Winged Birthday Wishes

Butterflies of all colors and varieties dipped and soared around us in a joyful dance.

The birthday girl is hiding behind my hair.

Yep, it must be Denise's birthday.

Or, rather, it was, a couple of weeks ago. But yesterday was the day for the sisters celebration.

To mark the second annual celebration of my second-oldest sister, we made our first stop the Junk Bash at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Luckily, it was an indoor event, since it was a very cold, blustery March day. Billed as a "Vintage Boutique," the venue boasted a number of artisans who displayed everything from jewelry made from spoons, typewriter keys and watch innards, to bird houses crafted from license plates and doorknobs.

We surprised the birthday girl with a purse she admired. The front featured a photo of the Beatles from the Rubber Soul album; the back was a vinyl album. The material that lined the inside of the purse had musical notes on it. I surreptitiously went back and bagged the prize, and it wasn't until the end of the evening that Diane and I presented it to her, amid oohs and aahs of joy and delight.

Back to the Junk Bash...the three of us each purchased a necklace. Diane got an octopus, Denise an elephant and weirdo me got the girl made of spoon parts.

Because I didn't want to forget about my significant other, but I knew he wasn't looking for scented soap or a salvaged mailbox, I brought him back some caramels made with Irish whiskey. (They lasted about five minutes, if you're wondering.)

Next on the agenda was the Franklin Park Conservatory, where we observed flora and butterflies. It's Denise's go-to place to relax and unwind. There wasn't a whole lot blooming outside, but inside it was all lush and tropical, an ideal environment for the flying beauties. Alas, there were no monarchs flitting about to help us celebrate. But plenty of other species, none of which I could name, many of which my sister could.

Italian was the cuisine of choice for dinner. Very yummy. Followed by ice cream at Graeters. I would say I'm not going to eat for a week, but we all know better.

All in all, I'm pretty sure my sister had a righteous birthday celebration.

My sisters rock.

And, seriously, I'm not just saying that because my birthday is next.