Again - thanks for your good wishes on my birthday. Waldie, a cousin, and I were friends in our small high school, where he often played the piano at noon hour. He liked horses, rode one to school and parked it in my Dad's Mom's brother-in-law's barn. He helped his Dad, who was a member of our provincial legislature for several years, operate a timber business, and later began an auction business, from which he retired several years ago. He and his family loved music, and often performed. His son told me, when I spoke of their nobility in having performed while their father and grandfather was dying, that his last verbal communication with his father was that when he told his Dad that they were going to play at the gathering that night, his Dad sat part way up, said, "Good" and smiled. The show must go on. He was a jolly, friendly man, of integrity, who built many friendships, so there was a large crowd in attendance at the visitation and the church was nearly filled this morning for his funeral which included a number of stories about him, the family playing their fiddles, bass, mandolin, autoharp, etc. and singing, and a good deal of laughter, and applause - Waldie wouldn't have wanted it otherwise - and we sang, "What a friend we have in Jesus" and "The battle hymn of the republic". How much happier world ours would be were it peopled by more like he was. We'll miss Waldie at the Old Farts' club ... as we miss others on their departure. I've said sometimes that one of the best tributes that we can pay at the death of someone whom we admire is to examine the things about them that pleased us, tweak one or two of the good things so that they'd fit our lifestyle, and emulate those qualities within our own lives. I had just started down the lunch line ... when I remembered that, having skipped breakfast, and about to have a blood test that required fasting, I was about to misbehave ... so abandoned the line. Haven't et - yet: filled with expectations .... but the belly says, "I don't find them nearly that full-filling" ole joyfuelled

ellen, it should be more clear by replacing "belated" with synonyms "late" or "delayed". If you haven't heard it correctly, that's just how it is with many issues of language grammar when very common or frequent misuse becomes familiar and so they sound more right. And often the misuse becomes accepted use. Not, I suspect, in this case.

Cheryl, no one can keep up with me these days... Oklahoma, Florida, Oklahoma, New Mexico... am in Oklahoma today.... LOL, but leaving in the morning. Thus, Birthday, was in New Mexico this time. Lori baked the cake for me. Next year, I hope to be with Dale. Thanks for the wishes. Moni

In my opinion the best is yet to come. 40 is the beginning of everything, maturity, knowledge, and not giving a d&%$ what anyone else says.