Monday, July 14, 2008

Fun Monday - You Say It's Your Birthday!

Iamwhoiam with her Dungarees Ablaze is hosting this week's Fun Monday!. She's in the throes of planning a birthday party and needs ideas, so she came up with this assignment:

Let's hear about your favorite “Birthday”, it needn’t be your actual birthday just a "birthday" celebration. You can use one you planned, one you attended, one you crashed, just a fun time for this FUN MONDAY.


I've had a lot of birthdays. Forty-six of them, to be exact. But the one that sticks out in my mind was thirty years ago.

It was actually a fairly typical birthday for my family. Being the large group that we were, with somewhat limited funds (when there are that many kids, unless you're Bill Gates or a Hilton, there are ALWAYS limited funds), our birthdays were always fairly simple, inexpensive, family affairs. No ponies, no bands, no store-bought cake. In fact, most of our birthdays started out the same way... with breakfast in bed.

That really was a special treat. It was hard enough to get everyone fed around a table, much less put something separate together for someone somewhere else.

So on my sixteenth birthday, I was awakened with a tray of scrambled eggs, one of my dad's world-famous biscuits, grits, orange juice, and hot tea. After breakfast came the presents! My brothers gave me sixteen cents. They had gone to a coin shop and gotten a nickel, a dime, and a penny - all minted in 1962. I still have them! And I keep them in the little fabric covered box that has become my treasure box over the years. My mother gave me that. I keep quite a few things in it now, but on my sixteenth birthday, it only held three coins - and a pick.

What was the pick for? The guitar that my parents presented to me!!! It was a gorgeous Yamaha six-string. I'd been learning to play, and was part of the guitar group at church for services and sing-a-longs. Now I had my very own guitar!!! I still have that, too! And thirty years later, it is still the best instrument around. My husband plays it all the time. My guitar-playing days ended a while ago. Stiff fingers didn't allow much playing. But I still get to enjoy the music that comes out of it.

We have another tradition, for the large-familied... you only get three birthday parties that include other kids. Six, ten, and sixteen. I forwent my party in favor of going out with some friends from the EYC (Episcopal Youth Club?) for pizza, so my parents were off the hook for that one.

That's my most memorable birthday (so far).

The Birthday Suit

My favorite birthday picture - Birthday Suit!

21 comments:

SwampAngel65 said...

Sweet and simple. Those are my kinds of birthdays. That pic of ZBoy is too cute!

Hootin Anni said...

Birthday suit...cute.

Love the story about the special box with all your 16th treasures and more.

Happy fun Monday.

Irish Coffeehouse said...

Sounds like that bday was great! I'd love to learn to play the guitar!

Anonymous said...

That is such a sweet story :)

Jan said...

16 cents, that was really creative of your brothers. I would have saved them, too.

Unknown said...

Love the photo! It is interesting hearing about how each family celebrates. :) I love the 16 cents story.

storyteller said...

Let me begin by saying 46 isn’t many birthdays at all from one who has celebrated many more than you. That said … what a lovely tradition to begin birthday celebrations with breakfast in bed, and how special your 16th b-day memories are. I love the photo & caption at the end! Thanks for sharing.
Hugs and blessings,

Anonymous said...

That birthday suit is stinking adorable!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

I am so jealous that you know how to play the guitar. I wish I had some kind, any kind of musical skill. I love the birthday suit picture! Priceless :0)

Anonymous said...

LOL I LOVE that picture!

Sounds like 16 was a very special year for you. I forgot that I was once given coins from my birth year...a very thoughtful gift from my dad. They're still around somewhere too... (thanks for reminding me about them)

Heather said...

Your 16th birthday sounds great! And the birthday suit picture is way too cute!

Hula Girl at Heart said...

Hmm. Breakfast in bed..there's an idea for next year. I love that you still have the coins and pick.

Anonymous said...

that was neat, simple and sweet! you cannot beat breakfast in bed

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

That sounds like one of the best birthdays! There's nothing quite like being made to feel special!

Peter said...

Happy memories... great birthday.

IamwhoIam said...

It is the simple things that mean so much

Thanks for sharing

BlondeBlogger said...

My 16th birthday was my most memorable too! I had a rich boyfriend at the time (who happens to be a millionaire now...ugh!), and he rented a limo for me and my best friend (who was also turning 16 that week and who was dating his best friend). We all went to dinner in DC and he gave me a rose and a necklace. It was an awesome night!

Gattina said...

Cute story ! but breakfast in bed wouldn't be for me ! I can't eat anything in the morning not even as a child ! Scrambelled eggs would be for me a lunch !

Jo Beaufoix said...

Great memories. What a cute thing your brothers did, it was really thoughtful. And Zboy looks adorable.

Anonymous said...

that is precious. should be on a kodak ad!

Alison said...

love the picture!! what a great idea about the coins.