It's 83 years now

 Happy birthday to me. So here I am, now 83...starting my 84th trip around the sun. And I don't expect lots of wishes, which of course are welcome, but not necessary at all. I do expect to continue to share and converse sometimes with other bloggers. I never know what you all are going to post each day!

From the  1960s

My joy for 12  years after retirement...playing in clay!

Here are some memories of my 80th weekend celebration:

Russ is behind the camera. Going around the table starting with G-D Caroline looking over her shoulder, to left is G-D Audrey, her sis, D-in-L Kendra, Son Tai, G-S Michael (Marty's son), me, Son Marty, G-S William, and G-D Cayenne (William's sis.)

Celebrating my 80th in 2022 with lots of family members at a luxury cabin in the woods, gifted by my three sons. (Left to r: Will, Cayenne, Audrey behind, Russ, Caroline behind, myself in hat, Tai behind, Marty and Michael. Kendra is behind the camera.

Lake Lure in 2022!

Yes, it did qualify as a beach. and even then the water never got above 4 feet deep. 

Sons Tai and Russ and grandson William seated.

William and I enjoyed Kaleidoscope app while others hiked.

Cayenne giving a great pose!

Audrey at the base of the falls.

The hat and myself climbed down to upper falls, and back up. Then we left the hikers to go to lower falls.

My three sons (not often I  get a shot of all of them together) Tai, Russ and Marty.

Granddaughters Caroline and Audrey.

Sepia Saturday suggests a nuclear family is all dressed up to go somewhere. 

Our SS host, Alan Burnett says:

There was a period at the beginning of the twentieth century when family photography moved out of the confines of the studio and into the open air. This was the age of amateur photography: cameras and film had developed to such an extent that ordinary people - enthusiasts, at least, could afford to buy cameras and start taking photographs. Cameras and films had not progressed far enough, however, to enable such photographs to be taken without a plentiful supply of natural light - and so garden photographs suddenly became popular. This week on Sepia Saturday you can share your photographs taken in the garden, of the garden, outside the garden .... or nowhere near the garden. Simply share an old photograph on or around Saturday 23 August 2025 and add a link to the list below. And then you can pop out into the garden and see what is coming in the next few weeks on Sepia Saturday.

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The Sepia photos...

Grandmother "Gummy" holding me with my older cousins, Claudette and Sandra. Alex was their father, Houston, TX when I was 11 months old. I looked very much like my father as a baby.

George Rogers, my father, as a toddler.

My second (or third?) birthday with Mother/Daughter dresses.

August 12, 2025, having no more dizzy spells after Doc checked me out Wed. afternoon!

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Today's quote:

The Theosophic doctrine that the physical world is an externalization of an astral plane or even the higher Platonic doctrine that it crystallizes a world of divine ideation is given to beginners as a help to give them a crude grasp, a first step towards the theory that the world is an idea, until they are mentally developed. 
When their mind is mature they are then told to discard the astral plane theory and told the pure truth that all existence is idea.

—Paul Brunton
Notebooks Category 21: Mentalism

Chapter 3: The Individual and World Mind

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Apologies, I know I said I'd have waterfall photos soon. Soon!