my grandmother's birthday

December 9th, my grandmother's birthday.
last year i was so proud of myself for getting her gift (a book on sebastopol's history), wrapping it, and getting it in the mail early.
it may seem strange that i mailed it, being that i live so close by.
you see, my grandmother was known for her mail,
mostly cards and thank you notes; always timely, always personal.
of course i got a thank you card back from her (almost instantaneously),
and how happy i was to see the book proudly displayed on her coffee table the next time i visited her.
on her coffee table it would stay, until the day she passed in october.
now it lives on my coffee table.
i'm missing her today.




Also born on December 9th:
1970 David Kersh (country artist)
1969 Jakob Dylan (singer, songwriter, musician)
1957 Donny Osmond (singer, TV Host)
1953 John Malkovich (actor, producer, director)
1942 Dick Butkus (football coach, player)
1941 Beau Bridges (director, actor)
1930 Buck Henry (actor, writer, director)
1929 John Cassavetes (actor)
1928 Dick Van Patten (actor)
1925 Dina Merrill (actress)
1922 Redd Foxx (comedian)
1916 Kirk Douglas (actor)
1911 Lee J Cobb (actor)
1909 Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (actor)
1906 Freddy Martin (musician, bandleader)
1902 Margaret Hamilton (actress)
1899 Jean de Brunhoff (illustrator)
1898 Emmett Kelly (clown)
1896 Clarence Birdseye (inventor, food processor)
1608 John Milton (poet)