I’ve had some unexpected pleasures recently. My granddaughter, Shauna’s mother invited Vickie, Patricia, and I to breakfast at IHOP in Teaneck, NJ to celebrate Shauna’s 29th birthday on Saturday, September 12th.

We inquired about a possible birthday deal, and sure enough, Shauna was entitled to a 5-stack of buttermilk pancakes, which they allowed her to substitute for her favorite silver-dollar pancakes. Before Shauna and her mother picked us up, I got a surprise call from my grandson, John, who lives in Toms River, NJ. He and his wife, Christine, had been invited to a wedding. When they realized the wedding was to be an all-day affair, John decided to stay home rather than get a babysitter for their 2 ½ year old son, Scotty. John called to say he would be bringing Scotty to us for a visit. It had been awhile since we had seen Scotty so we were delighted.

John was first taking Scotty to Van Saun Park in Paramus before coming to my house. At Van Saun, they rode on the Merry-Go-Round and train and visited the zoo. We later heard all about the animals from Scotty and saw the pictures that John had taken. Scotty, who will be three next month, got to demonstrate how clever he is by counting to forty, counting to ten in Spanish, and reciting the days of the week. Scotty also enjoyed playing with our cat and even fed her. He has a cat which he feeds, so he already has a chore which he is so proud to be doing. Scotty enjoyed his time with Nana June and showing off his ability to march and sing and we both giggled a lot. It was a wonderful day, the memories of which I will cherish forever.