Went to a birthday party

He had just turned 100 years old on Wednesday.

Amazing. I started this on Sunday night but was too tired to finish it.

I will post a few pictures later, I am sitting on the deck with my laptop for the first time since last September. It's just beautiful out here. A little messy because all the trees are shedding more little tree seeds for me to kill. It's never ending.

Gord's Uncle Albert turned 100, and we celebrated it in a small town in western Manitoba today. They had a huge turn out and he enjoyed every minute of it. Stories were told, some true, some were tinged with nostalgia more than the truth. I didn't grow up in the community Gord did, so even after being married so long, I am still a bit of an outsider looking in. I know they all ADORE me ...heh..yeah, but it's not like your own family.

I can't believe he still has so many aunt's and uncle's that are still alive...mine are all toast!

We had the best fancy sandwiches, egg, tuna and ham. I love those sammiches. Along with stacks of veggies, and fruit salads. It was like a bridal shower, only better, because the birthday cake was the bomb!! Three kinds. Carrot, Chocolate, and a green one I didn't sample. Just one cake could not hold the candles.

There was an incident.

Yesterday, I went out and bought a new pair of black sandals to wear to the party. They had a heel on them. Mistake number one. I'm used to wearing flat shoes...okay. Then I paired the new sandals up with some "cheaters"....you know those little foot nylons that only come to your knees. They looked really nice with my pants. But, once I slipped on my new Rockport sandals, with the soft slippery sole and leather uppercase... or whathehellever. I felt a little "rocky" when I wore them yesterday for a bit. I was barefoot, so there was no slip sliding going on. This morning, after putting on the cheaters...it was a slippery slope.

Anyway, we sat down at the table.. Gord, myself, his sister Sheila and brother Ron, and I was the last to get up to get some food. Don't you think my left foot snagged the leg of Sheila's chair (she was sitting right beside me)... I knew I was going for a fall...it was like in slow motion...and I was heading right for the "food table." Just before I did a face plant in the fruit salad, I managed to get my right leg stabilized, but my sandal flew off my foot and went spinning in front of my brother in law who watched it twirl around... as he was hanging on to his plate of food, and it finally come to a rest under the table. I had to get down on my hands and knees and get it from under the table...YOU CANNOT TAKE ME ANYWHERE. My ass was hanging out from under a large food table at a respectable Community Centre for the Elderly...

I was so embarrassed. I really was. Here I was doing all these gymnastic moves in front of everyone. Some old people clapped, I think they thought I was the entertainment!

It really was a nice afternoon, meeting so many generations of Gord's family that came to wish "Uncle" a Happy Birthday.

Uncle Albert is Gordon's Godfather. And until today he thought he was the only one. The speaker asked a gentleman to come up to the microphone who was Uncle's oldest God Child. I was watching Gord at the time, and I saw his eyebrows "lift"... and his expression was priceless, I could see he was surprised. So, after the new god child we never knew about did his congratulations to Uncle, I was still watching Gordon. (He was sitting down from me a bit with his brother)...because NOBODY WANTED TO SIT WITH THE WOMAN WHO THROWS A SHOE AT THE DINNER TABLE.

I knew Gord was going to get up and say something, and he did. Don't ever give that guy a microphone...oy...He told his 100 year old God Father how disappointed that he was not the "only God Child"...all in jest however. And went on to thank him for his success in life... Gord's parents were financially unable to help him to go to a Commercial College after high school to take a course in Appliance Repair. Uncle Albert gave him the tuition, and Gord passed his course with flying colours, and he never looked back. And with his first pay cheque after he got a job he started to pay back his uncle for the loan. In those days, I bet it was about 500.00 for tuition...but wages were lower then too. But Gord has been forever grateful, because this is what he has been doing all his life...along with our rental properties etc.

Then, another lady came up on the stage and said she was Uncle's God Daughter! Then many more started to congregate.................It seems Gord was over numbered at the end. He always thought Uncle was his only God Poppa.. Everyone had a great time with that. It wasn't supposed to be part of the program that was arranged, it just started to generate a life of it's own. And it was hilarious at the end....there were 5 of them! Most of them not aware of the other. Albert's son, who threw this party never expected this to happen, so they did a little photo shoot of all the God Kids. Gord is the one beside his beautiful cousin Janet on the left, and the guy beside him is the one we don't even know but for some reason they look like they are related...that started the frackis in the first place..then his cousins Orlean and Cora.

Happy Birthday Uncle Albert.

A funny story emerged later, when Gord's Auntie Hattie had the microphone. She was regaling all sorts of stories from the past, and Albert was just laughing. He hadn't really stood up to make a formal speech yet but after she spoke he asked his son for the microphone when she was finished.
Just a note..Hattie is his deceased wife sister... He said "Hattie" I remember when we had our son (they only had one) that you didn't like any names we chose for our boy....you were so scared we would call him Jake, or Abe or some dumb name...so we named him Elmer. Are you happy? HAAAAA I just about pissed my pants.

He is something else, and he only gave up his drivers licence last year at 99 years old.....and was a little pissed off because he had never ... ever had an accident. His son convinced him at the same time to move to an assisted living home, because he was still living in the house he and his wife had for 40 years. So, he has had to make a few changes this last year, but he seems to be taking it in stride. It's like his son said..."you just have to make sure it seems like it was his idea" and he will abide by it. Yet doesn't want to let go of his own power and choices. I can see that, because he still is very able to make them. He is sharp as a knife.

Gord's still pissed off....he thought he was SO SPECIAL! He will get over it..heh.