Celebrating Eighty Years of Life

We left the lake and drove 2 hours over to Charlevoix, where 80 close friends and family gathered to celebrate the 80th birthday of my Oma Dale, who knew this roast or toast to her was being planned but didn't know any of the details.

She was picked up in a limousine, brought to her favourite restaurant where all of the party lined a red carpet to receive her. She was serenaded with an a capella rendition of Sinatra's I Did It My Way, roasted and toasted with memories shared by friends as far back as her elementary days, and watched a video depicting her life all the way to eighty years.

Oma is a strong willed woman with the kindest heart. Generous to a fault and is an avid golfer, bridge and gin player, who used to bowl, fly an airplane, and still makes the best German potato salad in Michigan if not in the US of A. She loves to travel and has seen a good part of this planet including visiting me and my family in all of my seven moves around the globe. We all take for granted and have come to expect that no matter where we are she will hunt us down on the day of our birthday, and sing her famous off-key Happy Birthday Song, without fail. And so we able to do this for her tonight, too. In the worst possible key we could muster!

I think this picture shows how moved she was during this special evening.