Birthday girls

Twenty years apart in age only

When your parents decide to have kids and forget to stop, you end up with wide differences in ages. Today my dear sister Fia is fifty years old, and in a few short days I will turn seventy. Last night all six of us siblings got together to celebrate. Ten years ago we gathered for the same event, rented a karaoke machine and all made fools of ourselves, having a great time doing it.

Last night we went to Fia's apartment clubhouse, a place large enough for us to have a gathering for us all to share a pre-Thanksgiving feast. I guess it's necessary to start stretching your stomach for the Big Day. (smile) Actually, since not everyone could celebrate Thanksgiving together, we had it early. It was wonderful, but of course I ate too much. It's a family tradition, not to mention it's almost un-American NOT to overeat on that one day out of the year. Unfortunately we are extending it out over several days.

Me, Norma Jean, PJ, Buz, Markee, Fia

Whenever we are together, we have the obligatory photo placing us in birth order, oldest to youngest. You might notice a little gremlin behind PJ; that's Chad, Fia's son. It was wonderful to see everyone again. Norma Jean and I talk on video chat frequently, so we didn't have to catch up.

PJ (whose name is really Patricia June but she's always been PJ to the family) is my sister who loves to tell jokes, so she had us all laughing (or groaning) for hours. Buz's name is really Norman Francis, but he has always been Buz or Buzzy to the family. He and his lovely wife Phyllis are hosting both Norma Jean and me for the duration. Markee (which is a contraction of Mary Katherine) lives with her family in Alberta, Canada and is very close to Fia (short for Sofia). They see each other more often than any of the rest of us.

It's only Monday and already there is talk about going to a restaurant for dinner tonight to celebrate Fia's birthday. More food, but at least a restaurant meal is finite, rather than huge mounds of food like last night's dinner, which consisted of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, three different salads, and three kinds of pie with actual heavy whipped cream. Even if you eat a tiny amount of each one, you end up groaning at the end of the meal.

Buz just said that since Thanksgiving is Thursday, we need to plan a couple of big dinners to keep keep up our regimen. One-two-one-two-CHOMP!
:-)