DAY 142 - COUNTING DOWN TO THE 50TH

GOOD MORNING, CLASS OF '64

The Birthday Party - John Petts

Birthday Lights

By Calef Brown

Light bulbs on a birthday cake.

What a difference that would make!

Plug it in and make a wish,

then relax and flip a switch!

No more smoke

or waxy mess

to bother any birthday guests.

But Grampa says, “it’s not the same!

Where’s the magic?

Where’s the flame?

To get your wish without a doubt,

You need to blow some candles out!”

From time to time, in our little kid days, birthday parties took place in the neighborhood. Off we would go, to whichever home, with a wonderful, wrapped surprise in our arms. 

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button? was always played and maybe Musical Chairs, if the room was large enough. Mother May I? was another game, but was it a birthday party game or reserved for other get-together times? Another guessing game of hot or cold is clouded in memory, too.

Birthday cake, ice cream and Kool-Aid, there was always that! And the birthday song, in our growing years we had learned Happy Birthday, and it was sung with enthusiasm as the candles on the cake were blown out. The best candle-blower-outers could have the candles extinguished with one energetic puff of air.

But, the grand finale was watching the birthday boy or girl unwrapping the presents that had been stacked on a table somewhere. What fun it was when the pretty gift papers were ripped away from the carefully wrapped packages and the fabulous mystery gifts were revealed. A special joy was watching as the gift we had carried to the party was opened. We just knew in our hearts it would be a favorite, because we liked it so much ourselves.

Then it was goodbye and back home again to everyday life. The magical birthday time was over till the next party came along. There weren't many parties in the neighborhood, but when they happened they were good.

Each birthday wish
I've ever made
Really does come true.
Each year I wish
I'll grow some more
And every year
I DO! 

Anne Friday

Cindy's Birthday

Remember The Rifleman's son?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Crawford 

Cindy's Birthday - Johnny Crawford - 1962

The Rifleman - Marks Ordeals
Johnny Crawford - Chuck Connors

WEDNESDAY POLL (QUIZ)
Chuck Connors, 

who played the father of Johnny Crawford

 on The Rifleman TV series, 

was a Civil War veteran in the story line. 

During the war, had he served as a 

Confederate or Union officer?
(The Poll is in the sidebar 

to the right of your screen)

The Birthday Party - Ludwig Knaus

For all the advances in medicine, 

there is still no cure for the common birthday.

John Glenn