another sign,,,

 As many of you know, I've been suffering from EOSF (Early Onset Spring Fever) for several weeks, but now that we are actually five days into spring I must admit to simple spring fever.  And I'm evidently not the only one.  Yesterday, when it was sunny with a high of 45 degrees we saw a man out walking around the neighborhood in shorts and a tee-shirt.  It seemed a little chilly to me but he looked happy.

I will admit that the changable weather does make it hard to know what to wear.  The high tomorrow will be about 60, then on Thursday 70, then Friday back to 45.  And the moral of that story is keep a jacket handy.

But enough about the weather.  Another sure sign of spring in our area is the opening of the Zesto ice cream stands.  One of them opened as early as March 1, another near us opened on March 15.

Today my wonder spouse and I agreed that It was definitely time to visit Zesto's, so we had a creamy good lunch - a turtle sundae for me (lots of nuts so it must have been good for me) and my spouses favorite butterscotch yogurt malt.

It was so good.  We may have to celebrate spring frequently.

What day is this?

 A friend recently commented to me that, now that she is retired, she has trouble remembering what day of the week it is.  Then today my west coast brother, who is also recently retired, sent me his daily text which began with 'happy Tuesday.'  Not an unusual greeting, except that today is Monday.  

Lucky for me, I always know what day of the week it is.  Not because I'm a genius or anything but simply because we have, on our bedroom wall, a truly magnificent clock.

Here's a picture of it.  It's about 6x8 inches. My wonder spouse has had this clock for a long time (since before we were married).  It not only shows me the day, the date and the time, it also has these nifty little messages like morning, afternoon, evening and pre-dawn.  It's also light enough to be easily read in the middle of the night.  Those of you of a certain age will understand why I might be looking at the clock in the middle of the night.

In case you're interested in owning a whoopy doo wonder clock of your own, my spouse did some research for my friend and found this model available: La Crosse Technology C86279 for $32.67 through Amazon. It's actually one step better than ours because it will 'spring forward' and 'fall back' automatically.  Obviously "new and improved."

More music...

 I guess this was our weekend for music.  After the Phil last night my wonder spouse and I spent two hours this afternoon listening to a piano concert.  Today's concert came with a free lunch which was nice.

The artist was Jeremy Filsell and he was amazing.  He has been playing piano since he was ten years old, won many, many awards and traveled the world performing.  His bio filled a page and a half of the program in very fine print.  He's done it all (at least in the world of piano and organ music).  One bit I found interesting was that he lived in Windsor Castle for nine years as an alto lay clerk in the Queen's choir at St George's Chapel, Windsor.  

His recordings are widely available but I like to see my music as well as hear it.  I would much rather sit in the audience seeing and hearing a musical performance than simply listening to a recording.  That's why I enjoy going to the philhamonic so much.

In the case of Mr. Filsell, part of my joy and awe came from realizing that he was playing the entire concert from memory, no sheet music anywhere.  And we are not talking easy little ditties here.  He entertained us with selections from Chopin, Debussy, Leighton and Liszt.  My favorite selection was Liszt"s "Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178."

All in all, a remarkable end to this very musical weekend.

an evening at the Phil....

 This evening's philharmonic concert had several interesting parts.  It opened with a fun little five minute piece by Lili Boulanger called "D'un matin de printemps."  I'm pretty sure that is something about an evening in springtime but my high school French is quite rusty.  It was a lovely piece.  I was sad to read that the composer died when she was only 24.

Then came Edgar Meyer's "Violin Concerto."  The solo parts were performed by violinist Eric Silberger who was absolutely sublime. This was definitely my favorite part of the evening.

After the imtermission we heard "Rondes de printemps, No.3" from "Images" by Claude Debussy and a Piano Trio by Ravel adapted for full orchestra.  Both pieces were beautifully performed (I especially enjoyed the harps) and my spouse said that the Ravel piece was his favorite part of the program.

I guess you could sa there was something for everyone this evening.

Spring time

 Happy first day of spring.  Spring officially began at about 10:40 this morning.  My west coast brother made sure I knew that in addition to being the first day of spring today is also "Alien Abduction Day," "Snowman Burning Day" and "National Ravioli Day."

My wonder spouse and I had noodles, but not ravioli for supper and I wasn't able to find any aliens to abduct.  I wouldn't mind a little green ET running around the place but, alas, no such luck.  

I would never attempt to burn a snowman, although the 70 degree, sunny day we enjoyed today did a great job of melting away the last lingering little piles of snow around the neighborhood.

