Long time no write

Cleaning, cleaning-- how the madness takes hold of you once you start.  I can go for weeks (months?) not noticing how downright dirty things get but once I look beyond the surface, the white tornado takes over.  Here are the contents of my dining room shelves removed for cleaning-- and I cleaned so well that I found a jelly bean from some long ago Easter.  And no, I didn't eat it and that means it was really gross.

Last weekend I spent Saturday fretting over three problems -- things that felt like big problems although many people would have gladly traded for them.  First, I misplaced something very important-- so important that I can't say what it was (people would never trust me again) .  In truth, I hid it and then could not remember where.  So, I tore my room apart and just before giving up and going to bed (I was hoping the hiding place would be revealed in a dream), I looked one more time and there it was.  Second the dog smelled horrible and we gave him a bath and he still smelled horrible and I realized that the smell was coming from his ears and I would have to face up to a vet visit.  Third, and worst of all, I could not find my camera.  Without my camera, no pictures, without pictures, no blog!  

Now, five days later, I know where my important thing is, I have been to the vet and my sister found my camera in her car-- yes, the car is in Pittsburgh but no matter, I will soon be back in business.  

So why Pittsburgh?  My sister, see beautiful woman above, was born on 3 July 1952.  That makes her now sixty years old.  Learning that there was a party planned I talked with her on the phone and said that there was no way I could or would drive 800 miles to be there.  When I rang off, however, I started to think about it.  Her 60th... my first sibling to reach that milestone...and a party being planned?  Heck, I would go and I would suggest to Sybil and Kate that they go also-- it seemed a very long shot but right away Kate agreed that it was a big deal...she was in.  Sybil thought she was too busy but in the end she couldn't resist. Monday night July 2nd found me in Greenfield where I met with the other two and at 5:30 on Tuesday morning we hit the road.  It was a great ride with lots of time to talk, no near accidents and safe arrival in Pittsburgh at about 4:00.  We spent the Fourth (hot as blazes outside) hanging out with fans blowing on us and the next morning we beat sticks back to Greenfield.  If I had my camera, there would be pictures.