"The best birthday in 80 years."

Yesterday Dan Turlow turned 80 years old. Today we helped him celebrate, by throwing a surprise gathering for him at a restaurant near his home.

He said it was the best birthday he ever had, and that we were all part of his family now, because he said so. He got lots of nice little gifts, and appeared genuinely humbled at the number of people who came out just to see him and be a part of this day. He'd smile, and quietly take everything in.

I ended up having to school Ben (Pam's husband) on the correct order of the Narnia books. He'd listened to an audio dramatization in chronological order, which meant he'd listened to The Magician's Nephew first.

Sigh. Such a tragedy. I told him that he'd probably survive OK, but for anyone else who hasn't read the books yet, to please please please put that book back at #6 in the 7-part series, where it really belongs. Seriously, people: the chronology is not important in these books. The wonder and magic is. There are so many lovely elements in book #6 that play out so much more delightfully if you don't know them when reading the first. Truly.

It was a nice time. I talked movies with Julie and her daughter, and I got to sit next to Pam and watch her smile and coo over her dad, who in turn smiled and coo'd and cheek-kissed everyone he could. He was so pleased at being the center of attention, he really was.

When I drove back east into the city, and got out of my car, the old adage really proved itself to be true: it is cooler near the Lake. A good ten degrees. I stood outside and talked with my cousin Ronnie as she shifted sprinklers around on the small strip of lawn between our sidewalk and the street, marveling at this crazyhot weather we've been having. She also talked a bit about getting a red stone for her mother's grave, and how a man at the Tavern had told her she reminded him of her mother. She seemed very pleased by that.