Happy birthday, dear Reffard

I ordered this in early August, and it was pure luck that it finally arrived two days before Ref's birthday.

It's bronze, 8 by 8, and about 3/8 inch thick. Though I've since found the house is about 20 years older, at least what's on the plaque reflects the Historic Architecture Commission records.

I went over at breakfast time Saturday to give it to Ref, and he wasn't quite up, but asked if I could come back around noon.

I did, and he was sleeping. He woke up, though, when he heard Dollie mentioning my name, and asked me to come on in.

I told him the plaque would always be his -- of course it would live at our front door at some point -- and propped it up on a cabinet at the foot of his bed. I haven't seen that big a grin in a long time.