year. Pete asked how long it would take us to call everyone to hurry over, put up a big tent & throw some food together. Too long for this year; but here is to many others....

To My Very First Sister I Ever Had...

I wish you a very happy birthday.

Four birthdays and a graduation!

Well I know I am late for many birthday blogs, but I must say I have had a very busy few days...
First, as of last Thursday, I have been a Mom for 35 years...

Happy Birthday, Jen!
Next, on the same day, my godson-nephew turned 25. He was Jen's 10th birthday present.

Happy Birthday, Bobby. Enjoy.
Then on Friday, Iain turned 10 & had a sleepover for 11 of his closest friends.

Happy Birthday, Iain, 10 is a very good year.
On Saturday, my wonderful sister-in-law Maria celebrated the anniversary of her birth as well.

Happy Birthday, Maria...let's toast your birthday soon.
Last, but certainly not least...Mary graduated from college!!!!!!

Way to go, Mary. Enjoy your week off before you start your master's classes.

Soooo, I ask forgiveness for not blogging in a more timely manner. I will try to do better in the future.

How Lucky Am I...

...or as my Uncle, Father Bob would say, "How blest are you".

My cousin Patty Joyce, her daughter Casey and granddaughter Sydney came through Chicago last Thursday. They were returning to Michigan from Nebraska where they celebrated her Mom's 94th birthday(Happy Birthday, Aunt Margaret!). Patty & her sisters began going through some of Aunt Margaret's zillions of pictures & Patty was showing some of them to us. Patty allowed me to borrow some & scan them. I was quite moved because some of these pictures were intimate slices of experiences that formed who I am.

As I looked at this picture,I flew back in time. That is Aunt Margaret, as always, serving food on the far left, other people are all over the house(you can be sure there are as many people in the kitchen on the other side of that marvelous 2 sided butler pantry). Grandma Nora is in the center of things & cousins of all ages are in various states of relating...this picture truly represents my Aunt & Uncle Francis' farm. You could drop in at any time and be treated as if you were one of their own & had been expected. It really was a safe & wonderful place.

At the last big get together there, my daughter (LaSirena)kept running in & checking with me...is it ok if I go on the porch with the other kids?...yes, you can go anywhere on the farm with the other kids...then, Mom you mean I can go in the yard?...yes anywhere, I then watched her out the dining room window, she was immobile with amazement, in she came again...you mean I can go out of the yard, out of the fence...yes, anywhere. The concept of so much freedom, for my little city girl, was too much.

When I think of the Fenton clan, I think of this place. Looking at this picture, brought it all back. It also finally dawned on me (duh) that my goal to buy a farm was really just an attempt to provide for my family and friends, something close to what Margaret & Francis gave to all of us. So I really was not looking for a place of peace (I will have to change my blog ID) in Hummingbird Hill, but rather a place of easy relatedness; joyful chaos.

Joyful chaos brings me to my next picture & the true source of what I love about my life: the hugeness of my family. On the Fenton side alone I have 46 first cousins. My cousin Rita & I are smack in the middle. We are surrounded by the baby boomer crush of kids, & we girls are the majority (in this age group). Keep in mind I had all brothers until Theresie & Colleen came along at(my age) 10 & 14. When I got together with my girl cousins I was a little terrified & alot overjoyed.

This picture is of just a very few of my cousins on an ordinary day creating joyful chaos. They are all +/- 3 years of my age. I am not in this picture, but I have been in many similar situations. Note, it is not ALL girls, but have you ever seen such a giggling, gaggle of gangly girls? Don't you think I am very lucky,...er,blest?

Happy 30th, Kelly

My sweet neice Kelly turned 30 today. I wish I could be in Florida celebrating with you. I will always remember the day you were born. It has been such fun being part of your life so far.

Love, Aunt Jane

Transitions

As I stated, changes are happening at Hummingbird Hill. Here is HH before:

and here is HH after Tom & crew spent several days working:

Another transition is the end of my very brief time away from class. I expect I will be less consistent in my blogs for awhile.

What is happening to Hummingbird Hill?

We are under construction!

My nephew-in-law, Tom, is quite gifted & we are getting a beautiful new garage & turning the old garage into a family room. Plenty of room for you to visit.

