blessed birthday!

If my calendar is right, 

I've nearly missed your birthday:

the day finishes tonight,

at twelve, of this earth-day.

Hope you had a good one Russ

enjoyed the good that love grows,

without the fretting and fuss,

thinking it's the things one knows

that make the diff'rence, and good,

and bring to us our true life;

all the time we've known, or should

have, that knowing brings more strife!

For it most often puffs up,

but the knowing of a friend,

though it involves some tough stuff,

builds up right until the end!

And you have been building up

people and true friendships too.

So I raise (& toast) my cup,

"first Rus'ling leaves, then fruit new".