Surprise!!!

Seems so long ago that I wrote a blog!! I just had to write about this, however. In February I was invited to a surprise 75th birthday party for my sister in the Phila. area. It took only a few days for me to decide that I MUST go. It has been almost two years since I saw any of my siblings and their families. The party was to be at the Concordville Inn, a place of historic interest in the area. I made my plans--called brother to see if I could stay with his family for a couple nights. Of course, he said they would be pleased to have a visitor. Made plane arrangements and things were set in motion. The party-giver requested that when we replied, we should select one of three entrees on the menu. That was the easy part. My niece sent me an e-mail saying that WOW, would Mom be very, very surprised!!. Indeed, she was.
The night of the party, she was brought to the Inn by her son, and only when they did not get seated in the main dining room, did she think something was awry. She was ushered into a private dining room where we (about 50 of us) were waiting to yell "Surprise!" She was floored, needless to say. She meandered around the room and bumped into me. She asked who I was. (Her vision is poor temporarily due to recent cataract surgery.) When I said that I was her sister, she really was surprised. She had no idea about any of this and my coming from so far away made that very special for her.

Among the guests were eight of her former co-workers, including her boss, a brother, two sisters, three children, two grandchildren, several nieces with their spouses, her daughter's in-laws, some close neighbors, a sister-in-law and her husband and daughter and some other close friends of her son.

All in all it was such a nice party from beginning to end. The food was excellent and everything was elegant. Lots of pictures were taken with the disposable cameras on each table, plus those who brought their own.

I am certain it will be a long time before my sister forgets her 75th birthday.