HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARRY

Today is my brother Larry's birthday.

He is my youngest brother.  Actually, my youngest sibling.  I was 16 years old when he was born.  I remember holding him for hours when he was a baby and just being amazed at his little tiny fingernails.  Larry was premature, so he was very tiny.  He and I have always been close despite the age difference between us.

I spoke with him just a little bit ago and he, like everyone else, has this upper respiratory infection.  What a way to spend your birthday!

I stayed home from work today and went to the doctor and that is what I have too.  I thought I just had a stomach virus with my fever, headache and upset stomach.  Imagine my surprise when the doctor said it was mucus in my throat making me lose my voice and giving me nausea.  I'm on antibiotics now and am out of work until Monday.  I've taken just one dose so I'm not feeling better yet, but I know by this time tomorrow I will feel a lot more like myself.  Joe is also sick and did not have the chance to go to the doctor.  He has some over the counter medicine that the pharmacist thinks will help him until he can get to the doctor on Monday.

Larry is the brother who got me into taking pictures of the sunrises.  He is a great photographer -- probably the best of the family.  The other day he posted photos he took at Valley Forge on facebook and I asked him if I could use them for this blog.  He said, "Absolutely!"  Larry lives not too far from Valley Forge and enjoys going there to take photos.  These are my favorites of the ones he posted.

Looking at these I feel as if I have traveled back in time to the 1770s.  I almost expect the troops and George Washington to be walking around.  But as Larry can tell you it was COLD on New Year's Eve when he took these.  We can only imagine how bad those poor soldiers had it.

So happy birthday, Larry.  I know this isn't the best day for you, but I still hope you have a good day.  Hopefully by the weekend we will all be feeling better and be able to have a good time at the restaurant when we go out.  If we go out?  No, I'll be positive and we will be going out to celebrate our birthdays.  If we can't have a cookout like the summer kids in our family the least we can do is go to a nice restaurant.