Happy 81st Year Day

Today is my father's 81st birthday. Because he and my mother are devout Jehovah's Witnesses, they don't celebrate birthdays. Ralph  reminds me every year when his birthday is coming, so I can be prepared. My job is to get chocolate cake (his favorite) and ice cream for everyone in their nursing home to enjoy after their supper. Just for fun, not for Ralph in particular. 
NOTICE: WE ARE NOT celebrating my dad's birthday. I am just being generous with his favorite treat. It could happen on any day of the year. (I hope this disclaimer covers me with the Jehovah's Witness Big Guy upstairs. I am not sure what the official procedure is regarding birthdays, but I want to make sure Ralph is in the clear with his God.) 

Ralph in all his 81st year glory.

Cake and ice cream for all!

If you asked him, Ralph would be the first to tell you that he has outlived both his parents ages when they passed, and that he is sort of surprised he made it this long. Not that he is afraid of dying, he isn't. As a religious man, he is comforted by his faith traditions and that is a gift when you live in a place where people slip quietly away, never to return to the dining hall again.

 If Ralph had his way he would be behind the wheel of a RV, living the life of an American wanderer. He isn't so much a tourist, as a visitor. He likes to try new places on for size, moving on when things get boring or annoying. I can relate, I inherited his itch for new sights and sounds. Nothing soothes my soul like a good day trip to see something interesting.

 It is hard for Ralph to be landlocked, without wheels to take him to freedom. The least I could do is bring him cake and ice cream on his most important 81st year day.