We were in Sturgis, in some dark canvas tent with really poor artificial lighting. Oh, and I can't see anyway.

We were looking for a hoodie for Mouse the Daughter, whose 19th birthday is the occasion for this writing.

Knowing that she detests - detests - pink, I was looking for any color but.

And I came upon a lovely powder blue. It didn't have a "diva," "princess," or other unutterable biker babe phrase on it and there was no bling, so I thought perhaps it would do.

It didn't.

Turns out it's lavender, lilac, light purple, most definitely not light blue. At least three people have told her.

So it will be stashed away with all of the other hoodies I've purchased her over the years, including a white one from every single gymnastics and spirit competition she was ever in.

Just having left the gifting of the sweatshirt, I got a helpful text which read, "future reference. always pink over purple."

So I was standing in the card aisle, looking for a birthday card to "daughter" that wasn't pink. Seriously, it was difficult.

Immediately before that, I had been looking for generic scrapbooking supplies to feed her hobby that weren't pink. For the scrapbooking, I chose mostly black. That's a long way from pink.

She loved my choices.

But for the card, the choices were very limited.

You may recall for Valentine's Day, I chose a singing card for her and was rebuffed because she hates cards that make noise.

So I was in the quiet card aisle, looking for anything but pink - or purple.

I chose a pale sage green, and after approving the color, loved the lengthy, tear-producing sentiment.

There's a lot of writing to read, but I asked her in the handwritten note I jotted to keep it and re-read it if she ever begins to doubt herself - or her choices.

We're used to the birthday and back-to-school all piling up at once.

What I'll never get used to is not being there to help lay out her clothes the night before the first day of school. Even if we lived in the same town, she'd never allow that.

And I miss getting up early to make her homemade French toast the regular way, nothing fancy allowed, on the first day of school. Too often after that, it was instant oatmeal or yogurt, but on the first day, always French toast.

And I always - always - made fresh brownies for after-school snacks on the first day. In the old days, I had Mondays off, so I had one day a week to play June Cleaver. I loved it.

Now in her second year at Casper College, she has five 8 o'clocks this semester, and I worry about her getting enough sleep. But she's not like her mom. She keeps telling me that. (Yes, I love pink).

And she's much tougher than I will ever be, and very capable. And I think she's a lot smarter too. She'll figure it out.

Peggy Jane the Mom says constantly that she never stops worrying, she just worries about different stuff now that her kids are 53, 50 and almost 47.

I know what she means.

At least the card wasn't pink.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or sallyann.shurmur@trib.com. Read Sal's blog at tribtown.trib.com/Sal/blog