COUSIN BLUE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY TONIGHT

We attended my husband's cousin Jim's, otherwise known as Blue, 63rd  birthday party.  Blue should have been born 150 years ago, because he's a true mountain man at heart.  He rides all over these Smokey Mountains on his mule and camps out in rain, sleet, or snow sleeping on the ground in a tent.  He has a long grey beard and mustache, as well as quite a mop of bushy hair.  He's about 6 ft. 2 in. in his cowboy boots and thin as a rail.  Blue is a great guy and a lot of fun to be around.  He was married once, but marriage interfered with his wilderness wanderings, so that didn't last very long.  He lives the life that he loves, and when he needs some money, he builds a house or two (he's an experienced contractor),  makes some money and then goes back to his carefree life.  He also rides across the back-roads of America when he's not on a mule.  His sister, Glenda, gave him the party and all the "good old boys" and their wives were invited.  My husband was one of those Good Old Boys.  You wouldn't believe all the food there was to eat:  2 boneless turkey breasts, sausage balls, sautéed mushrooms, home-made yeast rolls, 2 kinds of soups, red and green Christmas cake, and about 10 kinds of home-made Christmas candies and confections.   This was all topped off with some marvelous sipping Scotch whiskey.  As usually happens, the women ended up in one room while the men swapped tales and sipped their whiskey in another room.  At least the women got the living room with the wonderful fireplace and sofas to sit on.  We had a great time talking about our numerous medical problems.  At my age, that's what women do, apparently.