Surprise!

(Rob:) It's been quite a whirlwind day for us here at stately Smith Manor. Our good friend and frequent blog gueststar Beth (see yesterday's post for some pictures of her beautiful flower garden) turned 40 this week, and her husband Bill decided to throw a surprise party! He conspired with the manager of a restaurant down on the Plaza to have a room set up for a large group of Beth's friends and family, some coming in from Topeka, her hometown. Susan and Beth were already planning to go out for dinner and a movie, and while they were enjoying some guacamole dip the rest of us filed in to her great surprise!

Here's the guest of honor surrounded by her admirers:

Tessa Jean decorated with some "40" confetti:

After the bash, we went back to Beth's house and let the kids play. Here's Sam with the biggest red ball ever:

Abbey, Kathleen and Tessa Jean

Tessa seems to be doing well with her leg, maybe TOO well, as we keep reminding her to use her crutches like her doctor ordered. All along since January she's gradually become more mobile and less encumbered in going from wheelchair- to walker- to crutches- to one crutch-, to finally NO crutches. This is the first time she's had to regress a little bit and go back to using crutches. It's important because she has five holes in her femur where the pins used to be drilled in, and any one of them could potentially be a site of fracture if she twisted the wrong way or suffered some external impact.

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• Daily Obscure Song Lyric (from guest trivia host Grampa Smith, in town to watch the Cardinals repeatedly beat the K.C. Royals)

"In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughing little girl that he was swinging.
And I stopped beside a Sunday school
And listened to the songs they were singing.
Then I headed down the street,
And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringing,
And it echoed through the canyon
Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday."

-- Wednesday's answer: "Ramblin' Man" by Waylon Jennings (1974)

No-prize to Buck Owens (who was also at the party tonight!)

• Daily Movie Quote:
"And the last thing he said to me, "Rock," he said, "sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock," he said, "but I'll know about it and I'll be happy." "

-- Wednesday's answer: "Rio Bravo" (1959)

(No correct guesses)

Comments

[Gramma Judy]

Please give Beth my belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes. She is a very special lady. :-)

Sounds like the party was a great success. I am
always impressed when husbands plan parties for
their wives. That's neat stuff.

Having just unpacked last night, I now must re-pack for tomorrow's early morning departure for
Denver. I should just keep a packed suitcase ready to go!

Not much news here -- today will just be another getting ready to go day.

I hope you had a great weekend, and I hope Cody was able to get a truck so they are moving today.

Hugs to all ...
Love,
Gramma Judy