We did however put our snowman away, wrapped carefully and put on a shelf in the basement.  He has been standing on the table in our foyer since before Christmas.  He will be back again next winter, but right now all my thoughts are on spring.  I must find something springy to take his place - maybe an Easter bunny???

eye glasses...

 As I think I mentioned in a previous blog, I have been wearing glasses since I was seven years old.  This means that I know what it should feel like when one puts on a new pair of glasses.  First there is a little pause as your brain gets used to seeing things more clearly, and then you just wear and enjoy your new glasses.  In recent years all of my glasses have been no line tri-focals which have worked very well for me.  I can drive safely, I can work on my computer, I can read, I can even put together jigsaw puzzles.  In other words, I can see to do whatever needs doing.

That's how it should be and that's how it has always been for me until my newest pair.  Don't get me wrong.  I've had three other pairs of glasses from this same eye doctor and all have worked very well for me.  

But when I put on this new pair of glasses they seemed fine at first but then I realized that i couldn't see to drive unless I slid the glasses down on my nose and looked through the top quarter inch of the lens.  I also realized that when I looked across the room, any room, at home it was blurry.  I went back and the nice technician adjusted the frames so they fit differently on my face and ears.  This seemed to help but not really.  I tried again, still no better.  So I made an appointment for this afternoon and went back to see what else could be done.  After two glasses gurus looked everything over it was determined that the lenses simply didn't line up correctly with my eyes.  In other words they agreed with my diagnosis of the situation.

So now I am sitting here typing my blog wearing my two year old glasses and managing pretty well.  My new and improved lenses should be ready in ten days.  If you hear shouts of glee you'll know that they are working as they should, and I'll know that it's ok for me to be driving again. If instead you hear gnashing of teeth, I'm not seeing well and I'll know that another trip to the dentist (see yesterday's blog) is required.  Stay tuned.

new tec....

 I went to the dentist today.  This is not something I would usually write about but I'm intrigued with his new equipment.

I went to the dentist because my left jaw has been aching for a couple of weeks and had finally started bothering me enough that I decided I really must do something.

They took an xray, then the dentist massaged my jaw and pressed on certain points watching for my reaction when he hit the spots that really hurt.  He found them all.  Then he gave me some advice "Don't open your mouth too wide, eat soft food, and take small bites."  All of which I had already been doing because it just felt better.

Then, and this was the exciting part, he zapped me with his brand new lazer.  My nurse told me it was his new favorite toy.  My dentist referred to it as his magic wand.  It was a very nice treatment.  He zapped me repeatedly from outside and inside my mouth.  It was a very warm, not too hot, feeling, and very relaxing.  Not at all what one expects in a dentist's office.  It didn't make any noise at all.

That was several hours ago and, while my jaw is still a little achy, it feels considerably better than it did before my appointment.  My wonder spouse assisted me in following directions by cooking noodles alfredo for supper, soft, easy to eat and delicious.

I'll be going back for a follow up treatment in two weeks.  Is it weird to look forward to going to the dentist?

It's all so green

 I hope you all have had a pleasant St. Patrick's Day whether you are really Irish or only a little Irish like me.  My west coast brother suggested that today I should go looking for shamrocks and four leaf clovers.  That got me wondering if there is a difference.  

There is indeed a difference.  A shamrock is a three-leaf clover and is used as a symbol of Ireland and Saint Patrick.  The name comes from the Irish word seamrog which means little clover.  The three leaves represent the Holy Trinity. 

When I was very young our yard had lots of clover growing in it and we would search sometimes to see who could be the first to find a four-leaf clover.  Everyone knows that four-leaf clovers are lucky.  I did not know until this evening that only one in 5000 clovers possess the extra leaf.  No wonder our searching took a while.  The four leaves are said to represent faith, hope, love and prosperity.

Unless of course you grew up in the country like I did and belonged to a 4-H club.  The 4-H symbol is a four leaf clover with an H on each leaf.  The H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

None of which has anything to do with Saint Patrick's Day but it has been fun to remember.

a fishy Finn

 Everyone knows that tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day but did you know that today is Saint Urho's Day?  This special day is based on a Northern Minnesota legend begun in the 1950s. Richard Mattson, a Finnish American founded the day as a playful reason to celebrate on the day before Saint Patrick's Day. "Why," he asked "Should the Irish have all the fun?" Since the 50s this day has evolved from a joke to a beloved tradition celebrated in many cities throughout the United States, especially by Finnish Americans.     

