Okay, Millie's birthday is not until tomorrow, 18 August, but why not celebrate early and long. It's not everyone who gets to have this birthday so we should celebrate a lot.

I've known Millie almost as long as we have both been blogging which is going on 20 years.

We've even met in person which doesn't get to happen often with so many of our internet friends. Our friendship all this time has meant everything to me. We live on opposite coasts now so we keep in touch by telephone.

For many years, Millie wrote My Mom's Blog - her son Steve set it up in 2003, (hence the name) – one year ahead of me. I just found out from her blog that according to The Ageless Project, she is the world's fourth oldest blogger.

For a long time, she gained fame for her video feature, I Can't Open It. Here is one of them with a BIG container of animal crackers. The other voice you hear is her son, Steve, who is running the camera.

Back in April during the earliest days of the pandemic lockdown, Steve invited me to a Zoom meeting with Millie on the top left, Steve to her right, me in the middle row and few other people. Here's a screenshot:

Millie and Steve keep in touch via video calls and these days Millie can be found on her Facebook page more than her blog. For her birthday this year, she is holding a fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

”I've chosen this nonprofit,” writes Millie, “because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope you'll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me.”

You can get further information and do that if you wish on Millie's Facebook page.

For many years, we have played a silly, little game here on Millie's birthday. I add her age (95 this year) and my age (79) which, this year, gets us to 173.

Now you get add your age to the total, add it up and post it in the comments. Then the next reader can add his/her age and so on to see how high we can get the number of years we have collectively lived.

Of course, because comments pass in the ether the total is never really quite correct but that's part of the fun and it's close enough.

Meanwhile, let's all sing Happy Birthday to Millie and her amazing 95 years. I love you, Millie.