Grampa's Party

On Saturday, We had a party to celebrate Grampa Bud's 80th birthday. It was a surprise party that we managed to keep a surprise, although Ruth told there was a surprise. (She said "I had to tell him, it was going to burst my belly." Luckily, she stopped short of the "what", and I gave him a coffee pot on Thursday to throw him off.) :) So the surprise was kept up until the guys forgot to shut the hallway door and Bud saw one of Darrell's cousins when he hung up his coat.

This is the cake I had made by my old co-worker Jelly. She used a picture of Bud, and except for the fact that the glasses are dark, it is the spitting image of him in drawn form. The cake was moist, but it was not butter cream frosting. Many people asked about how I got it, and I was glad to tell them.

Then, after we had eaten, we all got a surprise: Darrell's brother Mike from Missouri came. The last time he was here was when Ruth died in 1993. He vowed to never come back to CT again. This chance to honor his Dad didn't even give him a second thought. He came home, and a storm in Detroit allowed him and Terry to add an extra day. It has been nice for the kids to get to know the other side of their family. Aunt Terry and I have been discussing a road trip to see them.

There were family, friends, and more family at the gathering. I was so glad to have Mom, and Scott, come to lend a hand. I barely had a chance to sit for a bite to eat and chat, but I enjoyed knowing they were there. We had about 50 people in all. There were at least 10 no shows, which DJ said was good because the room limit was 57 seated. There was a two man band, which I enjoyed very much. I had my toes tapping the whole time they played. I wished we had moved tables, because I would likely have danced a bit. :)
Best of all, we were able to honor this gentleman. He has given so much to the CT Nuts. He is our confidant, hero, and an all around good guy.