Good friends are priceless, and I’m lucky enough to have a few people in my life who are worth many times their weight in gold. Even at today’s exchange rate.

So naturally, since I’ve mentioned both Nora Ephron’s and Maya Angelou’s birthdays in the past two months, I’d be remiss not to publically acknowledge my dear friend Patty’s SIXTIETH one today. After all, a person only turns SIXTY once, and I’m making sure all the world knows about it!

And since she is such a good friend, I happen to know Patty’s currently out of town on a birthday trip with her husband. Therefore, she probably won’t have a chance to freak out about this blog for at least a few more days… And by then, she’ll be so much older and wiser, why of course she’ll forgive me.

That’s what friends do. Or so Patty often says. Guess I’m determined to test that theory.