I want to celebrate two people on this last Sunday in June: end my celebration of Dad for Father’s Day month and me because yesterday I turned 73! What a great birthday!

Surprisingly, Dad Shows Up in Much of My Writing

I have written about my dad in most of my books. Because he was such a major player in my life, I have either focused on him or woven pieces about him in the following books on mine:

First Five Books

• This Tumbleweed Landed – The title for this book came from a conversation I had with dad many years ago about my moving around so much.
• When Will Papa Get Home? – Dad told and retold a story about a horse thief and I fictionalized that story in this book. He wasn’t in the book exactly, but he was!
• Let Me Tell You a Story – I co-wrote this book with Dad about how his dad put our ranch together in the 1920s when many of the homesteaders were losing theirs.
• A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir – This book is about the loss of my parents.
  • Here’s a sample chapter from this book about Dad.
• Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flipp – No where in this book do I mention Dad, but he got me into square dancing. So, his influence was there.

Last Five Books

• Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? – I mentioned Dad eleven times as I tried to deal with the pandemic. He follows me everywhere.
• Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir — Once again Dad showed in thirty-one times in my Christmas memoir because he was a vital person in my holiday celebrations my whole life.
• Was It A Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry – I mentioned Dad nine times in this first book in my five book poetry series, dedicating whole poems to him.
  • Here’s one of my poems about him entitled Dad.
• Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey – In this short FREE chapbook of poetry, I only talk about Dad once, but I love the imagery in this line about him: “The blistered, scarred cowboy hands of my dad.”
• Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry – In this second book in the Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry series, I mention Dad seven times!

In all my ten books, I mention Dad at least once. You can see how he slipped into every part of my life somehow. Thanks for going on this four-week travel through my dad’s life. It means the world to me!

Celebration of Me

Yesterday I celebrated my 73^rd birthday and it was a delight—my first here in Panama. Lin started the day with a thoughtful gift of perfume for me. I love perfume and it was a nice one.

Breakfast at the Sandwich Shop

Then we met three friends at one of our favorite breakfast places, Boquete Sandwich Shop. I thoroughly enjoyed the bantering around the table and with our favorite server there. The owner gifted me a delicious brownie with whip cream and strawberries and only one candle. Thank God there weren’t 73! They sang to me, and I felt really celebrated.

Cribbage Time

Then we drove to the German Bakery on Via Boquete for two games of cribbage. We had invited a friend who hadn’t played in years. She assisted one of our new player/friends during the first game.

Again the bantering that went on was hilarious. We have team names: the Bulldogs (Lin and Lorrie) and the Greyhounds (me and Kenny). The Greyhounds lost the first game.

They all laughed at me because I have spreadsheets for all of our cribbage games: between Lin and I dating back to 2018, at the Senior Games with the Gilbreaths in St. George Utah in 2018, on our trip to Spain in 2020 with the Gilbreaths, on our trip to Scotland in 2023 with the Gilbreaths and the games just started between the Bulldogs and the Greyhounds.

So to help the friend who hadn’t played in years, Lin assisted Lorrie and she took Lin’s place. Kenny and I skunked them. Now where to put that information? It doesn’t fit into my spreadsheet for the Bulldogs and the Greyhounds. So, I created another spreadsheet. She suggested their name to be the Sloths, but I don’t remember the name Kenny suggested for our team. Oh, well! We’ll play again, I’m sure.

Afterwards, Lin and I went home. I showered and responded to all the birthday wishes on Facebook and LinkedIn—what a treat!

Panama Football Game – FIFA World Cup 2026

On the drive to the local sports bar, the TapOut, my brother called to wish me a “Happy birthday.” He told me about a big rainstorm we had on our ranch and we celebrated that.

Lin and I returned to the TapOut, at 3:00 PM to get good seats again. This is our third time we’ve gone there to watch the games. This time it was only Lin and I—the other games friends came, too! But they’ve lost their first two games, so others lost interest. We didn’t.

We loved being with the Panamanians watching their team. They lost again, but they scored which is what we had hoped. The crowd exploded—what a thrill it was to be there with them! But it was taken away because a player was off sides. Immediately the atmosphere changed.

Birthday Dinner Out

For the game, we went to Tres Scalini, for a delicious Italian dinner. We enjoyed the view of an open area with two horses and the jungle vegetation. We had a delicious leisure meal and talked about everything going on—it was precious time for us.

Then we capped the evening with a visit to Lin’s favorite ice cream shop, Saori’s. I had one scoop of Maracuyá pie (passion fruit) in a cup. Lin had two scoops of decadent chocolatey ice cream in a cup. We love this place because it’s downtown Boquete, so we watched people going by—so much fun!

End of My Birthday

As we were eating, Lin suggested I select a movie of my chose for the end of the evening. He voiced “Sound of Music” or “Dancing in the Rain.” Yes, I love those two.

I thought “Dirty Dancing,” “Sound of Music,” or “Grease.” “Grease” won! So we drove home, and our night ended with lively fifties music and me singing the words to all the songs.

I never tire of Olivia Newton John or John Travolta and the dancing! Oh, I love the dancing.

Finally,

My 73^rd birthday made me laugh with my friends playing cribbage, scream at the TV at the TapOut and sit in my recliner with my leg elevated but my feet were dancing!

I hope you celebrate your birthdays in a lively way. Tell me about your birthdays!

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My Newest Books

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Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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