Normally this time of year Dear Husband and I make a trip to Indiana to celebrate my youngest sister’s birthday. It’s rather odd….we drive down and act like couch potatoes, and she slaves over meals for us, and finds great ways to entertain us. It seems backward to me. SHE should be the one we are waiting on.
This year, it was a bit odder still. She packed up her 20-something daughters, their boyfriends, her husband, the dog and half the house and came to us for a short weekend. We met at Portillo’s for lunch on Saturday, and then spent a couple of quiet hours catching up and settling in. Sis organized a pizza order and she and DH went off to pick it up, While they were away, I began baking Vernice Kastman rolls for Easter dinner.
After dinner, DH put together his famous lasagna, which is offered at every holiday gathering in this house. Sis did dishes as fast as we got them dirty, and had things pretty well under control by the time we older four decided it was time for bed. The kids were awake for hours more, but the rest of us knew that we needed to get enough rest to make it through the next day.
Sunday morning Sis was up to walk the dog, and I caught up with her around 7:00 a.m. I made an egg casserole, and set out cereal, fruit, fruit juice and bagels. One of the boys told me that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had breakfast, but that didn’t stop him from eating it! Sis prepared crudites, and my step-daughter arrived with her spinach dip.
My-Sister-The-Nurse brought most of her family to join us on Sunday. She arrived around noon bearing two hams, a roaster filled with funeral potatoes, a vat of pickled eggs and beets, and assorted other goodies. I made cauliflower with browned bread crumbs, roasted sweet potatoes, tiny French green beans, bread pudding and a pan variation on S’Mores. My brother in law made a dark fudge cake, and my nieces brought green bean casserole, corn, and raspberry pretzel salad. By the time we added DH’s lasagna, and his Caesar salad, the island was almost overwhelmed! I’m still stuffed…….and so is my refrigerator!
I love these family gatherings. I like having the chance to talk to my relatives, I like seeing how the little ones have grown. We’ll have some wonderful pictures to share soon. My next to youngest niece is a superb photographer and she took wonderful pictures of the littlest members of the family, hamming it up and in repose. She will send some of them to me, and I’ll try to post a few of them here.
MSTN and her daughter washed the dishes for me. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. This year they FINALLY talked me into using plastic plates and cups. We put the glasses in the dishwasher and they washed silverware and serving pieces. I kept trying to help, but they kept saying, “GO SIT DOWN!!!”
Frankie and her family were the first to leave, because they had to return to central Indiana. Two loads of cars went to Frankie’s home, and then the girls and their boyfriends reorganized their things and drove on to their respective universities. Both the girls had work to be turned in on Monday so I know that it was difficult for them to devote those two days to us, but I’m so glad they did.
And Frankie’s birthday celebration…? It will be a little quieter this year than most, but I think she made up for it this weekend. Although she’s not posting at the moment, I hope that she will post this summer and tell you about her return to “throwing pots.” She’s quite the artist, and it contemplating a new career in clay. (Besides, she nags ME to post….she should TOO!!)
So, I hope your weekend, and your Easter celebration was as wonderful as ours. If you find yourself alone for a holiday in the future, join us here. We love visitors!