19 September 2013

Happy birthday Hanno

Happy birthdaHanno!


Hanno is 73 years old today. An oldie but a goodie. I took this photo of him last week at the Brisbane Writers Festival while we were waiting for our coffee.

I have no doubt that I'd be living a very different life if Hanno was not my husband. I think I'd still be living sustainably according to simple values, but my life would be not as rich as it is now. He makes that possible. We make a good team. My failings are his strengths and I am strong where he is weak. We make our simple life work well because we're not shy of hard work, and we focus our work on shared values and goals.

Now, before you think it's all too good to be true, we argue about our differences, we're not afraid to tell each other exactly what we feel and I have to tell you that he has made some big mistakes. I, on the other hand, have been on the verge of perfect for quite a few years. Ahem. ;- )  What keeps us together is love and respect, with a healthy dash of tolerance thrown in for good measure.

I think people, in general, get a raw deal in today's world. We no longer have that casual respect that we used to have for everyone else, whether we knew them or not. I think it's shameful how certain parts of the media generalise and criticise those in the spotlight. Women are attacked for not fitting someone else's view of how they should look and dress. But I want to focus on men here. When I see how men are portrayed in advertising now I think it's demeaning and rude. Many advertisements show men as being really stupid. That kind of one-size-fits-all thinking shames all of us. I know not all men are wonderful, but there are many good men out there and we need to acknowledge that.

I wish we lived in a kinder world where people don't want to show themselves as being better than those around them. I want all of us to be understanding and considerate because when I see men devalued, I feel that somehow devalues Hanno and all the other good men too. I don't want men who read here to feel disrespected. I want your father, husband or partner to feel proud of who they are and what they do as family men and workers. I want my sons and your sons to feel the same. I want Jamie and Alex to grow up in a world where we're all treated equally and fairly.  As a woman, I want that same social acceptance for myself and other women too. Surely we all want the same thing.

But let me stop this rant and get down from my soapbox. Hanno birthday Hanno. I hope we have another 20+ years ahead of us. Let's blow the budget today and go out for lunch.

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86 comments

  1. Happy Birthday Hanno! Same age as my dear Dad! :) xxx

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  2. Wish Hanno a very happy birthday from me too. He looks good for 73. Your relationship with your hubby is a bit like ours. We compliment each other.

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  3. I Hear you and often feel the same way, I also have a wee son.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNO!

    KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK, Rhonda!

    X

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  4. Happy birthday to your lovely husband.

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  5. Happy 73rd Birthday Hanno ~

    It's always a joy Rhonda to see a couple who love, respect and work hard together to make their life a good one for them. Thank you for being an inspiration to so many.

    Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  6. Happy Birthday dear Hanno!!!!! Best wishes for a healthy year filled with the love and admiration of your family :)

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  7. Happy birthday Hanno! Enjoy your day,
    Melindi

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  8. Men are extremely lovely , special people...whether it is dads or husbands or brothers or uncles - they make life so much better . When you talk about Hanno , the thing that come out is that he is so very supportive of the life you lead and that you are in this together.I don't think ads portray any one portion of the community correctly...at the moment there are all these ads with teachers with headaches from teaching children taking panadol - teaching children does not give you a headache in real life.

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  9. Many happy returns for Hanno!!!

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  10. Die allerherzlichsten Glueckwuensche zum Geburtstag Hanno!!!

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  11. Happy birthday to Hanno.

    I couldn't agree more with your post. Both men and women need to rediscover themselves and what they truely should be, and be respected. There isn't enough respect today.

    Hope you enjoy your birthday lunch.

    Pat in the UK

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  12. Good Morning Rhonda. Happy Birthday Hanno! What a lovely post, full of love and respect for your husband. I agree, the media does portray men as being dumb, I particularly hate the ad where the men all meet at a resort and pretend to be surprised. Cringe! I watched about ten minutes of 'The Bachelor' last night, don't know how that gets to be on tv. Have a great day, and enjoy that lunch! Kathryn xo

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  13. Hello Rhonda,
    Best wishes to Hanno, did you know he was born on a Wednesday?

    Love Angela
    (South England) UK

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  14. You can tell just to look at Hanno that he is a gem. Just a wonderful guy to know and I'm sure a great guy to be married to. We all need to respect and be kind to one another.......good character qualities seem to slip away more and more. I like the movie The Help. She tells the little girl she is kind, she is good, she is important. Oh, if only we all talked to each other this way. A Happy Birthday to Hanno and a wonderful celebration to you both.

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  15. Beautiful. THAT is love. Love goes through the processes of ups, downs, developments and hard moments (really hard moments sometimes). Your love for Hanno is as great as your respect. I hope my marriage withstands all that the world will throw at it, and, that we can still be happy in eachothers' company in 40 years. Thank you Rhonda and Hanno, you are an inspiration.

