What a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone in your life, Ed!
Wishing you a very exceptional birthday and blessings that will live on long after the day...
Suzan J

15, no, 11 min. left of being 79 ... here, that is!

Jan. 30 was Pres. F. D. Roosevelt's birthday ... in whose honour March of Dimes was initiated.

o j

I am happy you got to see your family. Happy Birthday Ed, you definitely are 80 years young.

Anne

Thanks, Anne ...

... it's 12:02 here.

o j, O.K.

Congrats, Ed, for making it to 80 with "all your marbles." And THANK YOU so VERY much for posting with your enlightening, encouraging, uplifting thoughts. I'm looking forward to your next decade of posts on the KT! Pat (who lurks a lot)

Welcome aboard, Pat. I'm pleased that you've silently found this place pleasing.

Thanks for speaking up ... and letting us see your pretty eyes!

Your voice sounds too good for you to allow it to be silent around here: I'll bet that you have some useful, wise, interesting things to add to the conversation.

ole joyful

Happy birthday Ed! Sorry I missed it before midnight! I'm so glad you had a wonderful visit with your family! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

Laurel

Today's the day, Laurel - you're near to the first.

Thanks for the good wishes.

How's your Mom?

ole joyful

Happy Birthday Ed. All the best wishes and good health.

Anneliese

Well, I thought I was up early ( for me) and came right here to wish you all the best in your 80's.

What a wonderful surprise for you to have so many of your family with you. Now, if only Bruce could join you as well. Maybe he will have some plans of his own, for you when you get home.

January 30th was my fathers birthday as well.

So glad you are having a good time. Also glad you flew out so you have more time, and I'm sure you are not as tired, either.

Have a good flight home.

I hope you have some pics to show us.
Keep smiling

ivamae

Happy Birthday Ed!

Happy Birthday, Ed, you sweetie, you!!

Happy Birthday Ed. How wonderfuul for you that you had such a nice surprise and such a nice time.

Linda

Have a wonderful birthday.

Happy Birthday Ed!!!

It sounds like you had a marvelous time.

Today would have also been my Daddy's 83rd birthday.

Deb

Ed, Here's wishing you a Happy 80th Birthday. We are blessed to have you here, caring and sharing your knowledge with us. Carol

Wishing you many more happy years, Ed!

Dear Ed,

"Happy 80th!"

Carol from LI, NY

Happy Birthday Ed! Enjoy your family members.

Moni

Ed, what a nice suprise that must have been to see all your family coming to visit.
Have a Happy Birthday.
Leslie

What a great way to celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Ed!

I sure like this one...'Sweet memories are the paradise of the mind'...now if only my mind could remember this for more than a minute. :)

Happy birthday Ed!

Hey Ed, Wishing you a very Happy 80th Birthday!

Loved hearing about your surprise!

Enjoy, Donna (^_^)

Happy Birthday Ed! What a wonderful surprise.

I hope you're taking at least a little time to relax on your trip.

Sue

Sorry I missed it. Happy Birthday and Many More!!!

What a lovely 80th birthday for you! I wish you all the best in your new decade.

(PS...I grew up in Edmonton. Gave me a start to see it in your post)

Happy Birthday Ed!

Sounds like a really great birthday celebration OJ.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Thanks much, everyone.

I was getting some stock quotes when the crowd arrived, and daughter threatened to turn off the power!

I've been "relaxing" by spending more than usual time on KT, via daughter's friend's borrowed laptop ... and having the darndest time to keep from hitting "Caps Lock" about every 2 min. - and you know how annoying that can be!

As for remembering ... I hear that there are pens and paper.

I woke up thinking that I didn't feel any different than yesterday ...

... but then thought that we shouldn't let such an idea have much roosting room - for it might deter us from getting things done today, thinking that there's tomorrow ... however, as one ages, one becomes aware hat the candle shrinks a bit, every day.

hOWEVER - EVEN THE YOUNG ONES HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY DAYS OF CANDLE THERE MAY BE - AS Susan spoke of her son's friend having had her life snuffed out in a car smash on icy road a day or so ago ... and that several of his friends had died recently, some by suicide ... seems here's something of a rash of them there.

Oh, my ... some of that was in a personal message. Peraps I should delete it, but don't think it likely troubling to Susan. Please forgive me if it is, Susan: I feel that the concerns that we have about the troubles coming to our young people made it rather important to share.

I need to close, as we're heading out shortly.

Again, thank you all for your good wishes: I appreciate them.

ole joyful/Ed

Happy Birthday to YOU!

With the exception of a dear Aunt (still going strong at 83), I've never had the opportunity to say Happy Birthday do someone who is 80-years-young!

Hope you have a wonderful day :-)

Maura

*to* not "do"

Happy Birthday Ed! Glad to hear you are having a nice visit with your family!

Oj, you have lots of candles left!

Just try not to burn them at both ends.

Happy 80th.

