She was, after all, still counting her blessings for a belated Christmas visit with relatives in Washington state -- made possible by her co-workers who pitched in and bought her a plane ticket.

"I never in my life had anybody do anything like that for me," Armstrong, a Hopkinsville resident, said.

Armstrong said the Copar workers surprised her with the ticket when she was called into a meeting at the plant kitchen a few days before Christmas.

Everyone at the plant knew she was missing her daughter, Bobbie Jo Wilkinson, who resides near Yelm, Wash. They also knew that Armstrong could not afford to buy a plane ticket without their help.

Armstrong had not seen her daughter and grandchildren in several months. A holiday visit seemed especially important this year because one of Armstrong's grandchildren was recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

And if the plane ticket wasn't enough of a surprise, the Copar workers later added to the generosity by collecting an extra $200 in spending money for Armstrong.

"I never expected anything like that," she said.

Armstrong flew to Seattle on Dec. 28 and returned to Hopkinsville on Jan. 7.

Armstrong, 58, is originally from Michigan and has resided in Hopkinsville for about 30 years.

The Copar plant is in the Hopkinsville Industrial Park off Pembroke Road.