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Sunday, February 01, 2009

THE BIG FOUR OH

It's Jethro's birthday.  He'll be celebrating by recording a piano, bass and drum trio.  He'll be hunkered down at his console, twisting faders or clicking buttons or whatever the heck it is he does in the control room.  He'll be in his element and he'll be happy.

We're not going out for dinner, throwing a party, or putting an embarrassing "Lordy lordy look who's forty"  in the local paper.  Mostly he just wants to get his studio finished and get back to work.  I don't think he's really had much time to even think about turning 40.  He'd say it's just another day; it's other people who make a big deal out of it.  

Yeah, well, he is A Big Deal.  

I keep teasing him that he's starting to look more and more like his Dad.  I half expect him to open his mouth and hear a Canadianized English accent come out.  Sometimes he busts it out just for fun.  It's really starting to suit him.  Does it make sense that even though he was born in Canada, he's looking more and more English as he ages?

I have visions of John Bonham, in The Song Remains The Same, roaring down a narrow road on his chopper.  Except, Jethro, despite kind of looking like he should, does not have a chopper.  Looks damn right in a big pick up truck, though.

When I met him, almost 22 years ago, he had just turned eighteen.  He hadn't grown into his big feet yet, or his barrel of a chest.  He had the cutest face, and those tear-drop shaped green eyes that knocked me out.  

I've been there to watch him grow from teenager to young man, from boyfriend to husband and father.  When I was 16 I wasn't thinking that someday in the future, his soft dark hair would turn silver at his temples.  I didn't guess that he'd look so handsome with silver hairs and the beginnings of crow's feet around his eyes. 

(I'm so glad I stuck around to find out.)

12 comments:

Kerri said...

I have chills reading this. You have a love for the ages. And tell your lucky man happy birthday!

Marni said...

Happy birthday, Jethro!

Brit said...

This is so lovely - so sweet.

Happy Birthday to Jethro!

Coffeypot said...

HBD, J-Dude. I think that picture is the best one I have seen of you two. I see love and support from both of you in it. It should be framed.

CindyDianne said...

Awh - Happy Birthday Jethro!

Unknown said...

Ahh lurve.. So sweet. Happy b'day dude.

Heidi Willis said...

What an awesome photo! I love how much you talk about Jethro so affectionately. You both are very blessed!

I feel the same way about my husband getting older... I don't know that when I met him I would have said I'd have loved him older and grayer, but I do. I look back at old pictures and think, "He was just a kid!" And now, the silver around the edges and the filled out frame suit him well.

Thanks for such a great post!

Heidi the Hick said...

That's one of life's sweet surprises: that in our lovers' eyes we get better looking as we age!

I don't know how that works, but it does.

That picture was taken a couple weeks ago at the studio. I had to take a bio photo for him, because he's speaking on a "panel of experts" at a big music biz shindig in March. He was a total pain, I"m tellin ya. He HATES having his picture taken. We seriously considered sending in a picture of a SASQUATCH we got off the internet!

I had the ancient Russian camera loaded up with Black and white film. Yep, film. I dialed it up and handed it over to Bubba, and went as sat with Jethro. I ordered him to smile. He was, I believe, covering his grimace with his hand and trying to decide whether or not he should laugh.

I do like this picture.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

so sweet :)

marsh to the fore said...

This is a classic photograph. I love it of both of you.

Happy Birthday Jethro! Maybe someday we'll all meet--husbands included!

.:.KC.:. the brown eyed girl said...

If you lived here, we would go to my crappy place of employment and get you a ridiculously large balloon bouquet and all sorts of decorations to embarrass you. There is a whole aisle of 40th birthday stuff. But since you aren't here I can't expose you to that type of embarrassment, so I'm happily counting down the days until my Mom's Birthday.
Happy Birthday!!

dilling said...

Happy Birthday, Jethro!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the 40 Club...