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Last Sunday, April 2nd, I left Seattle for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is where my parents live and I usually make the trek home once or twice a year. It was good seeing mom and dad and two of my siblings and their families. Of course every visit back to the “Pitt” means a five pound weight gain for me. There is no way I can escape this fact. Believe me through the years I have tried to no avail. It seems everyone wants to feed me as soon as I arrive. I didn’t even have my coat off for five minutes or finished giving everyone their hello kisses and hugs when my mom uttered those famous words of hers, “Come and sit down I made you some spaghetti, or cookies, or rice and steak . . . you must be starving after your long plane ride!” And so it began! And it’s useless, I’m not kidding, trying to persuade her that you are not hungry. So I gave up a long time ago and just accepted the fact that whenever I go home, eating and weight gain will be part of my annual visit home. But as soon as I get home I hit the gym and add a few extra miles to my bike rides until I am back to my normal weight again.

This year my sister Christine and I took mom to Phipps for the annual flower show. Mom really enjoyed it and I did too. Christine said she had a great time also. And of course we took dad out for his birthday, he turned 89 on April third. We had family and friends join us and dad was the man of the hour. He was tickled pink. My sister’s mother-in-law always invites me to her house for a huge spaghetti dinner whenever I am in town. And this year was no exception. She cooked enough food for twenty people and there were only eight of us! She had spaghetti, chicken parmesan, hot Italian sausages with green peppers and onions. I swear fifty meatballs, Italian bread, stuffed hot peppers, salad, pork cooked in the sauce and two desserts! The two desserts were, her made from scratch double chocolate cake frosted with her “cooked” homemade frosting and a pineapple coconut pound cake in the shape of a rose petal! These cakes were not made from any old boxed cake mix, no no they were made from scratch and they were delicious!

Thank God my weeks visit was over and it was time to fly home. The elastic on my pants were pretty stretched (I knew better then to bring pants with buttons or zippers!), mom and friends had done their job.

Well here I am back home. I wanted to get a ride in today but I had too much to do. My sister said that she would be coming out this July for a visit and would bring mom and dad with her. I look forward to them finally coming to see me.