The Slow Lane

Even though we had a big family celebration of my birthday earlier, I had more help to celebrate on and beyond October 28th. There were the phone calls. I talked to Dwanda, Kim, Calvin, and Mom. I talked to Helen and Mary Catherine and to Sarah and Emma. Emma explained that she was calling to tell me happy birthday on my “real” birthday.

Lucinda helped me celebrate on Wednesday when we went to Shatley Springs for lunch. In case you haven’t been or just like to hear about it again, here is what they served and it was seconds on anything we wanted more of: Country ham with red eye gravy, fried chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, slaw, apples, rutabegas, biscuits and cornbread. Desert was blackberry cobbler with ice cream.   We really enjoyed that lunch.  It was certainly the biggest lunch I’ve eaten in a long time and at suppertime I came as close as ever to skipping a meal.  We had a small salad.

October 28th is a shared birthday.  My cousin, Penny, was born the same day and same year.  My next door neighbor in Raleigh, Ben, shares the same birthday and my next door neighbor in the mountains, Billy, shares the same birthday.  On Thursday, Lucinda and Sybil took Billy and me to dinner at the Bluffs Lodge restaurant on the Parkway at Doughton Park.  I’ll spare you the details this time, but it was another big and delicious meal.

Next week, I’m invited to Helen’s for another birthday meal.  I’m looking forward to continuing my celbration then.

On Sunday, the 25th, Lucinda and I rode on the Parkway and took pictures along the way.  We enjoyed seeing the fall colors along the way and the picnic lunch we took with us (eating is one of my favorite parts of birthday celebrations).  On our previous trip to the mountains 3 weeks earlier, the color was just begining.  This time the peak color was past and many trees had dropped all their leaves.  I’ll post some of those photos later.

While still enjoying Calvin’s visit, we had Mom, Helen and her family, and Sarah and Emma for dinner on Saturday night.  After a wonderful dinner, I noticed Helen gave Sarah a head nod and they went outside.  I thought there must be something they are transferring from one to  the other without the kids involvement.  Shortly, they came back in and started singing “Happy Birthday” and suddenly it dawned on me that my birthday coming up on the 28th must be the occasion.  Sure enough, Kids and Grandkids came into the room with a birthday cake bearing two number candles indicating “70″.  By that time, the song had gotten to the line “Happy Birthday dear ‘Grandpa/ Daddy/ Ken [husband]/ Kenneth/ [son]/ Ken [brother]/ Ken [father-in-law]‘” and I was surprised. 

There were presents, too!  70 nails and 70 bandaids, 70 fig newtons and 70 pieces of peanut brittle, a very nice birthday card and a book signed by the author, Gwen Ifill.  Emma picked out the roofing nails and counted them out.  The 70 bandaids seemed like a good idea to  go  with the nails.  Mary Catherine knew I like fig newtons (and she does too).  Jay knows I like peanut brittle and he added some special touches to my birthday card.  Wow, what more could a 70-year old Grandpa wish for?

Mom has been looking at the calendar and seeing my birthday coming up on the 28th and saying “I can’t believe you are going to be 70 years old.  It just blows my mind.”  On the way back to Sunrise, she said, “It’s not everyone who gets to help their son celebrate his 70th birthday.”  Mom and Calvin were the only ones besides me who were surprised.  Having them both there just made it more special. 

Traveling in  the “Slow Lane” is just the right perspective to take advantage of being Grandpa and enjoying the time I share with my three special grandchildren.  I’m creating good memories for my old age.  Thanks to Sarah for the pictures.