Quintessentially Quilly

I arrived in Spokane, WA on Thursday evening. My sister, Caryl’s, surprise party was planned for Saturday afternoon, so she couldn’t know I was in town. I stayed with my sister Jackie. I spent an afternoon with my cousin Linda and some time with a couple of old high school friends.

My sister’s party was held at a pizza place and she thought she was going there because her kids from Seattle came into town and told her that’s where they wanted to gather so all the siblings and the cousins could visit. Grown ups could talk, kids could play, everybody could eat, and nobody had to clean up.

We had family members from far and near waiting in the party room for my sister to arrive. There were more people in the room then there were chairs. For once we all managed to be quiet. Caryl came to the door, looked in the room and saw all of us. We yelled surprise. She put her hands over her face, turned around and walked away. Of course we all laughed in glee.

When she quit crying and came back, several of us got scolded — especially me because when she had called me that morning to wish me a happy birthday, she’d asked where I was. I couldn’t very well say, “Oh, I’m sitting in a Barnes and Noble about 10 miles from your house,” but she knew I wasn’t home, so I lied to her.  She thought I was still at the Avon gathering in Mt. Vernon, WA. several hundred miles away.  She also thought I was headed home that night.

In fact, we’ve all been telling her tales for about three weeks.  It isn’t easy to keep a secret that big for that long, especially when we have to communicate with each other for other reasons.  I told my uncle that my sister Jackie has shingles and has been in a lot of pain.  My uncle mentioned something to Caryl about it when he was talking to her.  Caryl was surprised and asked my uncle when he’d spoken to Jackie.  My uncle said he hadn’t.  Caryl wanted to know how he knew Jackie has shingles.  My uncle, who is over 80 and still menatally sharp, immediately had an Alzheimer’s attack.

Next Caryl calls Jackie and wants to know when she’d talked to Uncle Jess (because Caryl and Jackie talk on the phone at least 3 times a day and they always tell each other everything).  It was a “Why didn’t you tell me?” type thing.  Jackie, clueless, says, “I haven’t talked to Uncle Jess.”  So Caryl wants to know how Uncles Jess knows that Jackie has shingles.  Jackie realizes I must have told him, but she was quick enough to respond, “Oh, hell, Caryl, I don’t know.  I wrote about it on Facebook.  Maybe one of the cousins told him.”

We were all taken to task by our tales.  Much laughter and enjoyment followed as we relished our deceptions.  In just an hour we are gathering again.  This time we will be at my sister Jackie’s house and, since we were celebrating Caryl’s birthday on my actual birthdate (her birthday was April 3rd), today we are celebrating mine.  As the guest of honot I better get myself up the mountain.

Thank you, each and everyone of you for your patience and your wonderful birthday wishes.  I won’t actuially be heading homeuntil Tuesday morning, but now that I don’t have to hide anymore, I might have an easier time accessing wifi. I hope to visit all of your blogs soon and see what you’ve been up to.