Hard to believe we have another rainless day!  So far.  The rest of the week looks as if we're back in a pattern of at least a shower or two every day.  So, enjoy the sun while you can.

Bill Rossi's birthday is coming right up.  It is on July 9, so if you'd like to send a card, I'm sure he'd enjoy hearing from Joe's Pond friends.  His address is:  
Bill Rossi
The Residence at Shelburne Bay
185 Pine Haven Shores 
Shelburne, VT 05482. 

If you happen to be in the area, I'm sure he'd enjoy a visit, too.   

This is a "month of birthdays" for us.  Granddaughter Tangeni, middle son Bob, Bill Rossi, daughter-in-law Monika and our friend, Elisabeth all have July birthdays.  Tangeni called the other night to invite us to her birthday party on Sunday.  I sure hope it's a nice day - I know the bedlam of a dozen or more kids her age romping outside, and inside could be a real zoo.  Kids that age have high energy. 

Thinking about her party reminds me of when her sister, Jo-Anne was having parties - she was 10 or 11 at the time - and had frequent parties with her girlfriends.  Almost without fail, one little boy would crash their party.  He was a little younger than they were, I think, and would ride his bike to the party and join in the fun.  I suspect he was more interested in the food than he was games or girls.  Of course, we had lots of fun teasing Jo-Jo about how he followed her around.

I probably had a party or two for my birthday when I was a kid, but I remember only one.  I was about Tangeni's age, I suppose, and all the kids in our neighborhood came.  I don't think I knew about it ahead of time because I recall being excited that there were so many kids there.  My mother had hung an umbrella from the ceiling somehow, and  presents were in it.   I don't recall what any of the gifts were, but I do remember being really surprised and happy that the umbrella turned out to be for me, too.  It was apparently something I'd been wanting - and needed for my walks to school.  I like umbrellas.  I like walking in that dry cylinder of space while the world around me gets soaked.  

We have lots of umbrellas - a big blue one with yellow smiley faces we used at Bob's concert last week, a pretty lavender one that folds small enough to tuck into my carry-all bag, a black one to keep in the car, etc.  The one in the car is often in the trunk, so one of us has to get wet just getting it out to use.  And then there's one that screws onto a folding beach chair for shade, and the big market-size umbrella that nearly covers our whole deck . . . and a fragile antique parasol that I don't dare open for fear it will fall apart.  I think it belonged to someone in Grandmother Dimick's family, possibly her mother, Mrs. May.  And that's the end of my umbrella collection and for meandering down memory lane today.  If you made it to here, I thank you.  You're a true friend.