The gift that keeps on giving....

For those who were not part of my life in eighth grade, I would like you to know what I received as an eighth grade graduation present...


MY SISTER COLLEEN!

I must admit there were times I wanted to return her (like when she dumped all of my expensive perfume in the toilet); but I still have my 8th grade present & I think it was one of the best gifts I have ever received.

Happy Birthday to my baby!!!

Today is my baby girl Liza's 30th birthday. I guess it's official; I have babies no longer. Well, it has been official for awhile, but I am slow to realize it. I look at her & still see my snuggly little one.

Thank you to everyone who shared our little celebration, and to those who were unable to be there,but were in spirit. A "retro" fun time was had by all.

I am very lucky. Even tho my baby is all grown up, I still have lots of little ones to snuggle with. Thanks kids.

Christmas Chaos + Family Fun = New Year Reflections

We have had so much fun this holiday season. We were blessed to see so many members of our families, from all the various sides. We also missed some regulars which reminded us how important they are (Dawn, please don't ever vacation until Dec. 26th anymore)! We were able to enjoy cuddling Dexter and sharing the enjoyment of the current crop of kids playing with the dollhouse that Colleen took out this year which all of the grandkids (now adults) played with during their childhood Christmases.

We also found out that by next Christmas there will be at least 2 more babies...Congrats Erin and Tom & Angie and Chris.
I also was able to spend the holidays with many long time friends (no way I am going to call us "old"). New Years was spent at Hummingbird Hill; it was as warm as springtime. I was able to walk around and think about the past year, and what a year it was. Pete & I married and officially combined our families. We had a great green party surrounded by so many that we love. We went to Lithuania and found many more family members we had not known about...(I promise to get back to the trip soon).

I also thought about those we love and are no longer present; but are certainly still with us.
I also prayed that everyone still present, will be with us next year. My final wish of 2006: A HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS 2007 TO YOU ALL

Three guesses what we are doing....

Just hangin' around with the baby & wishing you all a wonderful Christmas! Love & peace to you all, Jane

Welcome Dexter Hamilton Barr aka Dex

As many of you know, Pete & I were just blessed with our 8th grandchild; Nora & Joel's first. Dex was born on December 7th, 2006 at 5:25 in the morning. He weighed 8lbs.6ozs. and was 20.25 inches long. My daughter shared the event with me. I have always thought that birth should be a time that mom's are with their daughters...but I do allow for a difference of opinion.

Dex has many women in his life that love him already. He has many on his Mom's paternal side & his Dad's side; however this discussion is just about Welch's. So I guess you should multiply everything by at least 4.

He has his Mom of course, and his cousin Rory who waited impatiently for him to come out. She talked to him all the time through his Mom's tummy. I am sure he recognized her right away.


He has two wonderful aunts that will always be there for him. He has so many loving and giving great aunts, he will be surrounded by family all the time. He is also very lucky because his great-grandma loves to hold him and rock him too.

Then there is me...his grandma Jane. I have spent a couple of days with Dex, and his Mom & Dad. He already has me wrapped around his very long thin fingers.
Of course he has wonderful men in his life as well; but that is not today's story.

Over the river & through the woods; to Grandmother's house we go....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great gathering of the clan at Dawn's. I think there were a zillion little girls running all over the place. Terrific fun.

When I think of Thanksgiving; I think of Grandmas, like the song above suggests. Thanksgivings and Grandmas seem to go together. While we were in Lithuania, I met an aunt of Pete's. I felt as if I knew her my entire life. Then as we were walking through the garden she was so proud of,I knew I HAD known her my whole life...she was just like my Grandma Foster! Although they had never met and they lived half the world apart and in different times, they are alike in so many ways. They both radiate(d) lively gentleness from their eyes, they have wonderful hearts, they are both short(and from me that is saying something), they both love(d) their gardens, have AMAZING granddaughters (Hi Daiva!), and they walk(ed) around the garden using sticks.

I use sticks when I walk around Hummingbird Hill. As a matter of fact Pete has fancied one up for me so it is my stick. Is it that wise women understand the power of trees reflected in their sticks? I have been to a crone ceremony where a crone stick was given to the new crone to symbolize her wisdom. Perhaps I should make crone canes for all interested future crones...anyone interested??????