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  16. Many happy returns, Hanno, hope you have a lovely day.

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  17. Happy Birthday, hope you have an enjoyable day surrounded by the love of family & friends
    Sending our love your way,
    Ann & Don Todkill

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  18. Lovely post.

    Happy birthday Hanno!

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  19. Happy Birthday Hanno! Rhonda - it feels wonderful when you find your true soulmate. No it doesn't mean there's never a misunderstanding or difference of opinion, but that you've married a wonderful person who as you mentioned is strong where you're weak and vice versa. Someone with whom you relish spending your life through better or worse - it seems the "better" always outweighs the "worse". I know I have that with RancherMan and I can't imagine where I'd be without his wonderful strength, talent and mutual respect!

    ~Taylor-Made Ranch~
    Wolfe City, Texas

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  20. Happy birthday Hanno, I hope you both enjoy your lunch - have a great day, Deb M

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  21. Wishing you a happy birthday and a healthy year. Renee. USA

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  22. Happy Birthday, Hanno.

    What a great post too, Rhonda. I dream for a kinder world and agree there are some wonderful men out there, that we should be more understanding and respectful of all. I had all boys and from an early age could see that even young girls considered boys as stupid; very sad indeed.

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  23. Happy birthday Hanno! Hope you have a lovely day and year and thank you for being such an inspiration.
    Dilkara

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  24. Happy Birthday Hanno! I too have a good man who balances me and as we are in our mid 40s look forward to a few more decades together!

    Hanno-enjoy every moment of the love and appreciation that comes your way today-you deserve it. XXXXX

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  25. Happy Birthday Hanno. Hope you two have a wonderful day. Great post. Rhonda, I couldn't agree more!
    Love Julia in Bowen x

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  26. Happy Birthday Hanno...you birthday is a few months ahead of my 73d. You and Rhonda exude contentment...may you have many more years together!
    Willemina

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  27. Happy Birthday Hanno. Have a fantastic day.

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  28. Happy Birthday Hanno, hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your lunch!

    I agree with you Rhonda regarding the way men are portrayed in advertising, it stinks I feel! I am blessed to have been married to my gorgeous husband for nearly 40 years and he is and always has been a real treasure! He is currently supporting me through chemo and I have to say he is amazing!Don't get me wrong, he can be frustrating at times but ......... I would be lost without him! Love him dearly, as obviously you love your dear Hanno too!

    Have a wonderful day

    xx

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  29. Happy birthday Hanno. Wonderful post Rhonda. I agree, men are portrayed as stupid by the media and it is unfair. I have a wonderful husband, three gorgeous sons and a scrumptious grandson. The men I know are nothing like the stereotypes. They are all individuals and deserve to be loved and admired.

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  30. Happy Birthday Hanno, he has been through a lot the last several months,. i am so happy he is A respected husband, father, and opa in your home. God bless you both!

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  31. Happy Birthday you good lookin' dude you! As my mom would say, "that is 73 years young." Wow! My husband lives with a 'perfect' person too. LOL

    You are right Rhonda, men do get a bad rap thanks to one of many fall outs from the feminist movement.

    May you both enjoy another wonderful day together.
    blessings, jill
    ps. Hanno, that deep blue (at least on my monitor) is a great color on you.

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  32. Happy Birthday Hanno. I hope you enjoy your birthday as much as I will enjoy mine today.

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    1. Happy birthday to you too, Dee. We hope you have a lovely day.

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  33. Happy Birthday to Hanno. I hope you two enjoyed a lovely lunch together.
    I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts today, Rhonda. So often when I'm looking for a humorous greeting card for a male I think all they are capable of is operating the remote and passing gas. At least that seems to be what the writers of the cards seem to think.

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  34. Happy Birthday Hanno, hope you both have a wonderful day. I agree with all you say about men Rhonda. So under appreciated in this age of equality and polital correctness. Sadly I lost my beautiful soulmate three years ago after 30 years of marriage and we truly appreciated and respected each other every moment of that 30 years.

    Enjoy your lunch!

    Best wishes Dawn

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  35. The media show no respect for anyone. I sometimes really grit my teeth at comments on clothing. How many ways can you drape material after all? And who cares? Maybe we can all show respect for each other and stop buying magazines. Probably one targeted magazine a month would do it.
    Can't believe it is a year since Hanno's last birthday. We have another German friend who has his birthday today so won't he be surprised when I remember?
    JillN of Laidley

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  36. Many happy returns of the day to Hanno!

