Happy Birthday jessamyn! September 5, 2018 9:00 AM   Subscribe

A very happy birthday to jessamyn! Many happy returns of the day!
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 9:00 AM (69 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite

Happy birthday! :)
posted by Alensin at 9:04 AM on September 5, 2018


B I R T H
posted by poffin boffin at 9:27 AM on September 5, 2018 [2 favorites]


Happy day of birth, fellow Virgo!
posted by stannate at 9:38 AM on September 5, 2018


Birthday emeritus!
posted by Chrysostom at 9:49 AM on September 5, 2018


HBDTY, HBDTY
HBD dear JESSAMYN!
HBDTY
posted by Meatbomb at 9:51 AM on September 5, 2018 [1 favorite]


Happy natal day!
posted by MovableBookLady at 9:55 AM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday, my friend. Your kindness and patience has long been a model that I strive for. I hope not_on_display buys you all the Fanta or Fresca or whatever that off-brand soda is that you like.
posted by bondcliff at 10:16 AM on September 5, 2018 [4 favorites]


The most Happy and Healthy of Birthdays to thee.
posted by Splunge at 10:31 AM on September 5, 2018


"18, 18,18 AND I LIIIKKEE IT."

Happy birthday Jess!
posted by clavdivs at 10:35 AM on September 5, 2018 [1 favorite]


Happy Birthday!?!?! :D
posted by Fizz at 10:39 AM on September 5, 2018


Happy Birthday!!!
posted by Fig at 11:25 AM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:26 AM on September 5, 2018


🎂🍨🎉
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:50 AM on September 5, 2018


Hurf durf, birthday cake eater.
posted by briank at 11:59 AM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday and very best wishes for an excellent day.
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:12 PM on September 5, 2018


¡Feliz cumpleaños!

Also: petition to change her STAFF tag to a 🎂 emoji for the day! ;D
posted by Celsius1414 at 12:14 PM on September 5, 2018 [4 favorites]


Happy Birthday, Jessamyn! Have a splendiferous day!
posted by arcticseal at 12:23 PM on September 5, 2018


I knew today felt important. Truly a day to be remarked upon. Congratulations to us. Happy jessamyn Day!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:29 PM on September 5, 2018 [1 favorite]


Many happy returns of the day.

A comment from jessamyn taught me something about life that I hasn't every considered I could be doing sub-optimally. So about 50% of the time I do this task, I think of her.
posted by bilabial at 12:45 PM on September 5, 2018 [1 favorite]


Happy birthday jessamyn, my favorite librarian superhero!

> all the Fanta or Fresca or whatever that off-brand soda is that you like.

Surely it's Moxie? (Kidding. I think it is Fresca?)
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 12:57 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy Jessaday!
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:04 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday!
posted by Barack Spinoza at 1:33 PM on September 5, 2018


🎂
posted by sammyo at 1:38 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday, birthday twin!
posted by kimberussell at 1:40 PM on September 5, 2018 [6 favorites]


Happy birthday to Jessamyn and kimberussell!
posted by Lynsey at 1:43 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday, Jessamyn and kimberussell - hope you each have a lovely day! (And similarly to any other birthday triplets, quadruplets, quidnunclets, etc).
posted by the quidnunc kid at 1:47 PM on September 5, 2018 [3 favorites]


Happy birthday!
posted by languagehat at 1:53 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy bippity boppity flippity floppity berfday !
posted by Faintdreams at 2:41 PM on September 5, 2018


🎉🎂🎉
posted by ChrisR at 3:26 PM on September 5, 2018


It's also my birthday! Every year, I look forward to the Jessamyn birthday post, as she is one of my heroes.
posted by lauranesson at 3:40 PM on September 5, 2018 [5 favorites]


cake, cake for all, but not for keto, no cake for keto
posted by RolandOfEld at 4:15 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday!
posted by drlith at 4:32 PM on September 5, 2018