The serious celebrators wear purple and green, purple for grapes and green for grasshoppers (the bugs not the drink).  The legend goes that Saint Urho drove all the grasshoppers out of Finland, thereby saving the vineyards.  

If you seriously doubt that Finland has vineyards, or grasshoppers for that matter, I suggest that you visit Finland on your next holiday.  It's a wonderful country and I highly recommend a visit.  

But if you want to celebrate Saint Urho's Day you will have to stay in the USA. Saint Urho's Day is not celebrated in Finland.  It is, however, celebrated in Finland, Minnesota and many other US cities, also at least one in Canada.

a misunderstanding??

 My west coast brother informed me that today is "Eat an Animal for PETA Day."  I really don't think this is what PETA is all about but I did have Swiss steak for supper. 

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is the world's largest animal rights organization. focused on stopping abuse of animals in laboratories, food, clothing and entertainment. It was founded in 1980.

I only bring this up because last night my spouse and I watched the old John Wayne movie "Hondo" filmed in 1953.  It was a good movie, excellent entertainment, ahead of its time in many ways, and involving what appeared to be hundreds of horses.  

I don't know, nor do I care to know, if any horses were maimed or killed in the filming of that movie, but as I watched it I kept thinking that it must have been filmed before PETA was founded.  I was right; see the dates above.  There were lots and lots of horses running all over the place in this movie.  Soldiers on horses, homesteaders on horses, cowboys on horses, Apaches on horses and horses pulling covered wagons and other conveyances.  It was a very exciting movie, but I can't help thinking that films like this were part of the reason that PETA was founded. True or not, I do recommend the movie.

Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!

 


The big day has finally arrived.  My great grandson is nine days old and I got to meet him and hold him and rock him for almost a half hour.  I had to wash my hands before I could hold him.  Can you tell he's a first baby?  My son (his great uncle) says "They'll be passing the second one around like a collection plate." We shall see.

In addition to the joy of holding him, I had the pleasure of rocking him in this old maple rocker.  I could tell he liked it and he should.  My mother rocked me and my brothers in this rocker and I have rocked my children and grandchildren in it.  And now my great grandson.  Life is GOOD!!

when the bough breaks...

 Rock a bye baby in the treetop.

When the wind blows the cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,

Down will come baby, cradle and all.

Isn't that the most depressing lullaby you've ever heard?  Who would sing that as you were trying to lull a child to sleep?  It has been a very windy day here today and I think that's what brought this poem to mind. The more I thought about the words the more I thought that this is not a cheery little ditty. 

So I did a little research.  It turns out that this English nursery rhyme first appeared in print as "Hush-a-bye" in "Mother Goose's Melody" around 1765 but seems to have been sung since about 1688. It seems that the innocent sounding lullaby was actually a death wish aimed at the infant son of the Catholic King James II.  Some of the citizens were wanting him to be replaced by a protestant king.  James Francis Edward Stuart was born in 1688. His birth, as a Catholic heir trigggered the "Glorious Revolution."  He spent much of his adult life in exile in France.  

I'm glad that he got to spend most of his adult life in France and probably in royal splendor but I can't help wondering how he felt, knowing that people were wishing him dead from the time he was born, and even singing about it.  It's enough to give a child a complex.  That's enough tid bits of history from me.  Feel free to do more research on your own.

star light star bright...

 My west coast brother informed me that today is "National Milky Way Day."  While I'm guessing that they (the mysterious they who make up these days) are referring to the candy bar, which is admittedly delicious and worth celebrating, it reminds me of how much I long to see a starry night.  

My spouse and I live in a very comfortable older subdivision which has been surrounded by more and more housing as the city expands around us.  Consequently, there is lots of ambient light even in the middle of the night.  Street lights, porch lights and security lights bathe our nights in soft light.  Which is all good and well unless you want to see stars.  On a really clear summer night I'm able to see two, sometimes three, stars.  Technically one of those is a planet.

When my first husband and I lived in what was then "country" we were able to stand with our children in the front yard and see the Big and Little Dippers, Orion's Belt and sometimes the Milky Way.  Then a traffic light was installed on our corner and it was never quite the same.