No shock; real awe...

I know that it has been a very long time since I last wrote. It seems the very books I told you I love are pretty much drowning me. Not a complaint...just a fact. At any rate I am, for this post at least, leaving the subject of our wonderful trip to Lithuania. Instead I want to share our trip to Washington D.C.with you. I am currently here; leaving tomorrow. This has been a business trip with a very full agenda. We did,however, manage a few hours of sightseeing the night we arrived.

I don't care how many times I visit DC. It awes me. I believe that it is no accident this place became one of the most powerful places in the world. You can just feel that power surging under the ground.


Pete & I, when we see an unusually beautiful place, ask each other if we think the people who get to see it every day continue to appreciate it and remain awed by it... or do they get so used to it they become immune to the beauty? Worse, do our leaders we send here forget the glory of this place? When they come to represent us do they honor the trust they were sent with?

Do they sense the sacred?


I hope so...but Pete says the reason they built the Washington monument was to prevent "Abe" from seeing what they're up to at the other end of the mall...


I HOPE NOT

The Prince

I give up...I have not been able to upload the picture of the book where it belongs, so I will just post it here..."On the Commonwealth" by Nicolaus Machiavelli.

Oh for the love of bibliteka!

I have been drowning in books. Those that know me well, understand I am not complaining...only about the deadlines that go with them. This leads me to tell you about one of the best parts (I think they all are bests, but this is very special) of the trip. Sabina's cousin; Valdas (sp?), is a professor at the University of Vilnius. This University is one of the oldest in Europe. It's history dates back to at least the 1500's possibly older. There are portions of the buildings still in use from that era!

Well he was giving us a tour & wondered if we would like to see one of the libraries. He had received permission for us to see the 2nd best library. Well of course we wanted to go. We went through this magic door:

This led to delights unimagined.

The room was exquisite; everything I think all libraries should be (such as our old central library where I USED to love to get lost & read & dream, etc.). ...and there, under that glass, and sitting
on the beautiful wood were the most amazing original books I have ever seen.

The first book I saw was by Copernicus...
the next was Optics by I. Newton! I couldn't absorb it all. How did Lithuania get all these books? So many authors, I just could not believe my eyes... Blaise Pascal, Rousseau, Kant...I asked Valdas what was in the first room, the Gutenberg Bible? He just laughed & said it would take many signatures to get in there. I amazed that the books survived so many of the wars, bombings, fires, etc.
that seems to have hurt so much of Lithuania. He said that whomever was in power, the University was an asset. It was protected. Thank goodness for that.

The book that caused me to go weak at the knees, grab on to the counter & consider breaking the glass to read was by one of my fav authors; the one, the only, Machiavelli (I have uploaded the picture of the book 3x, no luck.I will try later.) Pete had to drag me out kicking & screaming.

Sooooo it seems appropriate to end with a quote from Niccollo':
...whenever men are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise...

Birthday Blogging

My family has certainly become basic "birthday bloggers". I must say,however, that it was nice to read their good wishes, given I was away in Lithuania for my birthday. So, as I wondered what part of the trip to blog about next, I thought I would tell you about my birthday celebration.

Everywhere we went was great, but on this night (the best of the year, by the way) we went to a restaurant that was not a tourist spot. It had old polished wood & was warm & wonderful. There were old farm implements all around, like the old blacksmith above. People were singing and dancing, etc. etc. etc. It was very old style Lithuanian. We ate outdoors on a second floor balcony. I had my first potato sausage, we had cepilini and my new passion...Lithuanian beer snacks.



The group arranged to have musicians come and play for me. There were only two, but they sounded like an entire group. One of the men played a BIRBYNE . It had such a wonderful sound. First they sang happy birthday in English, then they did the Lithuanian happy birthday. Their version is much better than ours. It seemed to go for five minutes, the entire place sang, it got louder with each verse & everyone was standing up and waving their hands in the air...all in all a very good day.

Happy Birthday Nora!

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby Nora, who is soon to have a sweet baby of her own... I am sure this was just yesterday...I guess the years have happily sped by...Love, Mom