🥧
posted by ardgedee at 6:08 PM on September 5, 2018


Harpo birchday!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:47 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy Jessamyn Birthday!
posted by AugustWest at 7:11 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy Birthday jessamyn!
posted by loquacious at 7:49 PM on September 5, 2018


Happy birthday!
posted by Quietgal at 8:17 PM on September 5, 2018


I had no idea that so many brilliant Mefites were birthday Twinsies with my little angel! Many, many Happiest returns of the day jessamax, kimberussell, and lauranesson. And my little brown-eyed brilliance!
posted by blessedlyndie at 9:28 PM on September 5, 2018


HARPLO BROOTHDIRT JARMISON
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:24 PM on September 5, 2018 [6 favorites]


In just under the wire! Happy birthday, Jessamyn!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:40 PM on September 5, 2018


I had no idea that so many brilliant Mefites were birthday Twinsies with my little angel!

You know, *so many* of the friends who mean a lot to me, and with whom I seem to find this instant connection, have turned out to be fellow Virgos.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:15 PM on September 5, 2018


Joyeux anniversaire !
posted by fraula at 12:02 AM on September 6, 2018


Happy birthday, Jessamyn!

I had no idea that so many brilliant Mefites were birthday Twinsies with my little angel!

Not a twin, but fellow Virgo The Librarian and book lover Jessamyn is ten days older - and thirty years wiser - than me. Happy birthday also kimberussell, and others who are celebrating their occasion.
posted by Wordshore at 12:41 AM on September 6, 2018


Happy birthday all celebrants!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 2:37 AM on September 6, 2018


Thanks everyone. Happy birthday kimberussell, and lauranesson! Also Jahaza who wished me a happy one over on Twitter. And Wordshore whose b'day is upcoming.

The drink is Fresca!

I've been stretching out this birthday over the past week--in addition to trying to celebrate the Virgo Month of Leisure--beginning with a PawSox game on Sunday and wrapping up this Saturday with some bowling with local (VT) folks which is a thing me and a pack of friends have taken to doing on milestone birthdays (I am 50).

Very exciting week in that I got a black eye playing disc golf on Sunday (my sister may have helped with that, her nickname has always been Wild Arm West) so it's been a few days of tracking bruises and checking to make sure I didn't have a concussion (I don't). Yesterday was The Day and we played mini golf, had some weird chai drinks that were laughably terrible, went out for dinner at a local place followed by a sunset walk on the beach and then a few presents and a spiffy cake. I had asked MeFi about what to do to ring in this special day and in the end I ignored almost everyone's advice (sorry!) and just did my usual stuff, other than a few USPS-oriented projects, one incoming and one outgoing. I haven't even checked the facebook Happy Birthday Machine yet. Thanks to everyone for well-wishes. MetaFilter is an important place to me and you all mean a lot to me.
posted by jessamyn (retired ★) at 5:46 AM on September 6, 2018 [13 favorites]


Happy Birthday!
posted by TedW at 6:30 AM on September 6, 2018


Also happy birthday to kimberussell and lauranesson!
posted by ellieBOA at 7:11 AM on September 6, 2018


Happy Birthday Jessamyn, may your day be glorious and your year even better.
posted by adamvasco at 7:19 AM on September 6, 2018


May all the schmoopy be with you! Happy birthday!!
posted by rtha at 8:04 AM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


🎂🍰🎉🎈🎁⚡️
posted by The Whelk at 8:25 AM on September 6, 2018


HBD, looking forward to 🎳with you and others!

Glad Wild Arm West didn't have a bowling ball!
posted by terrapin at 8:29 AM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


WOOHOO! JessamynDay is always an excellent day!
posted by rmd1023 at 9:35 AM on September 6, 2018


Happy birthday!

