40th anniversary

We have just returned home from a 40th wedding anniversary celebration of my in-laws...Joan's sister Dorothy and husband Michael. It was a large affair with around 80 guests at their home. The show was catered for and there was plenty of tucker and drinks...probably too many of the latter. We were driven there and back by my brother and his girl friend. At what time does a girlfriend became a partner? I think I know.
My bro-in-law has Parkinson's disease and is on the long waiting list for an operation to insert electrodes into his brain to stop the debilitating movements of the disease. His daughter was home for the occasion from the U.S. She works for the largest financial institution in the world and can manage to organise a trip home for such occasions en route to a conference in China or some other exotic place. The speeches were charged with emotion and many people, including me, were moved to tears. I took the photographs and have just viewed them on the computer....they are good.
Michael is a long way off the operation...there is only one specialist performing this operation in Western Australia and he does one per week. Mike looks like he is about twelve months back on the list. I hope he holds out and the procedure is successful.