We spent the weekend in our beautiful Poconos lake house celebrating our beloved friend Shana’s 40th birthday.  (It’s nice to keep company with such wonderful people turning 40 this year.)  And I say “our” lake house because we stayed there a couple of years ago for Shannon’s birthday, who we very much missed this weekend because she lives too far away and is too busy with school right now.  Highlights this time around include meeting Shana’s sister Aliza who looks and sounds quite familiar and fooled us more than once, seeing Venus clear as day through Huck’s telescope, playing in an early morning snowfall, sitting near the cozy fireplace, sitting in the cozy hot tub while watching Troy and John jump into the freezing cold lake in their swim trunks, playing a personalized version of Apples to Apples called Shanas to Shanas, enjoying guitar singalongs (especially a particularly beautiful version of “Tiny Dancer”), eating amazing food prepared by Allison and the two Johns, spending time with Cheesie who came all the way from Arizona & gave Troy his annual haircut, Huck’s nightly “beditations” by Shana, getting to know little Michael and his great parents, sending balloons out into the universe (our apologies to the environment), and taking a wonderful hike to some beautiful waterfalls.

I can’t stop thinking about that big house for sale down the street …