Come Together

Thank goodness it remained absolutely gorgeous when I stepped out this morning to run a few errands on the White Horse Pike. The sun was bright and warm as I headed down to the bank to deposit money from my regular paycheck and vacation paycheck. Since I was in the neighborhood, I went a few blocks down to the Post Office to buy a book of stamps. The bank was dead, but there was a short line at the Post Office that was quickly dispatched when a second teller opened.

I headed home and tidied up around my apartment. I wasn't sure if Mom and Anny and Keefe would be coming over later or not. I vacuumed. I put books away. I found a basket for my sewing and crochet items. I made my bed. I straightened dolls and put up windows.

Went over to Uncle Ken and Dad's around 11 to help out with the party. As it turned out, Dad and Jodie were mostly done by the time I arrived. Jodie had almost all of the food done but the baked black bean dip and the yogurt dip for the fruit. I did get to help Dad bring three coolers to the porch and load them with ice. One had beer, one cans of soda, and one bottles of water. I got bored after that and went for a walk, stopping briefly at CVS to pick up something...and forgetting what it was. I didn't remember until just an hour ago! (It was Raid. I'm seeing ants in the kitchen again.)

The party was just starting when I arrived. There were so many people! Eventually, I saw Rose and Craig, Dolores and Uncle Ken, many of their friends from the restaurant in Haddon Heights where they work, Rose's long-time friend Sheila and her husband Jerome (she's pregnant, too - her baby shower was yesterday!), Craig's mother and stepfather, my cousin Samantha and her little daughter Faith, Mom, Keefe, Anny, her new boyfriend John, Skylar, Dad's friends Diane and Brian who have lived in West Cape May for as long as I can remember, and my friend Erica and her mother Miss Helen who live next-door to Jodie, Jodie's son TJ and his friend, and a few other friends of Uncle Ken's and Dad's.

Rose and Craig got lots and lots of beautiful baby items from everyone! Most people, not surprisingly, gave them clothes. Mom gave them beautiful blankets she'd sewn and crocheted. Diane and Brian gave them a child-sized stool they'd built and painted themselves! I gave them the just-retired 2-disc DVD for Disney's The Jungle Book, which I found a few weeks ago at the big FYE behind the Acme where I work. Rose was looking for it at the Best Buy in Cherry Hill when we were out shopping in late January, but they were out of it.

There was tons of food, too. I had a pulled pork sandwich, macaroni salad, green salad, tortilla chips, pretzels, and items from the fruit, cheese, and veggie trays. Rose and Craig brought platters of cute little pastries from Dessert By Design, the wonderful bakery that also did my birthday cake last year. I brought a Banana-French Vanilla Mousse Pie. Erica and one of Rose's friends brought plates of chocolate-covered pretzels. And there was the stuff I didn't eat - meatballs (they were gone before I could have some), potato salad, potato chips, a strawberry pudding pie.

I was really hoping Mom, Keefe, Anny, John, and Sky could visit me today too, but they all had things to do this evening. After we took tons of group shots on the front lawn next to the pool area, they had to leave. I was disappointed, even though Mom had said they would visit next month when Keefe is on spring break, now that they know how to get up here.

I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed. I never thought I'd see all (or close to all) of my relatives in one place! Rose said she has a book she borrowed from me that she wants to return. She'll come over tomorrow for a cup of tea.