FORTY WHAT?????

"It's your birthday

Happy Birthday
Happy - Happy - Birthday to you!"

I first met Carol two years ago.

I've never seen so much
ENERGY
from someone who seems to never eat!

It was a fluke that we met on an airplane
with that "not-to-be-named-choir"
on the "Canada/Central States Tour"

SHE WAS FUNNY
AND NEVER AT A LOSS FOR WORDS!

During the next two years
I learned
she hardly ever sleeps...it's rare to catch her
catching a few winks

She adjusts to any situation
and deals with what is dealt to her.
(even when she gets assigned a hotel room
WITH NO BED)
(she never loses faith that she'll get
that "single" room)
GIVE IT UP ALREADY!

She LOVES TO BE IN CHARGE
(Bossy.... maybe....a little)
AND you see...
I WANT TO BE THE BOSS!

I learned very very quickly
SHE TAKES CARE OF THE WHOLE WORLD!

If she is needed
she is there at the drop off a hat...
doing WHATEVER.

She doesn't wait to be asked...
Helping with flowers, floats, grandkids...

Always the entertainer.
There is nothing she can't do.

No matter how LABORIOUS
or stressful a situation
"she makes it fun"
She introduced me to
"the Birthday Tower"

(This is nothing compared to
the one she made me)
She came up with
"THE FOOD FESTERS"
(the "sisters" (Sharon & Ardie) call her "QUEENIE")
She's blessed our table with
PUMPKIN SAUCES
a million varieties of
COBBLERS
and
Bacon wrapped green beans! YUM

Talk about an "organized" packer...
(I know... this looks like chaos...
She wasn't about to let me forget one thing
on tour...she made sure of that!)

She's a FAVULOUS
SECOND ALTO
(as second ALTOS go)
(in that not-to-be-named-choir)

Other than she likes to drive really fast...
I don't think she's actually EVER broken the law.

Unless you count...inducting someone
into a foreign country...
bestowing citizenship on them!
(I have the certificate to prove it)

"OH CANADA...."
She's proud to be a CANADIAN
And she loves her FAMILY!

She's NO fair weather friend!!!
I can share my dumbest "mistakes"
and idiot circumstances with her
and she just laughs "with" me
and keeps them to herself!

("bright roots")
(WAIT...did I just share this with the world?)

SHE LOVES COLLIN
and is soooooooo good to him!
Despite his moods.
SHE TRUSTS ME

I have a key to her condo
All her passwords
and her funeral arrangements!
There's just no one quite like you, Sis.

NOW...
some may wonder...why the "2"
it's certainly not in order of importance.
(totally an age thingie)

SO...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL 2
(YOU ARE NUMBER ONE IN MY BOOK)
YOU TRULY ARE
"THE BEST"
(oh.. that's right...stretch those necks!)