Okay, here goes. You have all been so patient, well almost all of you.:-)

First, thanks to ALL of you for making this b-day extra special. I've gotten to where I just don't expect too much, having a quiet day with a few cards and phone calls is fine. This thread got me off to a really great start; thanks, jaze! Also, I would love to accept the offers of lunch from those who so kindly offered, someday, and, LOUIE ROY, I want that ice cream cake, melted or not!**BG** Midchuck, I'll bet your flowers would've smelled a LOT better. I am sorry I am not responding by PM to each and every one of you. You are all very dear to me and I feel blessed by your presence in my life.

My actual birthday was very nice. For the first time in we-can't-remember-when, all four of my siblings and I were together for one of our birthdays. AND, we were all very pleasant to one another! Mom would've been so proud. It made my day!

Rue had to work, so that morning, Rog and I did a bit of cleaning and I supervised him mixing up and baking the cake. One of my first phone calls was very odd, at first. I said "hello, hello?" and heard no-one, then I heard a voice in the background singing "Happy Birthday" then in the foreground I heard what sounded like a foghorn clearing its throat, then a sort of bitten-off articulation of Happy Birthday. It was JenEllen and her dog, Angus, singing in my day for me. He even told me he "wuvs me!" It had me in stitches. That dog needs to get an agent; I'm telling ya he could be a star!

I had a great visit with my son in WY and my daughter and grandsons in CT. Rue came home and began to frost the cake, by this time. I found out later that she'd rushed into a c-store, picked up M&Ms to decorate it with, as that was the closest thing they had to cake decorations. Then she went to work, laid them all out on a sheet of paper, by colour, and worked out the cutest design. She used the orange ones to outline a rectangle, filled that in with the blue ones, then used the greens and others to make two flowers coming out of the "vase." She had just enough left to spell "LUV U" along the side. Good thing her job doesn't require much of her attention.:-)

My siblings came over, we had pizza, salads, then cake and sat around, visited, and played with my grandson. I even played the dulcimer in a vain attempt to get him to sleep. With three great-aunts, a great-uncle, gramps and gramma, plus mom, there was no way that kid was going to go to sleep; he didn't want to miss out on anything!

I received a wonderful book of James Herriot's stories for children and bet gave me a wonderful book and CD set called "Log Cabin Songs" by Wayne Erbsen and Laura Boosinger from Native Ground Music. She warned me that she'd listened to it, first. Yesterday, I went to put it on my CD player and the case was empty. Laughed our arses off over that one. She'd left it in her player. Posted it to me yesterday and I now have it in hand.

I also received some other phone calls, emails, and PMs from Mudcatters, dear to my heart, all of them. After the past couple of weeks, losing Rick, my aunt, my journalism mentor and a few other upsets, this was just the antidote to get me back in balance. When I retired for the night, I felt so relaxed and happy, then Rog came to bed, too, and, well....just use your imagination...it was all good!

Thanks a million, Everyone!! And, thanks for being here, too. (I am sorry I haven't responded to you each, individually.)

luvyakat