HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG AND MICHAEL!!!!!

(Wherever you are).....Phyllis and I are passing the birthday crowns along to the two boys, the only boys of the nine children that June, Margie, and Phyllis had.
....and what boys they are- handsome, talented, intelligent, funny, sensitive. They love us, we love them. Simple. Even though they are years apart in age, they managed to be born a day apart birthday wise and became fast friends later in life and remain so today. We have a lot of doubling up of birthdays in our family as we will see in this coming year as we take turns celebrating one another.
My own little brother was so easy to love. The top photo shows me the first time that I got to hold him. I still remember climbing up on my parents bed to feed him a bottle- so sweet, so tiny. Amazing that now, he towers over even me and sometimes feels like a big brother to me.
I made the mistake of revealing to him a puzzling incident, that even I don't understand, where I pinched him (at 18 months or so) for no reason, and when Mom came to see why he was crying, I said I didn't know....I have always worried that Doug thought if I did it one I must have done it many times, but the truth is that I had never before and never since purposefully hurt him.

I learned an important lesson from my brother late in life that could have saved me a lot of trouble as I tried in vain to correct and over-rule the decisions my parents made about my actions or whereabouts.....it is this, don't fight- agree with them and then do whatever you want. Wise Doug- very wise....happy birthday little brother. I hope you have a wonderful day!
And then, there is Michael....My three cousins, Michael, Lois, and Phyllis comprised a whole world for me, growing up that kept me grounded and interested as I moved from state to state with my adventurous and ambitious parents. Ellen and
Carol were rare birds, older, sophisticated, not interested particularly in the younger kids at the time, in the way that children relate most closely to the kids who are closest in age. We're all past that now, age has made us all peers.....I just read somewhere that "after age 25, we're all the same age"! So true.
Michael, Lois, Phyllis and I were a pack with separate relationships with one another and as a group. Michael introduced me to my first awareness of masculine charm....not hard to imagine because as we know, Michael has always oozed masculine charm. We had a lot of adventures and fun together and we got into trouble together...(as I said, we had a lot of fun together). Happy Birthday Michael!!! love you- leslie
I declare this Michael and Doug week!!! Time for photos, memories, tributes.....come on everyone- bring it on fo Michael and Doug, and lets bring Michael and Doug into the BLOG!