HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY!!!!!

January is filled with birthdays in my family, and today is no exception...

IT"S BROTHER LARRY'S (mumble,mumble, mumble) TH BIRTHDAY!!

I don't have many pictures of Larry from childhood--and, yes, children, we did have cameras back then, but we didn't carry them with us 24/7. Yes we also had telephones, and electricity, and cars, and...well, we will discuss the dark ages BC (before children) later...

But here are a few visual offerings I have dug up today to honor my 15-months-younger-than-me brother!! Many happy returns of the day!!!!

A picture from my Uncle Bubby and Aunt JoAnn's wedding...help, CruiseGran, what year was this 1967 or so???























I dragged up an old yearbook and found THESE pictures from when Larry was in 6th grade:
His official "class picture"
















Look, nephew Dude--your father really played FOOTBALL!!









and he was very photogenic in a candid moment..























Yes is smile is still the same...

He attended the Plantation Ball in 1978 when I was presented as a graduating high school senior. Yes, it was the fashion in the seventies to wear powder blue tuxedoes all the time..
























He was around 4 years later when I got married to Grumpy Guy--yes, that's Woo on the right



















He even shared a moment of humor before the big event..



















From the archives- a scanned copy of Christmas with Santa in 2001
























Photos become much more frequent with advent of digital cameras and annual get togethers

Rabbit, Jula, Panda, CruiseGran, Larry and Dude in St. Petersburg, Russia 2006























The Boys outside the Hotel Bauer in Venice 2007


















Panda and Larry on Crystal Serenity in the Bay of Naples 2007


















On the Cote d'Azur 2007











Dude and Larry on Crystal Symphony 2008

















Larry and his best girl Jula in the Symphony's Crystal Cove 2008


















Larry, CruiseGran and our wine steward Mario in the Crystal Dining Room on Symphony 2008























And a happy guy and his mom..on Serenity in the Mediterranean 2007















MANY MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY, BRO!!

Happy Birthday, Girl!!

Yes it's birthday time around here at Maison Cou Rouge....yippee and hooray!

Fifteen years ago this afternoon, surrounded by scads of medical students eager to see a caesarean section, Girl arrived to grace us with her presence!!!

So, without further ado, some mementoes of her glorious 15 years on Earth!

One day old, and being visited by Big Brother Boy January 14, 1994
Boy "holding" Baby Sister at 3 months 1994
She inherited her great grandmother's withering stare...hence the nickname "The Empress" 1994
Christening 6 months old July 1994

Connecticut Spring 1995
With Grandaddy D in 1996
Four year old kindergarten.. who is who?? one is 1964, one is 1998












First Day of School in Memphis September 1999Christmas 1999
Soccer Star Memphis 2000First Photo in "Middle of Nowhere"- Spring 2001. The skirt is actually a neck gaiter!
Cousin Shepherd's wedding to Cousin Clare in Chicago 2001

Dancing with Daddy

New York- Cousin Sansi's Wedding to Cousin Michael New York 2002

State Archery Tournament 2003- Gold Medal Winner and Champion
Undersea-Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos Islands 2003
Fishing in TCI
Aunt Susan's wedding to Uncle Brian Summer 2003

First Day of School, 2003Spring 2004- Field trip to meet the Governor in Atlanta
Fall 2005- the Fearsome Foursome!
First Deer January 2006

First Pointe Shoes March 2006

Pre-Cruise Paris Summer 2006Girl with "travelling Boy" August 2006 (Boy couldn't come with us because of Football!)
Lots of Firsts- first Crystal Cruise on Serenity, First Long Dress, First real dance with Daddy Summer 2006
Tsarskoye Selo, Russia. Alexander Palace in the boudoir of the Empress in whose honor she is named.
Stockholm, Sweden with exchange student "Big Brother" Mattias
Summer 2007 Venice St. Marks Square. The $60 ice cream and espresso treat.
Sicily-off roading up Mt. Etna

Christmas in Shreveport 2007October 2008 in Washington County, GA at friend Courtney and cousin Will's wedding
also October2008 San Diego , CA at cousin Amy and Al's wedding
January 11, 2009 facebook picture
Happy Birthday my darling daughter! Daddy and I are so very very proud of you!!!!!

If you live in Georgia, you will understand.......

Anyone that has lived in Georgia for more than three months knows that:

1. A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.

2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in Georgia ..

3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in Georgia ..

4. If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha.

5. 'Onced' and 'Twiced' are words.

6. It is not a shopping cart, it's a buggy.

7. 'Jaw-P?' means, 'Did y'all go to the bathroom?

8. People actually grow and eat okra.

9. 'Fixinto' is one word.

10. There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then there is supper.

11. Iced tea is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar.

12. Backwards and forwards means, 'I know everything about you.'

13. The word 'jeet' is actually a phrase meaning, 'Did you eat ?'

14. You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.

15. You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH EM.

16. You measure distance in minutes.

17. You switch from heat to A/C in the same day.

18. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.

19. You know what a 'DAWG' is.

20. You carry jumper cables in your car --- for your OWN car.

21. You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Texas Pete, Tabasco and Ketchup.

22. The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and high school football.

23. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

24. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit 'a bit warm.'

25. You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.

26. Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time known as 'goin' Wal-Martin'.

27. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good stew weather.

28. Fried catfish is the other white meat.

29. You don't need no dang driver's ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive, dag-nabbit.