I was still having a terrific time at my

Birthday-slash-Recovery party. I wanted to visit with each and every one of my friends, individually and simultaneously.  But the fact is, just because I made a miraculous recovery, it didn't give me any particular super power.  In other words, I failed.  I jumped from friend to friend, and roamed from one small clump of visitors to another.  ("What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked Mi Amiga Preciosa, who had crossed a state or two to be here. [She and I, we have to do most of our visiting by phone.  "Set your timer for twenty minutes!" she'll say, "and I'll set mine, too." Forty minutes later we're still going. Without life as we know it pressing in on us, it's no stretch we could stretch it far further])

And then, regarding the party, someone suggested there was more to come.
"What?!"  I exclaimed (as in "Can this be true?!") followed by, "What?" (as in, "Well, tell me what")
This friend would not divulge the secret, but I soon found out.

Here's a snippet, Listener Dear:  The Yard Man (with some help from his son and a nephew) sang two songs for me (well, he sang for everyone, but I was likely the only one who cried).  The first song was From Every Stormy Wind that Blows (He prefaced this one by explaining that he sang it to me so often in the hospital while I was unconscious that by the time I came back, I was begging him to sing something else!)

His second rendition was Firecracker by the Wailin' Jennys


(..."Firecracker, firecracker
Sparkling in the sky
To those of us who saw
Looked like the fire would die...
It's late night headin' into morning")

At the end of his performance I had a few words to say, but they were far too few.  Flustered, I was, choking a bit on my tears.  I later rued the fact that I did not shout the praises of my precious children for planning this lovely party!  And why, Reader Dear, did I not think to pour out a rushing river of words expressing my love and appreciation for this group of folks who put up with my quirks and my foibles, who make my life rich with joy and happiness?!   (Ah, well, they are my treasured friends, after all; perhaps they know.)

Okay, just one more little note about my party.  A teeny tiny special note:  I had a teeny tiny special guest! Why, Dear Reader,  this little guy had just come from a birth day celebration of his own!  In his whole lifetime Jackson hadn't had more than one Saturday afternoon to spend anywhere, and here he was, spending his second one at my party!

And that about wraps up this tale of Surprise!.  Oh, wait,  there were the cupcakes!  Wow, the cupcakes!

.......................................

Dear Reader Dear, if you did not get an invitation to this party, alas, it was not I who made the list.  Perhaps there will have to be an after-party.   How about it, would you join me from wherever you live...right around the corner or in Denmark? Chile? Romania?  You know I'd welcome you with open arms!

Finis