Tuesdays Show and Tail . . .

PLEASE JOIN ME AT ANGELA'S SHOW AND TAIL - WHERE WE SHARE OUR ANIMAL STORIES!

This is still grandson's birthday week - we have been celebrating for a month now - today is his real birthday - 10. We went to the zoo yesterday with some friends. We met Richard and Ian when the GS was in preschool and just became friends right away and have been friends ever since. His wife is the GS doctor and Richard is Mr. Mom.

When we first moved here in 1986 - I have to say the zoo was a joke - it had nothing and was expensive to get in. We were comparing it with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago that was free and totally awesome.

The zoo now after all these years is quite decent now. Gs and friend.

GS and Grandpa

GS taking over Grandpa's camera - !

This one is for my friend Linda at Ala Carte as she loves Flamingo's.

The boys have sure matured (!) since they were 3 years old. They were both talking instead of running!

The bat cave with the Lion.

My friend.

GS in picture and friend with the hat on.

See the lion on top of the rock - I like to put people I know in with pictures - almost missed the lion.

Now this is Kelly - there are a few elephants and I know this is Kelly because she has no hair coming from the end of her tail - she was sick a couple of years ago and and the medicine made it fall out!

Kelly and friend.

Okay well enough of that.

I want to tell you a story. My friend Susan at Writing From The Heart asked me is I wanted her to call the grandson and sing Happy Birthday to him on the phone. She had done it for me and the GS has listened to her sing it to me since 2/27 - daily - and more than once. So she called him and sang it to him. You should have seen his face. There was a smile across his entire face. He L O V E D it and we will be listening to this for a long time to come.

Remember a week or two ago when we talked about free gifts that are more valuable than monetary ones? This is an example of one. Not everyone can sing - I admit - I couldn't do this at all - it is not in me - but I have other gifts and so do you!

Now I am not saying poor GS - because he is not - he has lots of grandma's - friends of mine - that love him and compensate for things in so many ways. But his own dad - no gift. I just wonder how in the world he reconciles this in his heart and wonder the effect it will have on the grandson one day - don't think he will feel too bad about himself as we are trying to keep the self confidence in check - but no promises on what he will think of his earthly father.

And Linda from Ala Carte gave him a frog. Sue from RUE MOUFFETARD always remember the GS with Star Wars items and candy.

And probably more and I my mind can't remember - and then I have friends too that remember him. So it is all good.

My lesson I learned from today is this - even when you think your gift is nothing - give it - it may mean more to that person then you think!

Love,

chatty

"My mind is the key that sets me free." ~ Harry Houdini