Sue

Happy B'day ED,hope you have many more wonderful,happy,healthy and prosperous years ahead.
Enjoy your day.
Kathi

Happy Birthday Ed...I am so glad you are having such a great time!!!
Many blessings to you and we'll be looking forward to your great posts for at least another 20 or 30 years :^)

I didn't realize your big trip was in honor of your birthday, and a nice round one at that! Many happy returns of the day, Ed. May you enjoy many more and continue to keep us entertained with your delightful posts for years to come. Safe trip back!
Erin

Happy Birthday! You might want to check out the Money Saving Tips forum also. You sure have a lot of fans/friends/admirers!

Happy Birthday. It sounds like an awesome celebration. I'm glad you're having a great time.

Happy Special Birthday to a very special person! I wish I could convey these wishes in person, as I feel I know you.

Hugs,
SadieSadie

It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. I hope this year treats you well and all your dreams come true. Vique

Happy birthday, Ed. Mark it on your calendar to tell us about your 90th party! It should be a doozy.
Veta

Hello again.

Thank you very sincerely for all of your good wishes.

My brother and wife came down a few days ago and stayed with a retired telephone man who worked as their summer farm helper for several years and has had a trailer in Mesa, then moved to a motel when our brother's daughters arrived yesterday.

They all gave me cards this morning as we gathered, plus one from nephew in Edmonton, who'd loved to have been here, for he loves family gatherings, and sister-in-law in Edmonton, as well.

I worked in a bar 50 miles west of Edmonton for a few years in the early 80s and enjoyed visiting them ... brother had been killed in a vehicle smash a few years before that, when their young ones were teens.

We went out to spend several hours at the Desert Botanical Garden, on the eastern edge of Phoenix ... and saw more varieties of cactus than anyone could conceive of being in existence, I think!

Then went to a lovely restaurant in Mesa for dinner, to be joined by (step)sister and her companion, (and I brought home I think the biggest box of food that they had - wasn't sure which was the biggest - the box, or the pot above my belt.

Then to sis and companion's trailer for birthday cake with 2 candles, an "8" and an "0" ... which I turned around to read "08", but they turned the cake back half way round.

Actually, as most of them were on one end of the table, taking pictures, and I at the other, it did read "08" in my eyes, as I worked on the blowing out. Did someone suggest that a taste of second childhood might be blowing in the wind?

dAUGHTER STOOD BESIDE ME, TO HELP WITH THE BLOWING, SHOULD i BE SHORT OF HOT AIR.

So .. this smart-ass quickly raised his hands, clapped them over the candles ... and blew only one out - so I had to blow the other out by mouth!

After some discussion, and calling some family members who were not present (brother's son in Toronto, recently married) ... we all went back to our lodgings for a well-deserved sleep.

So - I guess that I'd better work on my beauty sleep, right?

See you all tomorrow - we're going to Sedona, possibly Jerome (again). Will see whether I get re-inflated by an energy-vortex in Sedona.

As for relaxing... I'll have 4 hours or so on the plane on Monday ...

... God willing ... and the creek don't rise.

Oh, I forgot - they don't have many creeks around here ... well, there are some, but they are dry, most of the time. Actually, some of the cactuses can store over half a ton of water, they say - enough to last them for year or so.

Even if I had a bath-tub full ... it wouldn't last me nearly that long.

And I'm frugal! [Sorry - wrong forum].

ole joyful

P.S. Have yourselves a happy, wonderful weekend, everyone.

o j

On Saturday we visited Montezuma's Castle (cliffside dwellings of regular aboriginals , not any kings, to preserve all available creek-side land for agricultural production) and Montezuma's well, a pool fed by a warm spring, flowing about a million gallons per (day?) of warmish water, that feeds a nearby stream and irrigation channels.

Nary a hint of anything relative to Montezuma's Revenge, though ... another dimension of life's flow, I guess.

Then lunch in Sedona, with an actor?/waiter, who told niece's husband ordering portebello mushrooms that it took three days to make them ... when diner hoped they'd started a while ago, replied that they had a storage room downstairs in which he could sit to wait.

He picked up my camera, went to head of table, beside railing at side of patio floor, above about 15' drop, lined up a picture. Someone (was it same niece's husband?) said that he should back up a bit ... so he hopped over the railing and, with feet on edge of patio floor, leaning way back, with one hand holding rail ...

... snapped a pic. with other hand!

There were psychics, healers and various other services offered in that fairly major tourist town ... but didn't run into any energy vortices ... at least, didn't feel a lot more energetic on leaving town than on arrival.

Enjoyed visit up steep, winding road to the old copper-mining town of Jerome, visiting artists', painters', stained glass shops, etc. again (but not enthused about fudge at $25.00/lb. ... gold-plated, I think).

On return to Phoenix, some wanted more food, others wondered how they could feel that way, after large meal earlier ... so we visited "Waffle House", for some lunch served jokingly with a jolly waitress.

Visited and went for a walk near daughter's place today, did some shopping (daughter chose crock-pot to add to her kitchen as belated Christmas gift) and had dinner at sister's trailer in Mesa, after seeing nieces off on planes to home.

I have packing to do and fly out tomorrow just before lunch.

It's been a delightful time with much of my close family for the past 3 - 4 days.

I hope that the coming weeks and months are really great for you: enjoy life while you have health and faculties ...who knows how long they (or even life itself) may persist?

ole joyful

I did not take offense, OJ.

I'm glad you had a very Happy Birthday.