G.G.'s 100th Birthday Party

A huge party was thrown in Cadillac, MI. on August 11th 2007 to celebrate the birthday of Stacey's Grandma. She was the life of the party and why not, she was turning 100 years young. Known as G.G. to everyone far and wide, she arrived to a crowd of cheering relatives and friends, some of whom traveled from Washington D.C. just to be in attendance.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to start your life off in 1907. You probably couldn't have called anyone to tell them you just had a daughter because only 8% of all U.S. homes had a phone.

You'd either have to send a telegraph or saddle up your horse and spread the word of your daughter's birth. There were only 45 states when G.G. was born. Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma were just territories. Television wasn't even an idea yet, let alone a reality and radio as an entertainment was unheard of. Baseball was the National Pastime, only because Basketball, Football and Hockey weren't even a sport. Coca-Cola still contained cocaine, and you could buy Heroin, Morphine and Marijuana at any of your larger drugstores over the counter.

Even some celebrities were spotted in the crowd. Do you remember Phil Donahue? Well, he was there minus 'That Girl', Marlo Thomas. I asked him where she was hiding and he just looked at me and said, "Where's the keg?" I told him that if he wanted to drink, he'd have to help set up the tent and then he could drink until it was a floater. He jumped right in and worked up a sweat. He was heard saying afterwards, "Damn it, this is only a half barrel!"

How about Bo Derek? Remember her in 10? she was not only MY woman, but every healthy male over six years of age. She was stepping out of the pool on Friday afternoon and I stopped dead in my tracks. I thought, "Jim Bo, if you play this bad back angle up to Bo, you could probably get her to rub your back and probably get lucky tonight." Then as I took a closer look, I realized it wasn't Bo Derek at all, but my own lovely wife Debbie. Deb and I arrived on Friday afternoon to get a jump on the par-Tay and enjoyed the afternoon swimming hitting golf shots and catching up with Steve. Stacey, her sisters and her side of the family were at Torch Lake on three pontoons.

Everyone there had a great time at the party and G.G. enjoyed seeing and talking to everyone. She had plenty of grandchildren and great grandchildren there along with all of us that love her. She is full of history and wit and also, a wonderful lady.