Before you feel too sad for me, let me assure you that I have seen stars in recent years.  A few years ago a friend and I were traveling in Finland.  One night our group was taken by bus way out into the country in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights.  They did not appear but the stars were spectacular.  On a cruise that my wonder spouse and I took last year, everyone was invited up on deck one clear night for some star gazing.  We did see stars but, for safety, some lights on the ship had to be left on so it wasn't as spectacular as it might have been. 

However, I see two good star gazing opportunities coming up.  When my spouse and I go on our cruise in May we will be at sea for several nights so I have hope of seeing stars then.  Even better, on the way home from that trip we will be visiting my west coast family for a few days and, if I know my brother, he will indulge me by turning off all the lights if there is a clear night, and we might actually see the Milky Way.  Fingers crossed.

Eastward ho...

 In 10 weeks and two days my spouse and I will be departing on a cruise which starts with four days in Tokyo, Japan.  I have begun to daydream about this trip already.  Part of the reason is to avoid thinking about the crazy weather going on here at home. Today, for instance, began at 60 degrees with warm rain, thunder and lightning, and finished, as of 6:00 this evening at 37 degrees with a cold wind blowing. 

I have no idea what the weather will actually be like in May in Japan but to really enjoy my daydreams I decided I should check it out.  68 to 70 degrees is the average high in May in Tokyo with temperatures gradually warming through the month.  According to one source, May is considered the best month to visit Tokyo, when it's warming up but not yet humid.  Sadly we will be too late for the cherry blossoms but you can't have eveything.  

Based on previous excellent experiences with Viking, there will be a guide to greet us at the airport (we are flying first from Chicago to Tokyo).  And, if things work out as they did in Cairo. that same guide will spend the first couple of days of our visit showing us aound Tokyo, then make sure we get on the ship for the rest of our trip/cruise which will include several stops in Alaska.  

I know this might not sound as adventurous as some people's travels.  It doesn't compare to scaling the Himalays or finding the remains of a lost civilization in a jungle but it works for us.  We enjoy our creature comforts like good food and a comfy bed.

'Arigato gozaimasu' is a very polite way of saying thank you in Japanese.  I am by no means a linguist but I think that would be a good phrase to learn.   I should be able to learn that in 10 weeks, don't you think?

the end....

 It's finished!! Finally this silly puzzle is complete.  If you would like to assemble it next, just let us know.  

According to my west coast brother today is the "International Day of Awesomeness." I think that all of the people in my family are pretty awesome but tonight I must celebrate my wonder spouse who, once again, won a hard fought and long drawn out Scrabble game, even though I led for more than half the game. Ah well, my turn will come.

even more puzzling...

 

This is a picture of the jugsaw puzzle my wonder spouse and I are currently working on.  It is being a beastly puzzle, but we're making progress.  While the puzzle is being very difficult, I do love the picture.  It reminds me of the International Balloon Fiesta that a friend and I attended in Albuquerque, New Mexico several years ago.  We did not go on any balloon rides at that event (too expensive) although I have been on two rides since then.  They are amazing.  

We were at the site early on the day of the festival and were able to walk among the balloons and talk to the participants as they were inflating their beautiful balloons.  When it was still pretty dark, about a half hour before dawn, they had the GLOW!  While they were all still on the ground, every balloon flared it's fire, so every balloon glowed from within.  An amazing sight.  There were at least a hundred balloons there.

What we learned in conversation (my girlfriend will talk to anyone) and I found very interesting was the reason for the festival being in this location.  In this particular spot the wind blows two ways.  You really can't steer a balloon but buy rising to a certain level the balloonist could catch the wind going one way, then after traveling for some distance, he could let the balloon go higher and catch the wind blowing in the opposite direction, allowing the pilot to land on the same field where he took off,  According to the people we talked to, this is one of the very rare places in the world where this phenomenon occurs.  Maybe the only place. I really don't remember. 

I do know that when my spouse and I took our balloon ride in Egypt, we were picked up after the 45 minute flight at a spot quite a distance from our take-off site.

I have experienced two hot air balloon flights, one in Australia and one in Egypt, so I've flown over pyramids and kangaroos.  It is an excellent experience, lots of fun and not at all scary.  I highly recommend it.  Now back to that puzzle.

forward March...

 Today was 'spring forward' day when we set our clocks ahead one hour, supposedly at 2:00am, but really, who waits til 2:00am.  We're already losing sleep. even though we try going to bed an hour early so we still get enough sleep.  That's a nice idea but if you're accustomed to falling asleep at 11:00pm, even if your wonder spouse has set all the clocks ahead, your body knows that it's not really bedtime.

