I figured that someone'd help me out ... if I aster! And thanks for the pics.

And that's a dog-gone great picture,Raven ... even if the dog ain't gone!

Back to the task at hand.

My daughter has spent most of the last 20 years in the U.S., a major portion of it in Phoenix. Her mother was from Iowa, so she has dual citizenship, doesn't have to worry about a green card, as do most Canadians who wish to work there.

She usually comes up for a few days a year, and wrote that she'd be coming up in early August, and that we should celebrate my 90th birthday. I thought that sounded like a great idea ... but then began to have some trepidations about the situation ... as my birthday isn't until January ...

... so I worried that I wouldn't dare die between now and then ... or I wouldn't be fulfilling my end of the bargain!

She flew me to Phoenix for my 80th and we celebrated with a dinner with my brother and sister in law from Saskatchewan and a niece and husband from Georgia. I've managed to keep mobile for (almost) all of the ten years since.

I thought this likely to be a dinner with some family, but no, just a light lunch for people to come and go, and to invite pretty well whomever I chose.

Dad was an only child, so there isn't a large connection there, but Mom had several brothers and sisters so there are quite a few relatives, a number not too far away.

Daughter and recently-married husband had rented a B'nB in the city and I'd invited some from church and some from an investment group I've attended for a number of years, among others. Daughter had attended a few meetings, a number of years ago and she remembered one guy, but he not her ... and another remembered her, but she not him.

I've attended a senior guys' coffee and conversation group at one church on Thursday mornings for years, who later, when one member heard something elsewhere, decided to call the group "ROMEOs", as in "Retired Old Men Eating Out". When I said that it hold be "ROMDOs", as in "Retired Old Men Drinking Out" ... they weren't about to touch that suggestion with a ten-foot pole! I call it the "Old Farts' Club".

Anyway, each month each member who has birthday that month gets a cupcake bearing a candle, and I always hold mine out at arm's length, looking for a bit of fun, for if I blow out the candle, I'm a blowhard ... and if I don't - "so, he bit off more than he could chew, did he?" ... to some laughter, in either case.

The party was on a Saturday afternoon and there were a living room and kitchen joined where most gathered, plus a patio.

When they brought out the cake at the party, the candles said "89.5", so when I told folks about my worries about the premature celebration, I said that I was filled with relief, being thus let off of the hook - and folks got a good laugh out of that!

After the singing of the "Happy Birthday" song, I held out the cake at arm's length, using all five fingers to balance it carefully ... then realized that the numbers were facing me, but the cameras were on the other side, so turned it around ... and blew out all three candles ... to everyone's amusement.

It was to be best wishes only ... with a gift to charity or church if someone felt so inclined. Brother gave me a gift card for a mostly working folks' clothing store ... and here I'd thought that I didn't have a lot of gardening years yet to look forward to. Isn't it nice to have a brother that's so enthusiastic about encouraging one to look forward to greater achievements?

At the coffee hour at one church a week later ... they had another birthday cake, with candles saying "89 1/2", with a small candle of the same colour at an angle ... and four candles to blow out ... which I achieved, while everyone sang "Happy Birthday".

Thanks for your good wishes, everyone!

Should I put 'em in the freezer, to bring out in a few months? It'll most likely be snowy, then, as usual at that time of year.

______________________________

As for the issue about posting - I can make comments, but at the top, all I see about starting one is a box to "Start a discussion", and when I click on it, another box appears where one used to write the body of the thread, so I can write a title and a message.

But when I've finished my message and click on "Submit", I don't see it appear in the Kitchen Table, and if it goes somewhere, I don't know where.

Sort of appears to be a lost cause.

ole joyfuelled