Question of the week.
How best to pick yourself up after doing taxes all day, and figuring out the gi-normous bill to Uncle Sam? One would think it would be baseball. And so, with Margaret and Andrew, Melodie and Jeffrey and Melodie's cousin, we sought our escape. A good time was had by all, but a better time by those who don't live and die by the Reds. The Nationals spanked the Reds. Consolation? Mary said the game was short. Nice to see Melodie and Jeffrey who look great.
It does serve as a highlight since the last letter. Still, there were others.
Mary headed north during her spring break, first to spend time with Marj and Lew at their new, beautifully renovated home, and then to check in on Dan and Maura, Steve and Elsie. Despite a flat tire a mere 30 minutes away from her final destination, compounded by the fact that this fancy hybrid has a battery that is so big there's no place for a spare tire, Mary did not let it spoil her time in RI. I flew up to Boston and we headed for dinner with Joe and Marj and Lew, at a restaurant near Joe's home.
We spent the night with Joe, and then had breakfast the next morning with Steve, my college roommate, who told us he had had a heart attack and an operation to put in a stent. We're that age, and he is probably the most fit person I know. It is his genes, and he says it would have been a different story had he not exercised his whole life. We then had lunch with the Lochery's, our British friends from Lagos who have become U.S. citizens (go team!) and whose children have continued to be intertwined with ours. Joe and their oldest daughter who were together in playgroup in Lagos, ended up being housemates in a group house a couple of years ago.
We headed to Pittsfield, and the next day Joe helped me burn the huge pile of brush that had been cleared out over the past year. Danny came with lobsters for all, and the all included Peace Corps friend Charlie and his family, who were up north looking at colleges for their son. On Easter we our continuing a tradition of fancy dinner out (remember The Harvest) with a dinner at the Red Lion Inn. We saw John and Marilyn that night and their granddaughter Natalie put on a cello recital for us.
The weekend before Peter had come down to DC for a banjo workshop, that I joined him at. Fun. He was driving his nice Red Saturn, which I believe does have a spare tire.
Out west, or at least as far west as anyone in this family, we hear news of basketball (Daniel), oboe recitals at Easter (Claire) and college trips for Claire. Any news on Miles? Photo?
Coming up is Peter's birthday, and Sean's birthday and Mother's Day!
One major sad note was the passing of Aunt Ruth, Mom and Pop's sister-in-law, who has been valiantly struggling with cancer and eye problems for years. She had gone down to Texas to be near her daughter Debbie as her health was failing. We had seen Aunt Ruth last May, when she, Debbie and Rod had come to Meadow Lakes. Her memorial service, David and Paula inform us, will be May 18.
Love from down here.