As a result of this 'spring forward' business, It was dark when I got up this morning and I've been sleepy all day.  

Attendance at Sunday school and church seemed a little sparse but that could have been because it has been a lovely sunny day and I'm not the only one suffering from EOSF.  It's a highly contageous condition.  

I did see one lady walking into church while we were singing the last hymn.  She doesn't have a wonder spouse to take care of things like setting clocks ahead for her.  

My west coast brother has an interesting theory about the twice a year time changes.  He says that the time changes induce something similar to jet lag and keep us from focusing on election day in the fall and taxes due in the spring.  He doesn't think that the timing is a coincidence and he may be right.

But enough speculation about why it happens.  Tomorow morning I will face my biggest challenge - setting my car clock ahead.  I know I can do it, and I know it's a simple process.  It's just remembering the process that's the challenge.

Brunch anyone??

My wonder spouse, who, everyone knows, is the cook in our family, surprised me this morning by asking if I wanted pecan pancakes for breakfast.  Usually our breakfasts are a do-it-yourself event.  I like cinnamon toast while he favors graham crackers.  

Since this was a no rush Saturday morning, I said YES, and quickly started the coffee and put the butter and syrup on the table.  I like to do my part.  We each had two plate size pancakes - light fluffy and delicious (one at a time while they were hot) - with butter and real maple syrup.  We are admittedly syrup snobs, nothing but pure maple syrup will do.  

It was a delicious breakfast, turned into brunch, finished while it was still morning, but only by a little bit. 

Then I received my west coast brother's daily text informing me that today is "National Flapjack Day."  Well, everyone knows that flapjack is just another name for pancake so we were pleased to learn that this time we had correctly celebrated the day.  

I should mention that today is also "Descendants Day" so, not too surprisingly my mind has been on my youngest little descendent (two days old today).  See yesterday's blog for details.  

While working at my desk I spotted this four generation picture, taken 25 years ago.  The baby in this picture is the proud and shaggy daddy in yesterday's picture.  I hope to get a brand new 4-generation picture when we all get together sometime soon.

New Life!!!

 Today was the day we have all been waiting for.  Today I became a great grandma and my spouse became a wonder great grandpa.

Here's the proud papa with his 6 lb 15 oz 19.5" long bundle of joy.

Here's little M. J. His first solo shot.

And here's the proud and understandably exhausted mommy.

They have requested some alone time as they adjust to their new life style so there will be no picture of me holding the baby for a couple of weeks.  It's ok, I can wait.  Not patiently, but I can wait. And I do understand.

When each of my two children was born I had what the hospital called "rooming in" meaning that the baby was with me the whole time, not in the nusery, and only my husband could visit. Back then the hospital stay was five days.  It was so good to have that private bonding time first.

Old School....

 I've been hearing a lot in the news lately about AI and the fact that it will potentially replace many jobs that humans do now.  Since I am happily retired this does not concern me over much although I do wonder about the jobs of my children and grandchildren. 

Thinking back over jobs I have had, I realize that some could easily have been done by AI controlled robots.  For example, I saw a piece in the news last night about robot arms mixing and pouring drinks in a bar.  Lucky for me that technology wasn't around the summer I tended bar.  I had just moved to a new town and needed that job.

Then there was my first career as an elementary and middle school  art teacher.  I can imagine a robot rolling up and down the aisles, critiquing students' work, but I'm not sure how much work would actually get done, although the visual aids might be pretty spectacular.  Students in our area have already adapted to e-learning days when the weather is terrible, but according to a teacher I know, there isn't always a lot of work getting done because there aren't any parents home to supervise.  Maybe, in addition to the laptops that are provided to most students in our local school systems, homes could be provided with AI "teachers" to keep the children working??? 

Finally, let's consider real estate sales where I spent 25 years of my working life.  When I started that career, we were thrilled to have one little postage stamp size picture of a house for sale on our computers.  By the time I retired we could show clients virtual tours of many houses, saving endless hours of driving people from house to house.  Not really AI but a nice improvement in technology.        AI closings would be great. 

And yet, as I look back on those jobs I realize that what I enjoyed most in each of them was the interaction with people, real live people.  I think I may have retired just in time.

March Forth...

 I'm sorry to keep depending on my west coast brother for blog ideas but some are just too good to resist.  Today, for example, is "Marching Music Day."  Having spent many hours cheering on my children and then two of my grandchildren as they marched in parades and competitions, I feel qualified to write on the subject.  

