Alice - The best big sister anyoe could ever have!

When asked to share some fond memories, my mind was flooded with stories of Alice and all the fun we have had.  Siblings are the best things our parents bring into our lives - our first friends.

I remember when I was a kids, Alice was up getting ready for work and I was about to get up for school.  I sneezed a few times and Alice shouted from the bathroom, where she was doing her hair. "If you sneeze one more time, you are not going to school!"  I don't remember if I sneezed, I don't remember if I went to school, I just remember being so amazed that she had that kind of power - to keep me home from school.

We can all laugh out loud remembering when Kate ws learning the guitar and Alice decided to sing along to Puff the Magic Dragon!

We had so many fun adventures together from Friday night dinners out with Alice and John, barbeques in their backyard in Levittown, cruises, vacations - what wonderful good times we had together.

I will never forget how incredulous Raymond was to find out that he wasn't her ONLY godchild.  I don't knowif he is over it yet!

Alice, Donna and I enjoyed our "annual pilgrimage to Lenox" - we had such laughs.  It wasn't about the Lenox, it was about being together - John Fuller cooking us dinner and spending the night at Donna and John's house.  I can still laugh out loud thinking of Alice taking off witht he wrong shopping card, dodging down the aisles to get to the next sale item, finally looking in her cart to see a frightened little black girl anxiously looking for her mother!

Another great idea we had was when Lora and Joe were getting married and Kate was hosting a shower for Lora.  We all wanted to attend and figured on a way we could travel together.  Alice drove down from her house to mine (about 1 1/2 hour ride) then got in my car and I drove to Donna's (another 1 1/2 hours).  From there we all got in Donna's car and she drove to Kate's (another 2 hours).  We thought we were so clever and enjoyed each other's company for the ride.  Until we had to reverse it! Thunder storms came in on our way home - extending the trip between each of our homes.  From kate's back to Donna's - drom Donna's back to my house and then Alice had the last leg of the trip o her own.  We didn't think this through - now it was late, raining and Alice was driving back upstate alone.  The whole trip back too about 7 hours - putting Alice in the car for over 12 hours total for the day.  The shower was about 2 hours long!  When Alice finally called to say she was home, I tried to suggest a better idea for next time....she wouldn't let me finish my sentence - she just kept saying. "There will be NO next time!"

Alice was the family record keeper.  She could tell you when anything in our past happened - and she had the funniest way of remembering.  If you asked her say, what year did something happen, she would reply - "Oh, that was 1987, I remember becasue that was they year we got a new kitchen sink".  We never knew show she made the connections, but she was always right!

I read once that a sibling is the longest relationship we have in our lives. I will be forever gratetul for having Alice in my life!  Donna summed it up so perfectly when she said, "She was the best of us!"