Sunday, February 24, 2008

Celebration



Yesterday our entire family gathered to celebrate Dennis’s seventieth birthday. It was a perfect day. To honor their dad the astronomer our children rented the planetarium owned by the public schools. We had our own private planetarium show of stars around the world. He thought it was wonderful. After the star show we gathered for dinner and presentations by the family. This is one of the songs they sang for him. It is sung to the tune of the song by similar name from The Sound of Music.

His Favorite Things

Hummingbirds, Orioles, and Purple Finches

Pelicans, Cormorants, Scarlet Ibises

One dollar for Eagles soaring on wings

These are a few of his favorite things.

Photons, and black holes, and No-oble prizes

Optics, robotics, stray light and moon rises

Telescopes pointed at Sa-aturns rings

These are a few of his favorite things

When the clouds form,

When the squirrels raid,

When the rockets stay on the pad,

He’ll simply remember his favorite things

And then he won’t feel so bad.

Left-handed di-ice with rotated threes,

Power Point sli-ides and church committees,

Gigantic bubbles and kites with two strings,

These are a few of his favorite things.

When the clouds form,

When the squirrels raid,

When the rockets stay on the pad,

He’ll simply remember his favorite things

And then he won’t feel so bad.

9 comments:

Simon said...

what a great song! I hope you had a lovely time, and judging by the photo of you all, you did...

Linda said...

How cool! I love the song, perfect for Dennis :) Will you guys adopt me? What a wonderful family you have.

MarkEC said...

I hadn't been to the planetarium in a long, long time... I enjoyed learning how to find some of the constellations... looking forward to trying it out next time I get away from the city lights. It was a wonderful celebration, glad I could be a part of it!

Unknown said...

Good grief, I want in to the family too!. What a song! And what a fabulous idea for a party setting.

Sharon said...

Happy birthday to your wonderful sweet husband. I hope he has many more. What a perfect location for his party.

julie said...

Happy birthday to my friend. I do miss you and I think that your party was in the most perfect place. Wish I could've been there to let you know how much you mean to me. You have stood by me through some tough times and for that I will be forever grateful. You are also dad to one of my very favorite people in the whole world and I know that part of why she is who she is, is because of you. Thank you for being you.

Sling said...

Happy landmark 70th Dennis!
You know he was in Heaven with his b/day trip to the planetarium..Ha!..get it?

Tracy said...

You are an awesome family. Happy Birthday Dennis. It sounds like it was fantastic celebration.

Sandy said...

What a lovely and talented family. Was that perfect song a famiy collaboration? Belated birthday greeetings to your astronomer.