to look a lot like summer! And every day more so. Even today, when it was cold and cloudy and drizzly. We've been spending a lot of time in the garden cleaning out and mulching the flower and garden beds. It's a lot of hard work, for a brief period every spring. Then we get to enjoy it all summer long.
Lots of news this week. First, happy birthday Sean. Some great photos of Sean through the years on Facebook yesterday. Hope you spent the day after Friday the 13th in a lucky way!
Next, bon voyage to Claire, who left for Vienna this week for six weeks of music workshops/seminars and homestays! She had a performance last weekend at the Hope graduation, then packed up and headed back home for a few days before getting on board the big bird. Hope to see some photos and hear some stories. She'll return in early July and then head to Green Lake where she'll be a camp counselor again, just like Grandma was in the 1940s.
Then, welcome home to Margaret who returned from ten days in Nigeria and Cameroun. She also posted some wonderful photos on Facebook, including one with her arm around a young Nigerian deaf woman who will be coming to the US this summer on an exchange program. You'll have to ask Margaret about her cross-cultural talks preparing people for what to expect when they arrive. Somehow, the debate now over transgender bathrooms does not translate into the African context.
Speaking of which, Mary and I went to see "From This Day Forward," a documentary movie about a transgender father, made by his daughter. Timely, and lots to discuss.
And finally, happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the clan. Must have been a special one for Bill and Jen, who are celebrating with a newborn. Annie came over the weekend, and then took advantage of her being here to head to Schenectedy on Monday for work. I tried to get her car inspected, but it looks like a major repair bill, so she has a big decision coming up. Lew and Marj were also here for the weekend.
Right now, Mary is at her first swim meet since we returned. She says she's still hasn't returned to form, but had to jump back in to it. When she left this morning she said the meet was in Great Britain. I'm hoping that's in Connecticut; okay maybe she said New Britain.
This weekend, Joe and Leonor are not in Europe, but in Pomfret. Joe went back for his 15th reunion. Can it really be 15 years? You can imagine the tour he's giving Leonor, of Meadow Rock Farm, the Vanilla Bean, Dayville. Maybe the dump and Spag's?
Speaking of schools, Andrew sent a letter he wrote to the Lawrentian about Paul Porter, the housemaster of Griswold at Lawrenceville who recently passed away. A special teacher, who touched three Dicksons' lives. He got a nice note back from the editor of the alumni magazine.
More on schools, we spoke with David who said that he and Paula were thinking about coming east for the Darrow alumni day. Hope they do (and hope this nudges them a little.)
I too have jumped back into my projects, mostly history ones. I signed up for tours at Arrowhead and Hancock Shaker Village again this summer, though not as heavy a schedule as I had last year. We've also joined an effort to get on the ballot this fall an initiative to raise money for the preservation of Pittsfield's historic buildings. While at one meeting, we saw the photo on the wall of the the Pontoosuc Lake parking lot, some time in the 1950s, it looks from the makes of the cars. What struck us were the houses in the background!! Another summer, long ago. I think we owned a car like the station wagon on the left.
Hope you all are thriving. Love from up here.
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