November 1, 2015--No tricks; all treats yesterday at Webster's 90ths birthday party.

Webster (Jim's uncle--his mother's brother and the only surviving sibling of nine) has lived in this rural northeastern North Carolina community his entire life, except for when he was in the military.

For most of those 90 years, he has lived in the same house!

Webster and Jim after his birthday party

The BIG birthday party

When someone resides and is active in a community that long (he was a successful farmer and an active supporter of education in the area), he becomes well known.

Webster is a genuinely nice man. He still drives (like a bat out of hell); fortunately his eyesight and reflexes still seem good); he still keeps a very large garden. And from that garden he keeps family and friends in vegetables all summer and fall. We will be going home with a huge bagful of green beans, many more sweet potatoes than I'll eat in six months. a bagful of raw peanuts (which are grown in the area), and some pecans from an ancient tree in his front yard.

Webster's birthday party was not a small affair. His five kids (and he) invited more than 175 people. Altogether more than 200 showed up for a luncheon party of fried chicken (really looked good), Carolina barbeque, barbequed potatoes, lima beans, corn, corn bread, and a whole lot of gluten-filled desserts in addition to the birthday cake. (Jim and I ogled the fried chicken and desserts and wished that the gluten could be taken out of it just this once.)

Although all five of Webster's children threw the party for him, his daughter Becky was the primary organizer. I asked her whose idea the party was. "Dad's!" she said. She said about a month or so before the party, he approached her:

"I guess I have a birthday coming up."

"Yes, you do, Dad. It's a big one."

"Guess it is kinda important...so I'd like to have a party."

Although he said he wanted to pay for it himself, she and her brothers refused the offer. A father only turns 90 once.

I'm glad we were here to help him celebrate. It was a great time.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda