Birthday!

Little Man had a really cool birthday yesterday...note the Hollywood sunglasses and the "motorcycle". He couldn't carry all of his gifts at one time and we kept having to pick stuff up that he'd dropped.

                               

The green thing at his right hand is Wally. Wally is not in very good health - he's had several surgeries and is on his last leg. Daughter and I have both searched the internet looking for another but evidently Wally was one of a kind. He's a floppy hippo with tusks. Ducky, in his left hand, is not in much better shape. His beak is in tatters and will probably fall off with the next washing.

I have a story to tell. I was born in Memphis, TN...my parents lived in Tunica, MS, just by Memphis. We later moved to Kennett, MO, in the Bootheel of Missouri. When I started school, I became fast friends with some of my school mates. One of them was named Patricia Ann and one was Jacqueline Ann. My name is Patricia Ann. All three of us were born on May 31, 1949. All of us were born in Memphis in the same hospital, and we all had the same baby doctor. Patricia Ann's mother was our Girl Scout leader, from Brownies to Seniors. We all camped together, went to school together, had huge birthday parties together and generally acted like one big family. When I went to work at the state school for the severly handicapped, Patricia's mother was head teacher there. There was never a kinder, nicer and sparkier person in the world. She passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

I would hope that you all have the opportunity to know and love somebody like Mrs. Parmenter. She was a true inspiration and guide. She had a wonderful knack of living life to the fullest. She will be sadly missed.