Spring break

Most people (of a certain age) go south for their spring school break.  For Mary's spring break, we followed Horace Greeley's advice and went west.  All the way to Michigan, through Rochester and Cleveland, and back home via Stratford, Ontario.  There were many highlights, but top among them was seeing you all - David and Paula, Annie, Andrew Lur and Claire.  More later.

First, though, we begin our spring letter with Easter, which we hosted here with Joe and Leonor, Margaret and Andrew and Annie joining us for the long weekend.  We were pleased that Lenor's mother, Patricia, was able to see this neck of the woods, as she had come over from Portugal for a two-week visit that coincided with Easter.  It was the first time we overflowed, but we figured out sleeping arrangements with Joe drawing the short straw and getting the couch.  The experience caused us to bring in a local architect to figure out how to finish the basement.

Anyway, back to the weekend, with first arrivals coming Thursday.  Margaret called to say that D had been attacked by dogs at their park and as a result of his wounds they were unlikely to be able to come.  When they woke on Friday, the dog was normal despite the wounds around his neck and leg, that included some plastic tube to drain the yucky stuff (medical terminology).  So they made it up.   It was another 36 hours in the Berkshires with trips to the outlets, to our favorite wine and food store, a special lecture at the library (featuring me expounding on the old mills in the county,) Easter service, and our latest tradition, dinner at the Red Lion Inn.  

With our house emptied out, we welcomed Maura and her 7-year-old daughter Elsie the following day.  It had been a while since we had seen them and Elsie had grown up.  One of her favorite things is writing.  She left little notes around the house, for Joe and Leonor with names for boys, and other things.  Cute.  Elsie also helped plant our first crop - potatoes.  We set out on our journey the following day, but they stayed in Pittsfield a few more days, taking care of the kitty, and then performing a heroic service that saved one day of our trip.

Anyway, on to Rochester and David and Paula's lovely village home, that looks even lovelier in the spring.  What a great town.  I keep saying it looks like a movie set.  Besides heading to our favorite ice cream place (only once - will power), we sampled local cuisine, including a nice Mediterranean place, and went for a walk around the canal which only partially balanced the ice cream.  We then weathered a day of rain to take in one of the Finger Lakes, going through Geneva and seeing their colleges and then touring some of the local wineries.  

Our next destination was Holland Michigan but to get there you have to drive through Cleveland.  So we stopped to see Annie for lunch, and she showed us around the GE lighting campus, with buildings from the early 1900s.  Annie was getting ready to head off for her own spring break, to Philadelphia and San Francisco.  A wedding and work.

We made it to Hope College in time for a concert where Claire conducted the wind ensemble.  Wow.  She was great, and playing the oboe, she gets to sit right up front.  We stayed at the campus hotel with Andrew and Lur, who showed us around the area the following day.  This part of Michigan has not lost its manufacturing base.  Nor its prosperity.  Andrew is still struggling with pain from his back surgery, unfortunately.

Claire had one last concert, her final one at Hope.  We are lucky to take in a number of classical performances here with Tanglewood close by, but none have moved me as much as the Symphony No 4, of David Maslanka that the ensemble interpreted.  Check it out on YouTube with the US Navy Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2xcMoQ6ML4.  It's 30 minutes long, but worth it if you can make it to the end!  Needless to say, Claire was magnificent and has a wonderful group of friends.

Now here comes the part where Maura saved one leg of our trip.  We had decided to stop in Stratford Ontario on the way home, just a short way off the quickest route home.  Having worked at the Embassy when the passport requirement for cross-border travel came into effect, you'd think that I'd know or at least remember that we needed passports.  Nope, we left them home.  Anyway, Maura found them and had them delivered to the Hope College Hotel so we were able to cross the border with ease.  And get a view of Niagara Falls along the way!  

Now we're home, and the house is quiet.  We have some work to do in losing the many pounds we collected along the way, but I have to say they were worth it.

Other news:  Peter and Johnny had birthdays, Joe is on his way to Switzerland for work for the rest of this week, and Annie is enjoying her final leadership retreat in San Francisco this week.

Baseball has started, and we have lots of seedlings ready to get in the ground.  Spring is here.  

Love from up here.