Family and Friends

This has been the best weekend. It started Friday morning when we drove toward Tampa to meet youngest sister, Suzanne, at the Hard Rock Casino. I lost but had a lot of fun, and the children's inheritance is still intact. We then drove South to Sarasota and youngest brother Dave's beautiful home. Suzanne came down with Judy and I and When she called to tell him,he suggested he better get more wine.

When we had been in Savannah in December on the roof of the Bohemia Hotel, we had a really good wine but as the evening wore on, we had a better one. We likened it to the wedding in Cana. I had asked David if we could have that good wine this weekend and he said he already had some laid by. On arrival, he very proudly showed us that he had found Mother's hand written Pizza recipe and he told us he was going to prepare it from scratch for the first time. So while we enjoyed Rombauer on the lanai, little brother fixed supper. His wife, Joanne, came home from work and brother, Richard, came by with Karen. And at one point David brought the completed Pizza out for us to ooh and aah over and when it was done it tasted as good as it looked. We sat at the kitchen table eating David's first Wanda's Pizza, drinking Rombauer, laughing, ragging on each other and reminiscing as only siblings can.

On Saturday while Suzanne and Joanne went to an estate sale, Judy and I drove over to Bradenton to meet a high school classmate of mine, Elaine Bianchi Rosier. She has not changed. Okay, she's fifty-eight years older, but the voice is the same and that great laugh still rolls out of her toes. At this age, she is taking piano lessons again, playing duets with one granddaughter and accompanying a grandson, who is a violinist, when he performs. How cool is that?

Saturday evening we all went to a wonderful Italian restaurant and had dinner with Peoria legend, Pete Vonachen, who if you don't know who he is, is a great storyteller. We heard how he became a baseball team owner, and how he met Harry Carey and other stories. A fun evening. And on the way home we stopped at nephew, Zach's condo. Zachary moved out on his own this year. A nice place and he reassured me that I am still his favorite Aunt. Suzi and Judy just rolled their eyes. If Carol is reading this, she's rolling her eyes too.

This afternoon after a stop at an estate sale - things were half priced today, - we drove down to Fort Myers to visit our cousin, Chuck Martin. Chuck had a light heart attack about a month ago. They put a stint in a blocked vein. He is feeling and looks great, and has a very nice condo. He took us on a tour downtown, - we saw some beautiful homes on the river, we ate at a sidewalk cafe and just enjoyed a couple of hours with him. About five we headed home. Family and friends and a good wine. What could be better than that?