Today is someone's birthday.

QUOTE from Paul Lewison (aka as the Butch Harmon of Anamosa). "I don't like fish but I like cod." He went on to explain that he likes cod because it is breaded. -now it makes more sense.

A couple of DAY BRIGHTERER stories today. Our grandson, Wesley, is in the U.S. Air Force stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He is being trained to be an air traffic controller. His birthday is April 10. He is our only grandson so Grandma Ruth Ann always calls him her favorite grandson. Grandma  wanted to make his birthday special so she got on her baking clothes and made a batch of goodies for him. Last week we sent him a big box of her goodies. It included several dozen cookies (including peanut butter, M &M, chocolate chip, and ginger snaps), ), plus pumpkin bread, apple bread, jam and salsa. He was so happy to receive Grandma's goodies that he took a photo with all of the goodies laying on their kitchen counter and put it on Facebook. He was in his Air Force uniform with a big smile on his face and  both thumbs up. He was one happy airman. When Grandma saw the picture she was so happy to have brightened his day. He called her to give her special thanks.

The other DAY BRIGHTENER has to do with Ruth Ann. Today is her 71st birthday. In order to make this birthday special our son Brad flew into Cedar Rapids last Thursday at one pm. I picked him up but had given Ruth Ann the excuse that I was going golfing with Paul Lewison at 12:30. She was suspicious that something was up because he had called the week before and wanted to talk to me alone. She said all week that "I bet Brad is coming to surprise me. Why else would he ask to talk you alone, he's never done that before." Well, she was right. (There is something to be said about women's intuition.) When we got to our mobile home park I let Brad out a block away and I went in the house by myself and talked to Ruth Ann in the bedroom. He sneaked in the house and sat in the kitchen. When she walked to the kitchen she didn't even seem very surprised. She said, "I knew you were coming." Anyway, we went out to eat with Paul and Verna Lewison on Friday night at the Rainbow where Carron works, she was our server. She got a pretty tip for providing us with super service. On Sunday we had Granddaughter Ellyn and husband Ryan come for brunch. The rest of the time we just relaxed and talked and watched basketball games.This morning I took him to the Cedar Rapids Airport at 5 am, he is on his way to San Francisco for a business meeting. Even though his visit wasn't a total surprise he did brighten his mother's 71st birthday.