THE BIG 60 SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY...(CONTINUED)

I know I look like Jabba the Hut in this picture, but it was the only decent photo of my wild child Genn and that would be her hubby Steve in the background probably thinking,

"Gee, Linda looks like Jabba the Hut".

Genn has some medical miseries following her around at times, so she wasn't dancing on the tables or swinging from the chandeliers this time around,

but come hell or high water

she made it to my 'surprise' Birthday Party! Now that is a friend, indeed!

I cannot describe the beautiful mysterious 'woman' art prints she chose for me

nor describe what a special story each one brought with it here

but those fantastic 'fantasy' prints are gracing the walls of

my upstairs retreat and they bring me joy everyday.

Thank you for being such a special angel in my life...

even if you are a little devil.

PS - You too Steve...you're an angel (devil) too. ha ha

Hope we get to take a ride this next Sunday to explore

anywhere but 'Dodge' for a day.

Live to Ride and Ride to Live!

That's 'Doctor' Ericksen to you sir!

It was so amazing to walk into the room and see my super pal Karen

with those big blue eyes on high beam, and flashing that school girl smile at me!

She drove all the way from Visalia for a very short visit...and by the next time I see her

I may have to start 'groveling' or something in pure awe.

She is but a smidgen away from picking up that PhD and hopefully,

some new digs up here in the Oregon 'green' so we can hang out more regularly, but she does have a 'sweet' condo on the Kaweah River in Three Rivers (just below Sequoia National Park)

so I'm trying to figure out what we can do to find her a little paradise up here and keep that 'nugget' there...as it will look pretty inviting come next winter's gloom and doom!

A lot of folks best friends wouldn't walk across the street in someone's honor,

so Karen's trip to Oregon just to celebrate this old lady's crossing the

Senior Line for good...

is about as cool as it gets in my opinion.

Special smooches and hugs to (ta da) soon to be Doctor Ericksen! Whoo Hoo!

Now here is the most 'secretive' of my brood, Lindsay...and doesn't she just look like the 'cat that swallowed the canary' at being able to shock the hell out of me

TWICE in the SAME WEEKEND with that good 'secret keeping'

she's so famous for?

Although I know that Wendy and Lindsay were "in charge" of getting

everything pulled together and done to make the party so

perfect...from the venue... to the food... to the 60's decorations... to the guest list...

they are both such 'class acts' they gave their brothers credit too...

(even though their brothers DID provide great entertainment).

Here is the image of a 'can do' woman...

and she does it all (runs and business, a family and a home)

with two babies on her hip

all day long.

Thanks for the Great day you 'gutsy' broad you!

I think my kid Joey looks like John Lennon here, don't you?

Only our Joey is 'cooler' than John Lennon...but a slightly less rich I believe.

Fortunately, his new bride Nicole...looks nothing like Yoko Ono...but more like a page out of a high fasion magazine! It was a long drive from Idaho to the Oregon Coast for a couple who had to be back at work early Monday morning, but what a shock and surprise that they made it, and what an awesome 'birthday present' to have some time with them...

..and their wedding photos of the bride and groom and the family as my Birthday Present?

Priceless!

The Denisons are very close to us here in Toledo, and each one is a treasure.

From right to left is Don (the Dad), Carson (works for us and is our little piglet), Rhonda (the Mom) who helps us with Aunt Faye on Monday and Fridays (godsend), and Savannah (who looks great in camis and kicks butt in the rough and tumble too), on the end is our son-in-law Will and we think of him as another one of our 'sons' because he looks out for us and helps us so much too...he's one of those men who can do everything...excellently!

Thank you guys for making my surprise birthday party soo freaking special!

The beautiful fresh flower bouquet was so awesome

I think it is drooping and dried up in the kitchen window still...

but I haven't had the heart to throw it away yet.

Hugs to the whole bunch of you!

My pal Rhonda Denison and our daughter Wendy could have 'fit right in' to one of my

60's hey days but were born a little late for all that drama.

The photo here turned out a little on the light side,

but it matched my heart on that 'party day' because nothing is

sweeter than being surrounded by my children, grandchildren and dearest pals in the world.

I am one super 'blessed' Mama and appreciate you all more than you will ever know!

THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES AND SLOPPY SMOOCHES AND BIG BEAR HUGS TO ALL!