A Birthday Song for Oliver

6:45 AM Birthday Donuts Run!

It's my baby's birthday. Oliver was born twelve years ago, a bit after 1:00 in the afternoon. He makes me laugh. He makes me gasp. He is at once sweet and ferocious. I adore him.

Happy Birthday, my Oliver.

Listen to this:

by My Brightest Diamond

I have never loved someone the way I love you
I have never seen a smile like yours
And if you grow up to be king, or clown, or pauper
I will say you are my favorite one in town
I have never held a hand so soft and sacred
When I see you laugh, I know heaven's key
And when I grow to be a poppy in the graveyard
I will send you all my love upon the breeze
And if the breeze won't blow your way, I will be the sun
And if the sun won't shine your way, I will be the rain
And if the rain won't wash away all your aches and pains
I will find some other way to tell you you're okay

You're okay
You're okay
You're okay
You're okay
You're okay
You're okay
You're okay



And here are some choice Oliver posts:

The Best of Birthdays highlights Oliver's personality.

Careening Around shows Oliver's fantastic taste in women.

The Mayor shows Oliver's compassion and charm.

You Can't Take the Catholic Out of the School-Boy shows Oliver's fierceness and creativity.

Oliver, Sandy, and the Blessed Virgin Mary shows Oliver's irreverence.

No Name-Calling Week shows Oliver's courage.

Tequila and Hot Dogs shows Oliver's awesome dance talents.

Friday Surf Report - Things I Love

• I know I've posted this video before, but I came across it again and I just about adore it.

My Brightest Diamond | I Have Never Loved Someone | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

• Ms. Moon of Bless Our Hearts has rocked my world with this post about those annoying word verifications and captchas. 

• Here's another perfect song:

• I'm going to give THIS a whirl. Hold me to it. Otherwise I might start using an exercise wand. I envy her waist -- it looks doable.

California woman in 1912, holding an exercise wand

• When Sophie has a lot of seizures, she drools. Sometimes she doesn't have a lot of seizures and she drools. I imagine the sensations in her mouth, in her salivary glands are shot. For all I know she feels nothing in her mouth. In any event, she craves sensation and we want to give it to her. I found these online -- made for babies, but non-toxic -- and they serve the purpose. I think I found them on an autism site, but I can't be sure. If you recommended them, and I haven't given you credit, I'm sorry!

1997: Sophie has had a long love-affair with beads.

• Don't forget about my giveaway of Karen Gerstenberger's book Because of Katie. Leave a comment and if a giveaway isn't your cup of tea (too much of a gamble? hate the suspense?), then please go to Amazon and buy it!

• Catch up on my food blog How to Eat.

• My old college friends, writer Dean King and his beautiful wife Jessica have four daughters. Two of them created a video for a great cause. All you have to do is click and vote. I urge you to do so, even if you're "not the type." Here's the info with all necessary links :   Willa and Grace King recently produced a video for the Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School, which was selected as a finalist in a competition that awards $100,000 quarterly to educational and humanitarian organizations around the country based on a popular vote. Over the next couple of months, people can vote on the short videos. Anyone can vote up to once a day for the duration of the voting process. Anna Julia Cooper School, a middle school operating in the low-income East End of Richmond, provides promising students there a great opportunity to succeed at the next level. St. James's supports the school, and parishioners Alex Slaughter and Tom Horton serve on the school's board of directors. Registration and voting is quick and easy.

A Break from Carol of the Day

My Brightest Diamond | I Have Never Loved Someone | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.



I have never loved someone the way I love you 
I have never seen a smile like yours 
And if you grow to be a king or clown or pauper 
I will say you are my favorite one in town 

I have never held a hand so soft and sacred 
When I hear your laugh I know heaven’s key 
And when I grow to be a poppy in the graveyard 
I will send you all my love upon the breeze 

And if the breeze won’t blow your way, I will be the sun 
And if the sun won’t shine your way, I will be the rain 
And if the rain won’t wash away all your aches and pains 
I will find some other way to tell you you’re okay


-- My Brightest Diamond


via OnBeing