the BIG 60!!

This has been an amazing week. We had our 20th anniversary conference for CIS in Pinehurst this week. The staff does an incredible job and once again did an amazing job. Over 280 people braved the threat of snow, the shaky economy and the unknown to come and celebrate, rejuvenate and learn. We started with the African Dance Troupe our of Durham and they were truly fantastic. Using dance, song and inspirational words they go the entire crowd up on their feet chanting and dancing. On top of that they honored me as making the rite of passage ..celebrating my 60th birthday!! "Mama Linda" as I am now called was honored with celebratory dance. I had to dance too (some of my buds told me that I needed African dance lessons since I mixed up my dances) but it was great..then they brought out this giant birthday cake for all to share! Thinking that they had gone way beyond in celebrating my birthday we proceeded with the conference. Cynthia Marshall, from AT&T wowed the crowd with her very impassioned talk and our own Omega was awesome!!! Then came Wednesday night. It is always the tradition to have a dance (although mostly women) we love to line dance and just let go. I walked in to the dance hall totally unprepared for what awaited me....a country and western band was playing (kind of odd for Pinehurst). I looked down on the floor as they were singing happy birthday to me again and lo and behold there was my husband Scott!! Almost have the big one (heart attack) I ran to him, turned around and there was my sister Ginger who had driven in from Winston-Salem. If that was not enough I suddenly realized I had heard the band before and recognized it was our band from beach...the Charlie Brewer Trio (we are roadies of their band). You could have knocked me over with a feather. I have NEVER, EVER been this surprised about anything as I was this party! Since they had already celebrated my birthday the day before I was totally not expecting this!

My family at the CISNC office are way too clever! They pulled a big one over on me and I will forever be grateful to them for the love they show me everyday. They certainly made getting old not feel so badly. Of course we did close the place down and I was on the floor two stepping for the last dance. You can't get an old lady down!