AWOL

Been a while.  And there's been so much news that we need to get a letter off before the big family reunion.  The next letter will be all about the Poconos.

July 4.  Baseball for some, fireworks for others, parade for some, strawberry margaritas for some and lots of food for all, I bet.  Here, it was a soggy parade, that I helped capture on tv, as a volunteer cameraman for the local tv station.  Most of the time though was spent holding an umbrella.  Mary rode her bike down in the rain for the parade.  In the afternoon, we went over to Bob and Jody's for a picnic, and fortunately the rain had ended and even the sun had come up.  Someone there told us about the fireworks on the lake, so at dusk we went over and saw an incredible show.  I can't believe we never knew about it.  Five or six houses around the lake were competing and put on a long display.

We had a nice long visit from John and Marilyn who came up to escape the heat and to go to high school graduation for Haley, their granddaughter (Heather's daughter.)  They were back and forth between Albany and Boston area, before settling here.  We went to a play -- "Thoreau," a one man show -- and out to eat one night.  Then when we went down to Washington last weekend, they stayed and watched the kitty.....go in and out all day long.  Colleen and Pauline, along with Julie and her fiance Tommy joined us for a barbecue one night, yes, in the rain.

Yes, we went to DC, to go see another play, "The Book of Mormon," with Margaret and Andrew.  It lived up to its billings, very creative, entertaining, funny, good music, and edgy.  But a lot of fun.  We went to a barbecue at Joe and Leonore's to round out the weekend.  I took the train home, and Mary stayed in DC to catch up with her friends.

David and Paula had a few days in NYC where they saw the play "The Kind and I," which they recommend highly.  We see on Facebook pictures of Donald (with glasses) coming up on his first birthday and of Oliver the track star.  There may be a foot race or two in the Poconos.

Peter found an article about the monstrous house next door to our Cincinnati home, that burned down a few years back and that he snuck into last summer.  As we all expected, the firse looks like arson for a house that got out of hand.  And, we may have some NJ peaches in the Poconos.  Can't wait.

Annie got back from her month long train ride across America, and she used up all 18 train trips, from Chicago to San Francisco to the Grand Canyon, New Orleans and Washington DC, and lots of stops in betweeen.  She returned in time to come up here for a day and then she started her new job last Monday.  And she likes it!!   And, she had a birthday on Sunday.  Wonderful.

What else?  All star game, women's soccer, tour de france, toe surgery (you don't want to know) and bad coughs.  Rounding out the weeks.

Photos above are from Bill and Jen's boat with their house in the background.  Andrew and Lur and Daniel had gone up to Green Lake for their annual vacation, where they saw Claire who is working at a camp on the lake, and loving it.  

Some sad news; Marj's mother passed away last week.  Marj had been taking care of her at home, unwilling to put her in a nursung home, and gave her extra years, and it was an awful lot of care and work for Marj.  

We are looking forward to seeing almost the whole clan this weekend.  Love from up here.