Today is also "National Pound Cake Day" which surprisingly reminded me of a marching band incident I will never forget.  Actually the bands weren't involved, just some parents along the parade route. 

While my first husband and I stood watching the parade go by in a small town north of Fort Wayne I overheard this conversation on my right - 

Fat slob sitting in a strained folding chair to his harassed looking wife who had just walked up behind him "Did ja bring me a beer?"  Wife responds with a quiet "No."  Slob says "Well, go fetch!" and she turned away and walked submissively off.  

I saw red!  Who says 'fetch' to a person? I wanted to pound this throwback to the cave dwellers into a pulp.  Fortunately, my long suffering first wonder spouse, who had often accused me of being a closet 'women's libber' saw me seeing red and quiclky walked me away so I could cool off.  Thereby preventing a scene which would definitely have detracted from the parade and posssibly, gasp, embarassed our marching children.  Everyone knows how easily teenagers are embarassed by their parents.

"hand, hand, finger, thumb...."

 My west coast brother informed me earlier today that it is "What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs Day/"  While my wonder spouse and I have had pets in the past, we don't now, but we do get plenty of entertainment value from the squirrels who frequent our bird feeders.

After witnessing one remarkable (and fairly chubby) squirrel perched on a feeder that we thought was completely out of reach, because it had a large squirrel guard protecting it, and was far away from every tree and bush, we began to wonder if squirrels have opposable thumbs.  It could explain some of their amazing gymnastics. So of course I did a little research. 

It turns out they do, kind of.  Squirrels have four long fingers and claws on each paw plus a small stiff digit - a vestigal or pseudo-opposable 'thumb.'  It's actually called a pollex. 

I wonder??? Could it be that our squirrels are a little more evolved than most?  If we could trap one (just catch and release for observation purposes of course, not for stew) I bet we would see that they have nice long pollexes.  It would explain so much.

good old stuff...

 My west coast brother informed me that today is "Old Stuff Day." Since I am now in my 81st year, it will come as no surprise that I have accumulated an abundance of old stuff.  Even after downsizing twice and having an estate sale I still have old stuff.

But sometimes old stuff isn't all that bad.  Last year one of my granddaughters saw a sweater I had pulled out of the closet, thinking I might donate it.  She declared it "vintage" and asked if she could have it.  Of course I said yes, and gave her two more besides.

Just this week the same granddaughter told me that she is still using a handmade blanket that my west coast sister-in-law made for me over 40 years ago.  I had let her take it to college.  She and her boyfriend spread it out on the floor to relax on while eating popcorn and watching TV.  Just what it was made for.  

And even better, thinking about old things, yesterday my wonder spouse and I delivered an old but still beautiful maple rocking chair to my grandson and his very expectant wife.  The baby is due any time now and it gives me a happy glow to think about him being rocked to sleep in the same rocker in which my mother rocked me and my younger brothers to sleep.  I also put a lot of rocking miles on that chair when my babies came along.

Isn't it good that some old stuff just gets better with age?  

What's in a name?

 My westcoast brother has informed me that today is "Namesake Day."

By defination, a namesake is a person or thing that has the same name as another. There is a line in Psalm 23 (King James Version) "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His namesake."

I've always enjoyed hearing people's stories of how they were named. I was named after my mother's father's favorite sister.  I always liked that story except for the part where she died when she was 12 years old.

Sometimes people get a little carried away with certain names. For example my brother, first husband and son were all named Tom or some variation of that name.  My second husband has the same name as his brother-in-law and nephew.  It can get confusing at family gatherings.

Names and naming practices change with the years.  When my son was born we named him Thomas and called him Tommy.  Interestingly, my first husband's legal name was Tommy and a cousin of mine born the same year had the legal name of Jimmy,  I think it was a fad at that time.  My father was named after his father, but with three middle names added.  These were the names of his three uncles.  Happily. my west coast brother was able to name two of his sons from that pool of names.  

I clearly remember a day when I was in our front yard with baby Tommy and a neighbor lady I didn't know well, while pushing her baby in a stroller, stopped and asked me what my baby's name was.  When I told her it was Tommy, she responded "Oh, that's a very common name."  I then asked her what her baby's name was and she said "Jason."  I laugh at this now because all through his school years my Tommy, later Thomas, was the only Thomas in his class while there were always three or four Jasons.  I guess it was a popular name in 1971.

My advice, name your children with care.  If all goes well, they are going to be stuck with that name for a long long time.