A Sunday Drive

A Sunday drive conjures up images of childhood and everybody piling into dad's car to go to the beach or on a picnic. Well in the summer on the weekend my father's whole family (he came from a family of 8 children) would pack up the kids and go to my Uncle Joe's place. He owned a restaurant and a bowling alley back then. He had a swimming pool with a huge patio built in his yard so that all his family could get together. And we did! All summer long my aunts, uncles and cousins would go to Uncle Joe's house on the weekends. There were the aunts and uncles, over twenty cousins, and assorted friends. There was always a crowd but it never felt crowded. We always had a good time. Last Christmas at my cousin Donna's Christmas party she played some old home videos she found of a day at the pool. How great it was to see us all young and vibrant, all our parents still alive. What a nice remembrance that was.

Today we took a Sunday drive to points south to visit another garden state family spending some time in Florida. Tony and Mike are also going back and forth between states. Tony and my husband met while teaching in the same school and they hit it off. When I met Tony and Mike I understood immediately how they became such good friends. When you're with them you feel like you've known them forever. Tony has moved on to a Principal's position in another school district but her daughter is still a teacher in Elizabeth. Well they were the most gracious of hosts, they wined us and dined us, and made us very comfortable in their home. We shared that it's odd that we summer in Florida when we'd like to be here in the winter, but that's the job. We all get to spend Christmas here but none of us are crazy about going back to the cold. At one point I said something with my maiden name in it and Tony told me that she went to school with one of my cousins and that her mother was close to my aunt. She described my cousin to a tee. What a small world it is. The time spent there flew but we needed to get back to Bradenton so that I could get packed for my trip back North tomorrow. ugh. I'd really don't want to go back to work.
And here's Liddy. I haven't taken many pictures lately and forgot I took this. This was last Sunday after she got her hair cut. It was harder than pulling teeth to convince her to cut it. Does anyone know who Veronica Lake is anymore? She's even before my time but I know she had some fame about her hair covering her eye or something like that. Liddy likes to wear her hair covering her eye. Drives teachers nuts, makes me a little crazy but I can live with it. Here she's doing her roar. Don't know why, but she likes to roar. Maybe it's genetic and she's easily amused too!?
With the visiting today and travelling tomorrow I probably won't get around to card making till Tuesday. I'm feeling withdrawal pangs already.