Today is the mumble-mumble birthday of the lovely Betty Lynn, who had a grand career in movies and television and who is best remembered as Thelma Lou, the romantic interest of Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. But to me, she'll always be that wonderful lady who lived next door to the house in West L.A. in which I grew up. She was not a relative but she always felt like one and it was a joy last year to travel to Mt. Airy, North Carolina (where she now lives) to see and hug her once again. I wrote about that trip here.
Betty was a wonderful neighbor and there are still people who think that the coolest thing about me is that I lived next door to Thelma Lou. Sadly, they may be right. I just tried to call her to wish her a happy day and got her voicemail. I figure she's out, celebrating painting Mt. Airy red or at least a decadent shade of pink. I'll try again later but at least I can wish her one now, here on the Internet. And I can say that I hope she has many, many more.