Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Thirty-three



Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.



That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go merry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.

(Herrick, "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time")

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday (ya young punk)!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, lady.

And yeah, thirty-three in academic years is the shimmering blithe beauty of prime youth. So I hope you count yourself on the virgin side of Herrick's fence, at least in that respect.

I also hope that's a tiny Flavia in that photo. Amazing.

Dr. Crazy said...

Happy Birthday, F! I'll be sure to have a cocktail in your honor!

Thoroughly Educated said...

Oh! Happy birthday! Is it today, the 19th? That makes two Feb. 19th friend birthdays.

Bardiac said...

Congrats, and happy birthday!

Herrick rocks all the way around :)

Hilaire said...

Happy birthday, Flavia!

Maude said...

happy happy birthday!!


are you doing anything exciting?

medieval woman said...

Happy Birthday!! Ya look adorable in that pic...

Flavia said...

Hee!

Neo: yep, that's me at about age three. Not quite as cute a photo as the one I put up last year. . . but there are only so many of those out there.

And TE: yep again; the 19th.

Maude: I am just about to get in the shower in preparation for 10.5 hours on campus today, 7 of those in the classroom. Whoo!

But the reason I was up posting at 2 a.m. was because I was "going merry," or gathering metaphorical rosebuds, or something--so the only misfortune is how tired and un-prepped I am.

heu mihi said...

Happy birthday! The *real* age of perfection! (I think.)

I hope your birthday cheer carries you through this long, long teaching day....

Pilgrim/Heretic said...

Woo hoo, happy birthday! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Sis! It appears your gift will be late, but I think you'll like it.

Actually, I say "it appears..." as if I was not well aware that it would arrive late as a direct result of ordering on Saturday...

But anyway, enjoy your big day. I'm in a car right now on my way to the airport.. flying to your timezone and state, but will be sadly unable to visit.

Talk to you soon!

Susan said...

Happy birthday. Too bad you have to work. When I rule the world, we each get our birthday as a holiday.

Great picture, and indeed 33 is a mere child.

Ianqui said...

Happy Birthday! You're in good company (if I may say so myself :)--I'll be 33 in a couple of weeks, too.

squadratomagico said...

Many happy returns!

khora said...

Happiest Birthday, Dearest Flav!

Renaissance Girl said...

Happy birthday! You really don't look a day older than this photo....

Margo, darling said...

Happy Birthday! And enjoy your Jesus year. I found it way more exciting than the year of my Saturn return. xoxo

Sisyphus said...

So cute! Happy birthday happy birthday! --- Go gather some more rosebuds, or write an ode to sack, or something.

Betsy Willard said...

also with the happy birthdays!

Sfrajett said...

Happy Birthday to You! You are so young--enjoy it! And know that your hairdo has gotten better and better over the years.

Jack said...

Going merry indeed.

Happy.

Dr. Virago said...

Happy birthday, Flavia!

And, btw, I had that *exact* same hair once. It was probably in the same year, too, although mine was a slightly older kid's version

Professing Mama said...

Happy birthday!

EcoGeoFemme said...

Happy birthday!

dhawhee said...

awwww. happy birthday a day late! hope it was grand.

Meansomething said...

Belated happy birthday, young'un!

Fretful Porpentine said...

Happy belated birthday!

Simplicius said...

Joining the chorus, Happy Birthday!

Flavia said...

Wait, are you implying--Sfrajett and Dr. V--that that hairdo doesn't totally do it for me?

I suspect it may have been created by my parents' literally placing a bowl on my head and cutting off the excess. (I do remember their doing that with my brother.)

Thanks for the additional well-wishes, all--my students and I rocked out with FQ until just past 9 p.m., then I drove home, got into my pyjamas, and spent the waning hours of my birthday in bed with a drink and a cat and some magazines.

Whoo!

timna said...

Happy happy day (ok, week, now that I'm late).

Clio Bluestocking said...

Happy Birthday! Have much cake!

Oso Raro said...

Happy Birthday, Doll! Many happy returns of the day!

BTW, I think the photo demonstrates a certain sort of Dorothy Hamill kind of flair, channeled through Captain and Tennille. Chic!

phd me said...

Belated but bountiful birthday wishes to you! Hope it was a good one!

Anonymous said...

happy happy birthday!! and that picture is SO adorable!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! Hope you can come down to visit to claim your birthday bottle of Veuve and pomme frites. -miss d

Pamphilia said...

Happy Birthday! I'm a Pisces too (mine is very soon).

Flavia said...

Muse: actually, I consider myself an Aquarius. I'm technically exactly on the cusp, and so should be half and half. . . but in traits and temperament I'm ridiculously Aquarian.

(And the fact that I can just declare that? Probably tells us everything we need to know about the validity of astrology.)

What Now? said...

A belated happy birthday to you!

The weird numerologist in me wants to assure you that this is bound to be a good year because 33 is the product of two prime numbers, and how cool is that? (That being said, I was ridiculously excited about turning 27, since it was three raised to the third power, and of course I wasn't going to live to be four to the fourth power, so clearly this was destined to be a great year! And certainly some good things did occur, but also some bad things, and so it was all the way around not the spectacular year I envisioned. Which tells us all we need to know about numerology, to go along with all that we need to know about astrology.)

Lucky Jane said...

Another belated happy birthday, Flavia!

When I turned thirty-three, I was living where people kept saying, "Hey, it's your Jesus year!" Didn't know what to do with that info then, and now, well, I don't have to. Not that you do. Many happy returns!

gwoertendyke said...

i'm sorry i missed your bday! happy late--and i LOVE the photo. very sweet.

Scrivener said...

Happt belated birthday! What an adorable photo.