Happy birthday, Mom

Here she is at our house in Tennessee with her boyfriend of 67 years, my dad, on his 94th birthday, in the fall of 2004.

He died six months later, and since then she's been reinventing herself: new car, redone house, new sun room, more African violets, more time for her card groups.

But she's never left his side. For her, he's still there every day -- I'm sure including Saturday night, when Ray and Shirley took her out for an 87th birthday dinner.

Bless them for that. I would have done it if I'd been there -- I do miss being there for her so much. I need to get this house finished, and get back up north for a while.