Happy Birthday Joe

Happy Birthday Joe - you would have been 35 years old today. My nephew Joe passed away November 29, 1986 it was three days before his 13th birthday. Sometimes I still really miss him. I like to remember good things though. I think it was his fourth birthday that fell on a Saturday. The city of Victorville (California) had a Christmas parade and we took Joe to see the parade. I remember he watched the whole parade go by with a big smile on his face. One of the last floats had a big birthday cake with the words "Happy Birthday Jesus" written on it. Joe turned to my mother and said, "Look Grandma they made me a cake!" That was when we realised he thought the whole parade was for his birthday.



Joe's first fish. He wanted it cleaned but he didn't want anyone to kill it.

Joe spent hours riding this old tricycle around my parents carport. My mom tied a waggon onto the back so he could pull his brother Quaid around in the waggon. I have a tape of Joe and I singing Donny and Marie's song "I'm a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock and roll." I of course sang Marie's part and Joe would sing Donny's part and he would really get into it. He told me once he wanted to be an actor.

Joe on the left and another nephew Denny (Dennis) on the right. Joe was my brother Kenneth and his wife Virginia's child. Denny (he goes by Dennis now) is my brother Dennis and his wife Linda's child. Joe and Denny were very close.

Quaid on the left with his big brother Joe.

One of my favorite poems that I have written is dedicated to Joe. And here it goes....

4:00 in the morning

Sometimes the horror will wake me at 4:00 in the morning

Or it can hit while standing in the grocery line

Memories pulled from the mind of a sweet, blond curly headed boy with pale eyes

Grasping at threads of the past which slip like sand from a clutched hand

Leaving a tortured heart in the midst of sadness

I've struggled for a while wondering if I should share any of my poetry on this site. I decided I would share back ground about my poems. Though traditionally poetics don't share I always want to know the back ground and not just guess for myself. Since this is my favorite poem I decided this would be the time for sharing.

Until Next Time. . . .

Kathleen

Anniversary and Birthday

Happy Anniversary Suzy and Marty



Today is my Sister Suzy (Sue) and her husband Marty's 34th wedding anniversary. They were married on my 13th birthday. Here is a picture of them taken a couple of years ago at their daughter Maria's wedding.





Today is my 47th birthday

This is the first photo ever taken of me. My mom told me that everyone kept asking her what was wrong with my nose. Does it look big to you? I guess for a little one it does look pretty big. It turns out it might've been broken during birth (although I don't see a black eye.) I also looked very much like a boy when I was real little because my hair didn't grow in much until I was older. I certainly made up for that years later.

Me on my 7th birthday when we were living in Odessa Texas. I really loved this doll and still have her.

This is the only other birthday photo I could find of me. There must be more but I couldn't find any. I had this done for my 30th birthday. One of those glamour photos.

Anyway, hope you are having a great day. My leg is healing real well. I'm able to hobble around much faster now. I'm getting use to the boot. I should get it off on the 25th.

Until Next Time

Kathleen