Today (Sunday) Marion Overholt invited her mother's friends and family to a surprise party celebrating Jean's 90th birthday. If ever there were a woman I want to be like when I grow up, it's Jean.

After having been a teacher in her younger years, at the age of 80 Jean got her degree from the University of Windsor (Ontario) in fine art and printmaking. She still lives alone in the house on the Detroit River that she and her late husband moved into shortly after their marriage in 1945. Right now she is taking four classes, volunteering, and sitting on a board of directors. She drove herself to the party at the Ojibway Nature Centre in Windsor from her home out in the county. Marion had told her it was a party in honor of our friends Joan Tinkess and Mary Tiner who will be leaving Thursday to spend a month with the women whom they helped organize during their 20 years in the Dominican Republic. Jean was truly surprised when she came in the door to the sound of dozens of us singing "Happy Birthday." In fact, it was through singing that I first met Jean and Marion. They attended a good number of the WomenSpirit singing retreats that we had on the shores of Lake Erie with our beloved Carolyn McDade back in the '90s.

When I hugged her goodbye today, Jean spontaneously said, "I love you." Well, dearest Jean, I love you too. May we surprise you again at your 100th birthday in 2018!