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  37. Happy Birthday Hanno from me too! I hope you enjoy your lunch even though it will blow the budget :-) If the weather at Landsborough is anything like ours here on the Darling Downs it should be a beautiful day.

    Rhonda, your post is inspirational as usual. One thing I have noticed over the last twenty years or so is the gradual lack of respect for others.

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  38. Happy Birthday, Hanno!!!!

    I feel the same way about respect. Everyone just wants to fulfill their dreams and be happy. It's not hard to acknowledge and celebrate everyone, be inclusive, just love. And it's more fun!

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  39. Happy birthday Hanno! Go out for lunch and enjoy everything!
    Love from Rose, Tony, Mavis, Charlie & Big Bill

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  40. Just popping by to say Happy Birthday Hanno! I hope lunch was extra special!

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  41. Happy Birthday dear Hanno...
    Lovely tribute to your hubby, Rhonda Jean
    and as always, honest!!!

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  42. Many Happy Returns Hanno. I hope you had a really lovely day.

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  43. Happy Birthday Hanno! Hope you have a great day and many more happy years!

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  44. Happy birthday Hanno! Today is our twentieth wedding anniversary and I couldn't agree more with Rhonda's comments about teamwork, respect and tolerance. David lets me be me, and encourages it. I work hard to do the same for him. We embrace many of the same values you do...he's outside clearing the trenches for our irrigation system and I'm delighted that we've got the first tomato flower in our greenhouse. Many returns of the day to you Hanno, and happy anniversaries to us all!

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    1. Happy 20th anniversary to you both. Congratulations on your first tomato flower as well. :- )

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  45. Rhonda, best, if belated, happy birthday wishes to your fine partner Hanno, from another Virgo.

    Your tribute to the value of companions, love, and how any of us folks can enrich our lives by being kind and respectful of each other is beautifully put. Every year I become more aware of how together we are quite different than we are when we choose isolated outposts of varying beliefs.

    Cheers.

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  46. Happy birthday Hanno.
    Have a great day.

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  47. Birthday Wishes, Hanno, across many seas. It is so lovely to grow old together, you and your best friend. Hope your day was a joy and fun for all!

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  48. Happy Birthday Hanno! Many happy returns of the day!!!

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  49. Happy Birthday Hanno, you certainly have my respect as does Rhonda. I am single and people sometimes assume I do not respect/like men which makes me sad, there are so many lovely men in this world.

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  50. Happy Birthday, Hanno! Wishing you all the best and hoping that you had a nice day spent with your family!
    Tanya.

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  51. Wishing you a happy birthday Hanno, with many more to come!

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  52. Happy Birthday Hanno,
    I hope you have a lovely lunch together.
    Rhonda,
    lack of respect is prevalent in a lot of areas these days unfortunately.

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  53. Wishing Hanno a most Happy Birthday!

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  54. Happy Birthday Hanno and many happy returns. Enjoy your day and your lunch out. Lors

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  55. Happy Birthday, Hanno! Have a lovely day out and enjoy your special day.

    Cheers - Joolz xx

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  56. Happy Birthday , hope you have a great day with many more special ones to come xxx

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  57. Lieber Hanno,
    herzlichen Glueckwunsch zum Geburtstag und viele Gruesse aus dem Rheinland! Hilde

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  58. I have no idea why the winds carried me to this site. But they did and I find myself in a new place. Firstly Happy Birthday Hanno. Funnily enough my daughter turns 23 today and I sent birthday wishes via facebook; she's chasing the Northern Lights and just left Bremen in Germany. Hanno looks fantastic for his age; congrats. Love the sound of your book and will look out for it in Dymocks. I agree with your sustainability ethos. We've been living as long as I can remember with a low carbon imprint. My hubby bought a Prius back in 2006 - I think that was the first model. Anyhow, climate change exists. It's frightening. We own good agricultural land and Australia needs to begin valuing this over all else.
    We're losing our farmers, buying cheaper imports -I could go on and on. Nice to meet you.

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    1. Nice to meet you too, Through my Kitchen Window. Welcome. Yes, he does look good for his age. He'll like reading that too. ;- ) We currently have a Camry Hybrid. It's the best car we're ever had. Certainly the way to go now.