May a thousand golf discs veer away from you!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:39 AM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


huzzah!
posted by supermedusa at 9:59 AM on September 6, 2018


Happy birthday! Various birthday postcards are in the mail to you!
posted by gingerbeer at 10:03 AM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


I feel better knowing you're out there doing your thing.
posted by amtho at 10:21 AM on September 6, 2018


yay fellow labor day week birthday baby!

happy birthdaaaay!
posted by numaner at 1:00 PM on September 6, 2018


Happy belated birthday—you're the best, West!
posted by limeonaire at 9:41 PM on September 6, 2018


thank you for being you!
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 10:53 AM on September 7, 2018


Happy belated birthday Jessamyn - Mefi wouldn't be Mefi without you.
posted by NoraCharles at 1:25 PM on September 7, 2018


Happy belated Birthday! Thank you for your work here at Metafilter and for adding your unique voice to the community collective.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 5:45 PM on September 7, 2018


Folks! This was really a wonderful birthday week. As many of you probably know I asked for (via my representative not_on_display) postcards on my birthday but I wasn't going to be back home until a few days afterwards. I got back to a veritable STACK of them and spent what is normally a pretty bumpy re-entry period (it's cold, I have allergies, all my patterns and routines are different) getting to just noodle around and read some very friendly and encouraging birthday mail. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send a card or other greeting. It's a huge pick-me-up and a real shot in the arm.
posted by jessamyn (retired ★) at 6:52 AM on September 11, 2018 [5 favorites]


(program note, we didn't tell you this but frimble got you a star for your birthday)
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:02 AM on September 11, 2018


🤩

I just presumed that was some greasemonkey script I'd set up on a random computer and then forgotten about. Awwww thanks.
posted by jessamyn (retired ★) at 7:19 AM on September 11, 2018 [4 favorites]


Happy birthday, star!
posted by klausness at 1:58 PM on September 13, 2018


Um, it's possible that there may be more birthday cards on the way because I was slow in getting them to an actual mail box.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:07 PM on September 14, 2018 [1 favorite]


They've been trickling in all week, it's been great!
posted by jessamyn (retired ★) at 7:22 AM on September 15, 2018


(I've left this till the thread is nearly done as it's a very long anecdote, originally from my Facebook wall back in May, and only a small part of it is Jessamyn related. But I do think of it every now and then, and remain convinced that working out how many degrees of separation there is between someone - online or IRL - and Jessamyn is a more interesting exercise, or game, or project, than doing the Kevin Bacon equivalent)

+ + + + +

Today was the annual bluebell service in the woods some six or seven miles away, depending on route. As today was also baking hot, and something disagreed with me from yesterday, careful planning (and the carrying of a lot of water) took place to get me from base to wood. It wasn't too bad in the end; some lovely scenery; fields, grass, a graveyard amongst an astonishing area of bluebells, trees in full green, and the scent of late spring blossom and the Tesco suntan lotion I had badly applied, causing a few car drivers to stare until checking myself with a smartphone selfie.

I made it to the woods pretty early, tried to take a short cut and promptly got lost, eventually picking up the signed trail which led to a very small enclave. Apparently known as the amphitheatre, it seemed to be little more than a tiny clearing between some mossy banks and a quarry. In the latter of which some teen boys were noisily diving, until some wardens - modelling themselves on cop show police chasing bank robbers - went running after them.

The altar consisted of a trestle table. This, apparently, was borrowed from the local public library. A brass band, neat and tidy and sweaty in heavy uniforms, appeared and started to set up, as did an outside gig equipment specialist who rigged speakers and a microphone. True, it wasn't going to be Led Zeppelin playing Madison Square Gardens, but for deep in the woods the testing seemed effectively loud. Various people wandered in, then a few dignitaries, a minister, and some more churchy folk. Some locals turned up with folding seats. One, of extremely advanced years, exclaimed "this is my spot!" to no-one in particular. Various tourists, and random walkers and woods wanderers turned up. Some stayed a while; others carried on, a few confused.

