THE BIG SEVENTY HAS COME & GONE

I am officially seventy years old now, but don't feel much older than when I was fifty. True story. I see some differences, however, in my mind, it is about the same. I am very greatfull for that fact!

My darling daughter just absolutely outdone herself, pulling off a Huge Surprise Birthday Party for me! It was an absolute surprise, and I bawled out loud when I realized what was going on. I was in 'total shock'!

A week or so earlier, my sister Sandy called & said 'I am thinking about coming to OKC, so we can celebrate our birthday's together'...I'm thinking it is a great idea....'come on over, it will be nice to spend time together'. (I have four sisters..we all have birthday's in July, except for one. Karel is 7/23, Sandy is 7/24, I am 7/27, & Barbara is 7/29. Pegge is in January.) So, Sandy arrives on Thursday & I cook & we are really enjoying each others company. Friday is her birthday & I invite my niece Sindi to join us for her birthday dinner @ Johnny Corrino's. Fantastic meal (order the Jalapeno Garlic Talapia...to die for). While having dinner, Sindi announces that she has free movie tickets to the Quail Springs Mall theater,(about 25 miles north of our area, however, they must be utilized by the next day.....did we want to go to a free movie? Of course we did! Maybe Vicki & Lauren would like to come along too.....'sure', says Sindi, 'I'll ask them to join us'.

We get home & I call Vicki & invite her & Lauren & she agrees to meet us there, 'but, Mother, we have already made plans to take Rileigh Shea swimming @Paula's pool. "Paula's pool"? You mean 'Paula, who was your bridesmaid when you married John? I didn't know you and Paula were still in touch' 'Oh ya, we still talk all the time' says vicki. 'OK, then we will just meet you @the movies' says I. 'OK, Mother, sounds like a plan'.

Saturday nite Sindi, Sandy, & I meet for dinner & are getting ready to head north to the theater. On the way there, Vicki calls Sindi & says John has already headed home & can we pick her & Lauren up @ Paula's Apt. Complex (a couple miles from the movie theater). OK, now I'm bitchin 'why didn't John just drop them off on his way home' yadda yadda yadda....'Tell Vicki to be outside the clubhouse, & we will pick them up there', I tell Sindi. Sindi's phone rings again & when she hangs up she says 'Paula wants to see you & say hello', so I respond 'oh, that's nice of her, let me put on some lipstick'. We pull into the parking lot, park, & out comes Vicki to greet us........'Oh, Vicki, I love your top' says I. 'Thanks Mom, she replies as we head for the Clubhouse. As we enter the building I see Brittany & Jeff with a video recorder & she is hollering 'Haaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy' & I holler 'Haaayyyyyy' back, still not registering what is going on. I turn & look & see all these Martin's hollering something, AND THEN I SEE MY TWO TWIN NIECES from Texas...my brother eddie & his wife diane.................That is when I realized what was going on. I Just lost it @that point! I just broke down and bawled & bawled the UGLY CRY! When I got my senses controlled, I saw all my old friends & family around me! Doris & all her girls, Anthony Cable, Katy, It was wonderful. THEN, another surprise! I turned and looked @this person, and it took me a minute to figure out who he was...It was Skip Mc Casland, my first Apartment management boss from 1969! We had a great reunion!

Then came a wonderful video put together by Vicki, & Sindi's son Morgan. It was the best gathering ever. I have watched the video every day since then. At the end it says HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I told Vicki she could use the same vidio @my funeral..........just remove 'happy birthday' & replace it with 'Come Up & See Me Sometime !