SORRY - no big DIEHL

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DR. HANS DIEHL

Ahh yes, the well known doctor was coming to our church to lecture on the afternoon of Sunday, March 28.  Two-thirty p.m. to be exact.  My sister, Gail, asked mom to go with her because she wanted to hear him.  Mom was, to quote my niece 'stoked' to go see him!

And so the ruse began!  Actually it began about 3 weeks before that with a phone call from Aunt Lois suggesting a surprise party for mom (aka Shirley). 

Three weeks of planning and scheming later mom and Gail walked into the school building where table after table of relatives and friends were waiting.  They walked into the room and SURPRISE!!!  The entire gymnasium erupted into echoing shouts of SURPRISE! and a joint, but wobbly rendition of HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

We helped mom find a seat (in a planned location - clear at the back of the group). 

The lights went low. At the front of the room you could see three shadowy forms  scrambling into the antique bed on the stage.  An alarm clock sounded.  One bank of lights came up as the beings in the bed started to stir.

One by one they awoke - some perky and some a little more reluctant.  Their rag-tied heads emerged, stretching ensued, and the blanket was thrown off.  Perky (Aunt JoAnn) informed the drowsy ones (Aunt Mary Ellen and Aunt Lois) that it was SHIRLEY'S BIRTHDAY!  They had to plan a party!  One with all Shirley's friends!

Soon, with a Yip Ga Molly Come Sockee YOO HOO (or some such thing) they called out.  After a couple more tries and they heard a Yip Ga Molly Come Sockee YOO HOO (or some such thing) returned from the back of the room.  Mom had heard their familiar childhood call, and called back.  The red long-john clad sisters searched her out of the crowd and brought her to the stage where the party began.

We nestled her into the 'bed of memories' with my sister Gail at her side.  The program began. 

A program of people from the past - an older sister (Aunt Elda Mae), grandma and grandpa Goddard (portrayed by my cousins Nick Goddard and Tammy Goodale), school chums, a music teacher, cousins from Wisconsin, a friend from Indiana, a bowling chum and church friends/comrades from through the years.  Twelve in all - many of them she hadn't seen in a long-long time!  Dad even said a few (recorded) words.  And you know what?  He was pretty sentimental.  It was nice.

Each stood behind a curtain at a microphone - a circle of light was behind them revealing on a shadow as they spoke into the microphone.  Each spoke a few words to help mom guess who they were.  When she guessed, they came out and gave her a long stemmed rose.  My sister Gail who sat by her - well, she can be pretty funny when she wants to be, she wasn't feeling so hot yesterday (which may have been good!  *wink*) but she still interjected some fun quips like - "wow mom, you're old - this could take a LONG time!"

When all was said and done we let mom come off the stage and mingle with her guests.  I think the only downside of the day was that there just was not enough time to visit with each guest as much as we all would have liked. 

Wynter and JoDe (my nieces) made the cake - fondant makes such cool looking cakes.  Combine JoDe's expertise with that and Wynter's artistic flair - and we got a bed of memories cake - to keep in the theme of the day (the bed).

TONS OF FOOD -- oh my I don't know how the Goddard family does it -- it was the talk of everyone about how much food there was.  And it was GOOD food.  My son was chowing down a huge plate of the delicious mexican fare and saying how delicous it was.  He always says that my mom is the best ever cook -- and now he truly knows that it runs in the family.  Unfortunately for him, some things must skip generations and his momma is the 'skip generation' for him!  Sorry kid!

I felt guilty that all the food prep was for someone else - but I truly do not enjoy that type of thing, therefore I am not good at it.  But believe me - it was in good hands! 

The table decorations turned out pretty good.  Nothing very fancy, but festive enough to get the idea of HAPPY BIRTHDAY across.  Everyone pulled together as far as setting things up and getting all of the preparation done.  I would have never have been able to come up with anything like what they did.

I don't know how the party ended for mom.  You see, the aunts spirited her away to a bed and breakfast owned by my cousin Valerie.  I think it is in south-central Iowa (Bloomfield?).  They were going to spend the night and come back sometime today.  Joy and her little clan stayed at dad's house to keep him company last night and today. 

How do I THINK the day ended?  I think when all was said and done - that mom had a huge surprise and enjoyed it.  I think she is probably very tired and will be glad to get home -- you see she left to listen to Hans Diehl talk and didn't return home for more than 24 hours!  SURPRISE!!  It really WAS a big Diehl now afterall, wasn't it!

LOVE YOU MOM!!!  4-ever and always!

Marion Kelch, Sharon Wooten, Dean Wooten, Edyth Wooten

Tita Bellie and Jaimee (you KNEW there would be a picture of her, didn't you?)

Rhonda and Doug Dusenberry (our cousins), my brother Mark and sister-in-law Bellie

I have to confess something -- I 'plagarized' the pictures from my sister in law Bellie.  I got about 3 pictures total.  Bah humbug for me!  Thanks Bellie (though I didn't really ask ... *smile*) -- if anyone has any pictures they took of the day - please email them to me (as high quality as possible -- in other words, don't try to shrink them for email) ... thank you!

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who did anything.  You are all awesome.  Especially thanks to the aunts!