Thoughts Of Summer On Another Rainy Day

It's almost a week until my mother's birthday. She turns 76 on February 25 and at this rate, it may still be raining, but I'm hopeful that the water will stop falling from the sky soon. It's hard to believe that last year we were getting excited about our trip to Paris and she got her first glimpse of European money. This year, I've sent her a gift that pertains to our latest destination, but I can't tell you what it is since she may read this before she opens the gift.

 If I can, I always try to do something unique and special for birthdays. When I was six or seven, I made a chain out of colored construction paper to decorate at my grandmother's birthday party. It was nothing special, but I worked long and hard on it and I was so proud of it. The day of the party at her sister's house, I ran ahead to string it up in the kitchen. We ate Italian cookies and, I think there was a rum cake. There was always a cake dripping with rum at parties. I'm convinced it's an Italian thing.


My grandmother at her birthday party. I don't know why there's no picture of the chain here. I worked long and hard on it.


I like to think that the trip to Florence is an extension of my mom's birthday celebration. I could have planned the vacation for this month - but that would require that I buy and pack clothes that I do not own. Traveling to where it is cold and could possibly snow will never be high on my list. In fact, I'd probably need to be high to consider either choice. Maybe last year's trip and this one to Italy beats a paper chain, but I do know that even if I gave her that, my mom would be just as happy.