Lordy, lordy, look who's...

I had to do something this week I have dreaded for a long time. I had to buy my childhood best friend a 40th birthday card.

You know what that means ... The "I'm 40" snowball has started rolling down hill, picking up speed and picking up classmates along the way and heading straight for me! I wonder if it will melt by June... Fat chance.

Thanks for getting that started, Julie! Seriously, it's a privilege to send birthday wishes to someone I celebrated the other milestone birthdays with: 13 (We're teens!); 16 (Let's drive!); 18 (Oh boy, here comes college!); 21 (We can legally drink the beer we've been consuming in college!); and 30 (which seemed old until today).

The first time I met Julie I was 8 years old. All the third-graders in the Luck School District were taking a field trip to the Shrine Circus. This meant us kids out in the country elementary school (Oak Hill) got to go with the town kids and the East Luck school third-graders. Julie recalls seeing my twin sister and me sitting on the bus together. I don't recall meeting Julie that day, but for some reason remember buying a laser-gun shaped flashlight at the circus.

Two years later, when a school fire prompted a much-needed expansion of the main school in town, the "country schools" closed and all the students were in one building. That was when I really met her, our friendship began and, I'm blessed to say, has not faded in 3 decades. (Oh gosh. Now we do sound old!)

Well somebody had to go first -- and I'm glad it wasn't me. (Except she'll be laughing at me in 10 years when she can get the AARP discounts before me!) I'm sure in 6 months, Julie will have much wisdom to impart to us young whipper-snappers.

In the meantime, Julie, a sincere happy birthday! May you receive as many wonderful blessings as your friendship has brought to me!

U.F.O.

You've heard it said that "It's the thought that counts" and "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." In plain English, they mean: Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift. ... Even if you don't know what it is.

Carter had a field trip this week to the Milwaukee Public Museum, which is considered one of the top American museums of natural and human history. After visiting a museum while we were in Texas, he was very excited to go and had a great time.

I told him he was lucky to go. The grade-school field trips I remember included bus rides to Crex Meadows (a wildlife preserve) and the Shrine Circus. A little mix of education and fun.

The best part for me was that I got to pack a lunch (including a can of pop. Wow!). I also got to buy a small souvenir. I still remember that laser gun-shaped flashlight I bought at the circus. That was cool ... even if the battery was dead by the time I got home.

This week Carter had no interest in carrying money for the museum gift shop so we didn't send any with him. Much to our surprise, when he got home, he presented us with a "very fragile" gift.

I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper and there it was ... a ... what? It was about an 8-inch long white crystal-like rod that reminded me of those krypton things from the Superman movies. I didn't want to offend the gift-giver and ask what it was, so I just said, "Oh, that's pretty!"

Carter's the one who 'fessed up. "I can't remember what it's called but I think it starts with an S."

So now we have this Unidentified Fieldtrip Object that we don't know what it is or where we'll put it. But we'll always remember Carter thought enough of his parents to borrow $3.75 from a friend to buy us a present -- and leave the toy flashlight on the shelf.