@Thranduil Oropherion - Taking him out to dinner is a great idea. Thank you! We haven't been out for a meal together in ages it seems. Good food, a little vino, being served and not having to clean up. Excellent! I'll do that and buy him some of his favorite treats and put them together in a basket, wrap it in cellophane and add fall-colored ribbons. And I'll make his favorite cream puffs too.
Next year it would be so perfect if we could travel. He takes the week of his birthday off and we're overdue for some vacation time away from home. Ireland would be wonderful. I've never been and he hasn't been there in about 30 years. His ancestors are from Ireland, one of the closest leaving for America soon after the 1916 Easter Rising/Rebellion (maybe immediately after, or during, he may have been involved in something). In our dining room we have a framed photo of him and his parents when they were in Tyrrellspass. We still have the travel notes M's mother wrote down each day they were in Ireland (tours, traveling, hotels, architecture, etc.).
Sorry for rambling on, I do that from time to time
I appreciate you, so thank you much!