What a long, great trip it's been.

Not much I can say about the last little vacation will do it justice.

When my wife was just a little girl (in New Jersey), she became fast friends with a neighbor girl named Rita and they’ve stayed friends through everything thereafter. Rita married a very successful businessman in New York. We’ve seen them in New York on several occasions and always marveled at his generosity.

Friday was a “big” birthday for Rita, but as far as she knew it was to be a quiet weekend at their beach house. To her knowledge, there would be only four guests present (one sister with her husband and two children). Thursday she was surprised and delighted to come back from errands and see a dozen of her relatives, all of whom were staying for the weekend.

Throughout Friday and Saturday more family and friends came at odd intervals. Friday night featured a dinner out for seventy. Saturday featured a clambake for about the same number (lobsters, clams, mussels, steaks) complete with a talented singer. Never seen anything like it. Enjoyed the shellfish along with a steak, red wine and a cigar.

Only glitch in the trip was a four-hour delay in our westbound flight last night.