What a wonderful week I have had.  Plenty of birthday celebrations and lots of wonderful time with family and friends. I just never want it to end. My friend Veronica Oliverio called me early in the morning and sang Happy Birthday to me several times,  my brother Bill, came in from Florida and treated me to our annual birthday dinner at Julios, with my sisters, his wife Danni and mother in law,my kids took turns taking me to lunch this week and I received several beautiful bouquets of flowers.  It was great to turn 75. I had about 125 birthday wishes on face book and I read every one of them and had such wonderful memories of those who sent them. Thanks to everyone.

 

I say “hats off” to the PWA of Harrison County, who sponsored a candidate’s forum this past week at the Uptown Event Center.  I think that just about every local candidate was there or sent a representative.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with them.  If you have not attended one of these events, try to do so before the election so that you can be more informed about those running for office.

 

Some of you may remember that many years ago there was a Harrison County Cancer Association.  I was the president for a long time and others who served were Dave Young, Regina Lucente, Wilma Pertz, Drs. Williamson, Simmons, Oliverio, Gordon and many others. We offered many services to cancer patients in Harrison County. I remember how adamant I was about helping families with travel funds or with medication and dressings, etc.  We have now established how important these services are.  Several years ago we gave our funds to the United Way to handle under a cancer grant.  They have done so and I continue to serve on that granting committee. We met last week and reviewed the grants and decided on those who were eligible to receive funding and who served the most people in Harrison County with the funding. I am very happy that in some way the Harrison County Cancer Association continues on through the United Way of Harrison County. I feel like all of those who served for so many years was not in vain.

 

This past week, Dave and I attended a horse show in Charleston at the Civic Center.  This was the first time that I had attended such an event.  I thought that perhaps it would be like the shows that the circus held at the Carmichael Auditorium when I was a kid.  But it was not.  The horses were absolutely beautiful and the costumes were as well. It had such class as there were several musicians who played live music and a vocalist with a beautiful voice.  What really spurred Dave's interest was an article that appeared in our local newspaper about this event.  It mentioned that there was a Spanish influence to this presentation.  Throughout the presentation there was a Spanish influence but one of the ending programs was a flamenco dance and the dancer was certainly a professional, but what was so beautiful was that she was joined by a horse who added to the dance and ended on the boarded stage keeping time with the music as his feet tapped the traditional tap, tap, tap.

 

We did not know that the annual Democrat Party's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner was also being held at the Civic Center that night.

 

As we were walking into the Center we ran into former Governor Gaston Caperton.  How nice it was to see him again and to relive some of the memories we had when he served as Governor. I served on many committees for the Governor and enjoyed doing so.  He was the first to introduce the "sponsor" system to the fairs and festivals. He appointed me to serve with Betty Carver who was then the director of the Fairs and Festivals.  I also was appointed to serve on the Christopher Columbus Quincentennarian Commission and was responsible for heading up the states observance of this event. He looked great and has not aged a day.

 

It has really been a great week.  I enjoyed talking to the many of you who I have run into while out campaigning for my son Mike.  Thanks for all the great comments about the column.  Keep in touch and until next week "Now You Have Heard It through the Grapevine."