Earth Day Baby Turns 50!

Today is Earth Day. God Bless Mother Earth. AND it's the 50th birthday of the boy in the peppermint-stick striped pjs. 50!? How is that possible? My brother, Mark, has been one of the most influential people in my life and now he's all grown-up! (Chronologically)

My youngest brother, 50!? Holy *$#%! This is so traumatic. Not for him probably, but for ME! Three of my other sibs have turned 50 and then some, and my beloved husband and sister have even hit the NEXT decade and I haven't batted an eye but now I'm all whacked out about Mark turning 50!! Hailp! OK, I've wallowed in the angst.. Now I'm over it.

So, I'm raising my glass ( organic raw unpasteurized apple/wheatgrass/spirulina juice of course) to you, brother. You are a beautiful spirit -- inspiring-- generous with your gifts.

We are blessed to have you in our lives.

[Here he is volunteering at L'Hopital Sacre Coeur in extremely improverished and TB-plagued Haiti

I'm pretty sure that I can take a lot of credit for Mark's success as a musician. I reluctantly relinquished my piano-practicing time slot and sacrificed countless hours of sleep so that my brother could practice HIS music at all hours of the night. Seriously, though, as our reward, Mark has created a rich legacy of astounding music - http://www.muddyangel.com/ , including countless personalized songs, many of which have hit home for someone at just the right time when they needed a bit of relaxation, inspiration, entertainment, or plain ol' understanding. He has also contributed untold amounts of CO2 emissions, sewage and refuse along the away but I for one am glad that he is sharing Mother Earth with us for awhile. Happy Earth Day Birthday, Marko!