The Gram Tam Turns Fifty - Now Ain't that Nifty

Half a century...Entire civilizations have come and gone in a shorter time frame...

1959...Interstellar space travel was only a dream...Hershey's was struggling to find one totally devoted customer (Thank goodness for Tami)...People had to actually dial a phone...Success was measured by the size of your Rolodex.

My sweet wife has an amazing vault of valuable memories, most of them real, and she loves to share these stories with all who will listen. I scoped her brain last night and pulled out of few of the best.

1. Tami was the perfect child - Never cried, changed her own diaper, started cleaning the house before she could crawl. Her grandparents called her princess. Her siblings revered her wisdom, her ability to gather and prepare food, and her ability to lovingly, but firmly, manage the household when her parents were away.
   
2. Tami's culinary expertise - Somewhere in those early years she perfected Lumpy Gravy for which she is now world-famous. Her recipe is one of life's most closely guarded secrets. Her children fly home just to satisfy their longing for this most delectable treat.
3. She made me the man that I am - My marriage proposal was a real shock. How could a common man even think of proposing to a princess? Her initial response was, of course, "You've got to be kidding." Yet in the following 18 hours, she began to relish the challenge of molding a man from this quivering stick of a boy. Call me David Doolittle. How can I ever repay her for the refinement and polish that she's given me?
4. Creative source of the internet - Who does Al Gore think he is? She was going to let him be President until he encroached on her life work. Tami didn't invent the internet, she just projected her need and the techie world responded. An now she can rightly claim her manifest destiny as the "Blog Queen." (Queens are just princesses all grown up.)
   

I could go on and on, but I won't. On a serious note, I do want to say that even though the thought of marrying me caused her no small trauma, I continue to be in awe at how she sets aside her fears, draws on her faith and pushes forward with life. As she has boldly faced the challenges of life, her exuberance for life has grown, her compassion for the struggles of others has deepened and her love of others has extended beyond our family to a wide circle of her friends, our children's friends and even her ancestors long departed from this earth. I love her deeply and look forward to getting the kids out the door, a mission, more grandkids and as many hikes as I can get her to go on. In her bearing, conduct and eternal potential, she truly is a queen and worthy of all that I can give her.

I would greatly appreciate your comments commemorating this great milestone in her life. She'll love hearing from each of you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMI!!!!

PS... See additional birthday blogs for Tami from "Jonathan and Kate","Jeff and Lindy", "TJ and Suzanne" and "Angie" to the right.