Well, we have another birthday at Camellia’s Cottage today… an important one! This is the man I saw across the room decades ago- and recognized the other half of myself, my future and my life. And a good life it is.  When you love a person, you don’t mind his quirks-

• He loves to vacuum anything… as long as he can use his Shop Vac!
• He makes playing the guitar look easy but practices every. single. day- with a metronome!
• He tends to have a yard cat who always adores him- one jumped in the car after church one Sunday- soon it became apparent she had a bit of a problem…so he named her Mag- da- leen…if you get my drift. His current mouser is simply named Miss Kitty.
• And here is a quirk which I didn’t appreciate until I became an older model myself- he loves and cares for old cars…not particularly good looking old cars either!

There is more…such good memories he has given to me, our family and our community! He is still so good- lookin’, easy on the eyes as they say…our children are beautiful and for sure are so much like him, well let’s just say, I’m blessed. Almost everyone who knows him has a story to tell, which is especially amusing and gratifying to me. If I had to describe him in spiritual terms, this is a man ‘who loves mercy and walks humbly with his God.’ He has made an absolute truth of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s phrase… ‘Grow old with me, the best is yet to be…’!  Happy Birthday Darlin’…

Love y’all, Camellia

*Micah 6:8 KJV Bible verse used descriptively.