Everybody have fun tonight...everybody Wang Chung tonight!

To all the people who are losing money today...I'm sorry...again.

I know a lot of people never thought yours truly would reach this many trips around the sun above ground, and I hate to disappoint. Okay. Not really.

Thanks to a drastic change in lifestyle a decade or so ago, the Big Guy apparently has given me a new lease on life. While it's very much still a work in progress, I'm very appreciative every June 15th for another year of opportunities to serve Him.

Birthdays take on a completely different semblance when you reach a certain age, and that point is definitely well in my rear view mirror. The annual celebration of my arrival into this world is marked personally by a day or so of inner reflection. No so much on a grand scale...more of a year in review type reflection. Since Tony C Today is sort of an intimate recording of what's going on in my life at any particular moment in that year, I went back and looked at post since last June 15.

Not very telling...

Or is it? The major event for me in the past year was certainly the addition of my little Eden Blakely. Her first cry was on December 2 which was ironically the day after my mother's birthday. I'm very blessed to have them both in my life. As a matter of fact, I'm very blessed to be surrounded by a number of females most every day. There's also my soul mate and best friend Mrs. Tony C, the Teenager and Crazy Tomato at home; my sister, mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law; that nutty bunch at church on the Praise Team I get to spend several hours a week with in fellowship and service; my favorite co-worker across the hall that makes my workday always a little brighter; the young ladies in my Sunday School class that I lift in prayer daily (that includes the ones there every week and the ones, well, not); and I can't forget my female blogging/social media buddies.

I don't mean to slight my male friends that are just as dear to me...I'm just not feeling very gay today.

I left my grandmother out for a reason because she gets special notice. My beautiful grandmother turned 97 less than two weeks ago. God bless her. She's as feisty as ever and still gets around great. I hope that gene made it into my pool...

Sometimes I wonder if I'd really like to make it to be 99 years old. Notice I said wonder and not worry. Only God knows the appointed time He will call me Home. I very much look forward to that reunion. Not because I want to leave all the blessings in my life behind. No. That's just not the reason at all. It's not even to leave all the troubles of this life behind. Living life is meant to build a strong character as we are told in the Book of James. As our character matures through the troubles and trials of this life...we better understand and appreciate the hope found only in our Father.

If He leaves me here to celebrate number 99, my prayer is He leaves my love with me, so we can celebrate 60 years of marriage together here before Eternity. I know we'll spend that time in service and appreciation of Him.

My hope is that your next birthday is as blessed as mine is today...