The couple next to me had an east coast American accents and I asked them where they were from. “Vermont.”
Me: (lazily, long shot conversation question) “Oh! You wouldn’t happen to know Jessamyn the librarian in Vermont?”
Her: (surprised) “Randolph?”
Me: (very surprised) “Yes!?!”
Him: “Yes. She fixed my dad’s laptop. He hasn’t stopped emailing since. I think he (long pause) ... meets people ... on Tinder now.”
Me: “Oh!”

Service and hymn sheets were handed out. Reassuringly, the first hymn was All Things Bright And Beautiful, which just about everyone my age will know from singing it at school or church. This was a pleasing choice; the singing was solid, though not enthusiastic. Perhaps because many in the congregation were elderly through to very elderly, and it was ferociously hot, even under the tree cover. I worried that an ambulance would not be able to reach anyone in a worst case scenario.

The nice American couple departed after the second hymn, leaving me to ponder that even deep in a wood in rural England I can accidentally find someone who knows Jessamyn West and wondering if there is a game here - most obscure connection to Jessamyn ever found?

The minister did the sermon. Unfortunately he... wasn't very good (I am being tactful here). I'd previously heard he was "A bit of a fundie (fundamentalist)"; this turned out to be the case. In a somewhat humorless sermon which was at odds with the bright weather he decided to compare Christianity and Paganism - getting most of his facts about Paganism wrong (probably not accidentally). A few people in the crowd looked at each other quizzically; a tall man at the back wearing a Druid pendant may or may not have said "really?!" deliberately too loudly at one point, causing a few people to turn round. Some people left. Mr Anglican-brimstone chundered on.

Thankfully his odd sermon concluded; a few prayers were said (the Lord's Prayer getting the loudest recital of the afternoon), a man appeared with a collection bowl which caused more casual audience members to hurriedly walk away, another song was sung, and then we finished with that traditional church hymn of ... um ... God Save The Queen. Which confused some of the tourists, but oddly seemed to work in the surroundings. And then it was over and people packed up their chairs and musical instruments and left surprisingly quickly. This was because of free tea, coffee and (most importantly) cake back at the church, and you never, ever, get between an Anglican and cake.

I was on foot but headed as straight east as I could, picking up a footpath and a bridleway to avoid the long walk back through the woods and also to circumvent the adjoining village. This worked out pretty well, getting me to the church before most of the congregation. Tea and cake were procured, genial conversations were undertaken with locals, plus eavesdropping on the usual "who has fallen out / has had illicit relations / been spotted with who" gossip that provides the aural background to these occasions.

The unsmiling minister who had given the sermon turned up. I joined the rather small queue of people wanting to talk to him. It got to my turn and he asked if I enjoyed the event. I responded that the singing was good and, as a part-time Druid, I found his sermon 'interesting'. We then had a bit of an intense conversation which may have alarmed a few people nearby. But having lived in more extreme Presbyterian lands and conversed with ministers even less inclusive, it was easy to hold my own.

Around the time I was arguing "There's a strong case for Jesus being the first eco warrior blah blah blah he was as much a Druid as a Christian blah blah blah" I noticed a vein pulsing and throbbing, very significantly, on his foreheard. Suddenly realising he may have some kind of seizure and I would get the blame - and more importantly lose access to very good church cake at future events here - I decided to leave. So with a "We'll have to agree to disagree!", to which he replied "No we won't!" I did, and had a lovely walk for an hour or so down lanes not traversed before, to get me back to a bus stop and a short ride back to base.

Tomorrow depends on how head, heart and stomach feel. If rehydrated, it will be with the Druids at their May Fayre on top of a hill five miles southwest of here. Otherwise, duck racing at a village three miles south. Roll on the continuing warm weather.
posted by Wordshore at 5:42 PM on October 2, 2018 [9 favorites]


That is one of the most beautiful boneyards I've ever seen.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:34 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]


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