Who’s Birthday is it?

Read the following line and tell me whose birthday it is.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”

Not sure yet? Try this one.

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

I had never heard this one before but I like it!

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.”

I think you may know, but if you’re not sure, this last little bit will just give it away.

“I meant what i said and i said what i meant. An elephant’s faithful one-hundred percent!”

Thank you Seuss for all the fun. Thank you Seuss for ever one!

Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Mass, March 2nd,1904. Little known fact: Mr. Geisel was a Captain in the Army and commander of the Animation Department of the First Motion Picture Unit during WWII. He died of throat cancer in 1991.

It’s Jules Verne’s Birthday!

Feb9

Who of any mature age, doesn’t know Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, published in 1870. I think I was introduced to it via the movie that starred Kirk Douglas as Ned Land and James Mason as Captain Nemo. Peter Lorre was in it to. I just found out it was released in 1954. I probably saw it on TV in the 60’s. And who doesn’t know Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) or the ever popular and much copied Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). They had movies made of them as well, if I’m not mistaken (quite a few of the latter). What an imagination he had! I’m sure his submarine, the Nautilus, was much improved from the submarines of his day. (Ah – the joys of fiction!) They were all very creative stories, though I’m sorry to say, I don’t think I’ve read a single one! I’m going to put them on my “to read” list right now!

Looks like a pleasant fellow

Jules was born February 8th, 1828 in Nantes, France as Jules Gabriel Verne and died from complications of diabetes in 1905 at the age of 77. He had one son, Michel, and two step-daughters. His stories were first published in French. I don’t know when they were translated to English.

When I think of these more famous Verne stories I also think of H.G. Wells who was younger than Verne. Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 and died in 1946 and was English. I have a book of Wells’ that was my father’s. It was given to him by his good friend I.R. Howlett in 1955. Howlett got it from a mutual friend by the name of Ray Hadwick when he enlisted as a radio technician in 1940. My father gave it to me in 1985 because he knew I would enjoy it. It was published in 1937 and is titled The Famous Short Stories of H.G. Wells. It has the Time Machine in it and 62 other short stories. Wow, Wells was prolific!

birth days

Jul28

No, this isn't me, but it could be!

It’s my birthday today, and as with most of my birthdays, I wish people would not know it is my birthday.

I don’t mind happy birthday wishes, that’s nice – other than it reminds me each time it happens what day it is – it’s just that somehow the day is usually a let down for me. It’s like I expect something wonderful to happen, like when I was five, but I’m an adult now and it usually doesn’t. I don’t know what I expect to happen, so that adds to the frustration. I think my brain is somehow wired for my under 10 year old self and my 51 year old self just doesn’t know how to adjust. I know I can decide how I feel about this day, I can make it what ever I want by deciding how I’m going to be, but somehow, it’s hard for me to be anything but let down to some degree. And it’s not because I don’t like getting older. My body has changed over the years, no doubt about that, but I am still very healthy overall and I still feel like I’m in my early 30’s so the actually age change isn’t a big thing for me at this point in my life. It’s just the actual day of my birth that gets to me.

Please don’t feel sorry for me. It’s my own doing and it only last for one day, so I’ll just smile and say thankyou to the lovely birthday wishes and wait for the hours to tick by when I can go to sleep and start another, non-birth day.

Happy Birthday JFK

May20

It was 49 years ago yesterday that Marilyn Monroe sang happy birthday to John F. Kennedy.(view here) While I watched this I couldn’t help think what Barac O. would say after such a performance. Marilyn, born Norma Jean Mortenson/Baker, was born in 1926 and died in August of 1962. Her real hair color was brunette, but when she went looking for a modeling job after her work in a munitions factory. The rest, as they say is history.

Here are a few of quotes I like from Marilyn:

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

“If you’re gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.”

“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”

“I don’t mind living in a man’s world, as long as I can be a woman in it.”

And last but not least – “This life is what you make it. Not matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends – they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything – they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they’ll come and go too. And babe, I hate to say it, most of them – actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soul mate. You’ll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

I like this woman!