today would be my gramma’s 101st birthday. sadly she is no longer with us to celebrate. however, her spirit lives on in many, many ways. she was an avid airstream traveler so being on the road feels like a sweet homage to her.

above are photos from last month’s surprise 50th anniversary fete my brother, sister-in-law, and moi threw for my parents complete with a mariachi band in oklahoma city. note the tractor pinata hanging from the basketball hoop that i proudly procured for pops. he was such a fan he wouldn’t let the eager children destroy it. instead he wanted to keep it. imagine me explaining to the children, “i’m so sorry, the 70-year-old wants to take it home!”

the lower left photo shows me fetching a ball out of the pool for their darling english bulldog that simply barked at floating balls hoping they would return. auntie k to the rescue as barking at said ball was not terribly effective.

although the event was a month ago, the joy of planning and pulling off a surprise event for such a momentous occasion still makes me smile. i remember a cartoon attached to my childhood fridge of a boy asking his mom and dad, “hey, why aren’t you divorced like all the other kids’ parents?” they made it . . . 50 years of it! not bad considering they married as baby 18-year-olds.

may we all know and experience love. whether it’s a tractor pinata, fellow human being, four-legged friend, or the love of a moment spent doing something deeply meaningful. how’s that for well-being? bisous. x