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    2. Got up this morning, casually glanced at my blog and my eyes nearly fell out. Never had so many daily views. Checking the stats I see you're the reason why all the sudden traffic has appeared. Thanks for the mention rhonda jean. It's even better to know that loads of people are interested in reading, sharing and learning about how to enhance their life through simplicity and sustainability.Keep up the important work! Mariana x

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  59. Gosh, Hanno looks really good for 73, I'd say he's a bit of a babe! And a REAL man too, congratulations Hanno, happy birthday and thanks for being Rhonda's right arm

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  60. Oh, a most happy birthday to you, Hanno! Wishing you a year full of health, love, and happiness!
    -Jaime

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  61. Happy birthday to Hanno! May he garden happily for many more years. I wholeheartedly agree with you comments on valuing the men in our life. I've lost count of the number of times I heard fellow office workers (women) put down their boyfriends or husbands, as if they are some morons who burden their life. Sure, some men fit that description, but in general I found lots more men are hardworking, grounded, practical and smart. Not to mention protective and caring. Well I do hope you blew the budget on a royal feast, you certainly deserve it :)

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  62. Oh, you are both so very nice I feel like you are a part of my family. I want to wish you both a very happy day, you are an amazing couple. Have a great romantic lunch together, 73 seems an exciting age.

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  63. Happy birthday Hanno - have a good one!
    1 month younger than me - it must have been a good year!!
    Us golden dragons!!!

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  64. Happy Birthday, Hanno! Rhonda, I rarely comment, but I love love love your blog! All the best to both of you! xx

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  65. Looking good Hanno! Many birthday congratulations from Sweden. Aren´t these golden years wonderful? And what a great team you and Rhonda make. Keep up the good work and keep on being an inspiration to your many virtual friends around the globe.

    Ramona

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  66. What a wonderful post. You are so totally correct. I've been married for 31 years this year and don't get me wrong, my husband is far from perfect, but then again so am I. We too work good as a team, have our differences but work together very well. I've seen so many marriages not work out, and I sometimes think, it is due to lack of respect and people not really living in the real world, they make life more complicated than it needs to be and seem to live in a fairy tale state. Life shouldn't be complicated, if it is then I believe we end up taking a lot for granted and don't appreciated what it truly important. Hope the day was a special one.
    Canadian Country Gal.

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  67. Happy birthday Hanno!

    Rhonda, I agree wholeheartedly with you about the way men are portrayed and the general disrespect that is shown to everyone. Men are not idiots, nor are women. Each person is a unique being, created with qualities and giftings different from one another. I love that we are not all clones of each other!

    Enjoy that lunch out!

    Deanna

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  68. Happy Birthday Hanno.
    Fantastic post today, Rhonda. Totally agree with your comments. I, too am one of the lucky ones with a good fella.
    Maddie

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  69. Happy Birthday Hanno! You have a great gift here: a loving and devoted wife! Both of you have a very happy day enjoying the birthday celebration.

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  70. Zum Geburtstag viel Glück!
    Happy birthday, Hanno! And many happy returns. I keep my fingers crossed that you und Rhonda still have many, many happy years together. Enyou the day, relax for a bit and have fun!
    Best wishes from the South of Germany. Heike.

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  71. Robert & Tracey FultonSeptember 19, 2013 11:49 pm

    Happy Birthday Hanno. Have a fantastic day.

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  72. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Hanno and many happy, healthy returns.

    About how men are portrayed : I couldn't agree more !!!

    Have a great day.

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  73. Happy birthday to Hanno .... he looks great and younger than he is! Happy life to you two, Rhonda, simple life and the ability to recognize which are the great value in our lives is one of the most important thing. I live in a town, that's mainly 'cause of the children school and University...... my greatest wish is to live the whole year in our holiday home, in the suburbs of a small village, where life has a human dimension. Take care, Clara.

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  74. Birthday greetings to Hanno,great name by the way.

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  75. Happy Birthday Hanno! Alles gute zum Geburtstag! Mein Mann und zwei meiner Freundinnen haben auch am 19.9 Geburtstag. Sie sind heute 45, 40 und 39 Jahre alt! Bei uns in Österreich ist Noch der 19!

    My husband and two of my friends were Born on the 19th too! They are 45,40 and 39 years old today. In Austria it is still the 19th of September!

    Liebe Grüsse, Tina

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  76. A very happy birthday to Hanno!
    I wish you both many more happy healthy years together (in Belgium it is still the 19th of September too ;-)

    Love your blog and especially appreciate your new posts about starting a veggie patch ... Hope to start one next spring. Thank you!

    Wendy

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  77. Just read this and thought I had missed wishing you a happy birthday, but I beleive that here in Canada it IS your birthfay today! Happy Birthday!

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  78. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNO!
    hope you had a wonderful day!

    selina from kilkivan qld

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  79. Happy Belated Birthday Hanno. I hope that you had a fantastic day.

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  80. Sorry this wish is a wee bit late
    I didn't really forget the date
    I've just been busy and not online
    so I hope your day turned out just fine
    Happy Belated birthday Hanno.

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  81. A very Happy Belated Birthday, Hanno!! I hope your day was wonderful!! Many blessings!

    Debbie
    Central Illinois

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