Today, January 29th is my birthday. This year happens to be one of those momentous birthdays in everyone’s mind. I’m 40. I don’t feel 40, although I’m starting a diet today to try and get back in college-age shape – keep your fingers crossed. And I’m picking up new glasses on Thursday – a new edgy look to commemorate by middle-agedness.

I still remember my other momentous birthdays in crystal clear technicolor – even without the new glasses. My 21st was spent skiing in New York state at the Friar Tuck Inn, I wouldn’t recommend the place, but I’ve never been much of a drinker, yet the nearby skiing was a great activity to help celebrate. My 7th birthday included a complete cowboy set – hat, western vest complete with leather tassels and silver badges, and a holster set with not just one, but two six-shooters with imitation ivory handles with Texas longhorn symbols on them. They were cap guns and I played with them for years, so much that the brown longhorn logos almost wore off. My 10th birthday was my first party that included friends from school not just family. I invited all boys, of course, and we had a blast. My dad made the mistake of putting a huge bowl of m&m’s down amongst us. The next moment, these m&m’s were flying everywhere in an all-out chocolate-coated-candy battle. My family found the candies in every corner of our basement for years afterward. Strangely, it was the last party I had with school friends!

It’s also my nephew’s birthday, we are exactly 25 years apart. He’s a good, thoughtful teen now, but I have a feeling sharing the same birthday makes for a deep connection that we both enjoy. Happy Birthday, Jim! Next year is one of your momentous birthdays for you and your parents – driving at 16!

That’s my history, but times have changed. I read a blog the other day about a women who spends $30 per gift for at least two birthday parties a month that her child attends. She wrote that her child’s school has a rule that everyone in the class has to be invited. What are we thinking? Since when does life have to be so fair for our children that parent’s have to spend hundreds of dollars a year to keep up with all the other parent’s spending hundreds of dollars so no one “might” have their feelings hurt. What do you think? please let me know, add a comment below….

But back to my history, right now I’m involved in two projects that are helping record various histories. The first to take place is my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. Wow – 50 years, I’ve been married 10 myself this year, and fortunately could see my wife and I making it that long, because we make each other laugh. We still find our odd mannerisms and stories funny. Well, so do my parents, one of the many things they have taught me is not to take life too seriously. Like every family we’ve had some dark times, but in the end, we find the humor in it and are able to laugh about it. My mom, picture Marie from “Everybody Loves Raymond” still laughs at my dad’s dry humor and my Mom, like Marie says hilarious things without even knowing it. They laugh and cry together and have been doing it for over 50 years. Once the laughter stops in any marriage - look out. My challenge is capturing 50 years of laughter in a history for my parents. Any ideas?

The next historical project I’m involved with is the 100th Anniversary of Flourtown Fire Company, coming up in 2010. It’s not too far away, so we have begun expanding and researching our history. Last Saturday, I was in Jenkintown doing some errands and stopped in at the Pioneer Fire Company. Pioneer has a rich history of its own, it was founded in 1884. It was my chance to help put together an importantpiece of FFCo’s history – our first fire. Well, Lou and Chief Albert Bachman and the rest of Pioneer’s crew couldn’t have been more helpful. Jenkintown had responded to our first fire, supposedly arriving within 11 minutes of the call. Extraordinary when you think that the towns are over 5 miles apart and this was 1910 when motorized vehicles were a rarity along with paved roads. Supposedly Bethlehem Pike, a four lane road cutting through the heart of Flourtown and its main thoroughfare wasn’t paved until 1918. As Chief Bachman explains Jenkintown responded with it’s 1909 Boyd Chemical Engine, the first motorized fire apparatus in Eastern Montgomery County. Thanks Chief, for making our history a bit more colorful and clear. If you have any history about Flourtown Fire and the surrounding towns through the years, I’d love to hear about, please add a comment.

Until next time, please leave a comment about anything, Tim