knot another birthday!

Today is Zeke's birthday and he's turning 14. It's hard to believe that my younger brother is maturing into a lovely young man. To me, he's still that little baby running around calling me "Zey" because he could not pronounce Zeynep. :)

A few days ago I was speaking with Mr. Fitzgerald about not knowing what to get Zeke for his birthday. He told me to wait a minute and he went into his office. He returned with an old sailor's book about how to tie different knots in a rope. At first I was hesitant to accept the book for two reasons. The first, of course, because he wanted to just give me this book without accepting any money in return. And secondly, I didn't have any clue if my brother would be interested in a book on such a topic.

But, Mr. Fitzgerald talked me into it, telling me of his fascination with knots through his entire teenage years. Once he started working on the sea, he memorized all the types of knots he would ever use, and therefore had no more need for this book. So, I purchased some rope and hoped for the best.

And, to my surprise, Zeke loved it! Success on a birthday gift, once again.