Thursday, December 04, 2014

Happy Birthday, Mum!

In Australia today my mother celebrates her 76th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mum!

I've said it many times before and I'll happily and truthfully say it again: My two brothers and I are incredibly fortunate to have Margaret Anne Bayly (née Sparkes) as our mother. She’s a beautiful, wise and strong woman who extends care, kindness, and love to everyone she encounters.

I love you, Mum, and can’t thank you enough for who you are and for all you continue to be and give to me, my brothers, our family, and so many others whose lives are fortunate enough to be touched by yours!



Above: Dad took this photo of Mum and I swimming in the sea at Port Macquarie's Town Beach when I was back visiting Australia earlier this year!


In celebrating Mum's birthday at The Wild Reed in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 I shared quite a number of photos from the Bayly family archives. I share this evening a few more. Enjoy!



Above: That's Mum in the dark-colored dress, standing at right. Her older half-sister Fay is seated holding the youngest in the family, Ruth. That's my Uncle Michael standing at left. I don't know who the other two are.



Above: A lovely portrait of Mum taken at the time of her engagement to my father Gordon Bayly in 1958. In November 2009, Mum and Dad celebrated 50 years of marriage.


Left: Mum and Dad on their wedding day in Gunnedah, November 7, 1959. For more images, click here.




Above: Mum and Dad in Sydney, circa 1980.



Above: Mum and I taking a break during a hike on Porcupine Hill – Gunnedah, 1981.



Above: The Bayly family in 1983. From left: me (looking somewhat detached), my older brother Chris, Mum, Dad, and my younger brother Tim.



Above: With Mum and Aunty Phyllis in Sydney, 1989. (For more about Aunty Phyllis plus some images of Sydney, click here.)



Above: Mum with (from left) her mother-in-law, Belle Smith, and her mother, Olive Sparkes. This photo was taken at the wedding of my younger brother Tim and his wife Ros in 1990.



Above: With Mum and Nanna Smith on Christmas Day, 1991.



Above: Mum and Dad, December 2000.



Above: In the summer of 2005 my parents visited me in the U.S. (before the three of us traveled to Europe for two weeks). In this photo Mum and Dad are pictured with my dear friends Rita McDonald, CSJ and Marguerite Corcoran, CSJ. Rita and Marguerite were my “companions” during my two-year-long candidacy program to become a consociate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet - St. Paul Province.



Above: Mum, Dad and I pictured during a visit to our hometown of Gunnedah earlier this year.



Above: Mum and I with my cousin (and Mum's niece) Emily and her son Lewis – March 27, 2014.



Above: The most recent photo I have of Mum and Dad. It was actually taken by a photographer for the management company of the Port Macquarie retirement village where my parents live. It's currently being used for promotional purposes on the retirement village's website!

Finally, for Mum's Wild Reed review of the Petula Clark concert that she and Dad attended earlier this year, click here.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Thanks, Mum!
Happy Birthday, Mum (2013)
Happy Birthday, Mum (2011)
Happy Birthday, Mum (2010)
Happy Birthday, Mum (2009)
Congratulations, Mum and Dad!
Catholic Rainbow (Australian) Parents
Port Macquarie Days


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