B-Okay

My 48th birthday was a sweet, low-key affair with good wishes, rest, Mexican food and cloud watching.

My friend Janeen sent this explosion of flowers via some magical delivery service that was able to thwart my normally secure building. This bundle appeared tucked into my doorstep and made me very happy.

I then spent a few minutes taking a bunch of photographs which made me even happier. As my computer hard drive can tell you, I enjoy taking pictures of flowers, just like my dad.

Maybe making pictures of flowers is one of the next genetic steps for the Fetchko line. This year Norm gave our family the gift of knowing my dad's passion for flowers. He transfered our parent's honeymoon home movies to DVD. We were surprised that the films were as much about flower fields of Florida as their newlywed doings. What a comfort to know that his flower obsession continues in Mary Jo and me.

My father spent his brief life with his hands in the earth, growing plants. He made it into his 33rd year. That's it. I am now 15 years beyond that date. I know that part of me held my breath until my 34th year. Exhale. Slowly.

What is possible in my next 48 years? I hope that I am blessed to live well, long and strong. Maybe in 48 years taking pictures of flowers, drawing or painting them will be considered an ancient art form. I'll be seen as a misguided, yet loveable old coot. Who doesn't want to be a old coot? It's not even clear when I'll be ancient. I'm inspired by my long-lived relatives and their ferocious passion for life.

One life goal is to be able to bend over and place my hands flat on the floor like my Gram well into her 90s. A better one is to spend as much time as I can with my sisters and brothers, friends and family. Another is to play in a band with an Ah-Cor-Deen. Any fool knows that you can't have a band without one. That'll be the night gig. I'll spend the day napping, carousing, and working on some floral scheme.

Get your requests in now and I'll get working on them. All you have to do is supply the flowers! I'll bring the paint or the pixels and you're welcome to sit with me whenever you want. I'd like that.