Happy Birthday!

Today is my mother's 84th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! I have to admit this photo was taken last year, but I seem to have misplaced the picture I wanted to publish, taken a couple of weeks ago...well, she still looks the same.




It's Bea's birthday, too, who in the days before I was Orthodox, was my spiritual mentor, teacher, best friend. This is a very old picture of her I found on the Internet; I think, if my calculations are correct, she is 81 today. I last saw her some 2 years ago, though, and she hadn't changed to speak of, except that the braid coiled behind her head was smaller. When I knew her, her hair was down to her knees; it appears to be only about half that long now. Here's wishing her happiness today and for many birthdays to come.