The Best of 2017

Seems like there's a best of 2017 everywhere you look these days.  So why not do that in Pops Weekly Letter?  

We know what the best book was, right?  Berkshire County's Industrial Heritage!  And we know who the best quarterback is, right?  Don't even have to write that answer.

How about best new member of the family?  A tie - Erin and Thomas.  

We also know the best swimmer.  At least she proved that last weekend at the New England Master's.  Mary entered 11 events; she (or her relay team) placed first in all but two.  One relay set a New England record, perhaps even beating Michael Phelps.  I did watch quite a bit of the meet, but I also got a chance to explore Worcester a little.  A lot of changes in 17 years, since we were last there.  I set out looking for Spag's, thinking I might even be able to include a triple header this week,  Unfortunately, I couldn't find it, so I checked my best friend who knows everything (rhymes with frugal) and found that Spag's went into bankruptcy in 2004.  It had to be they couldn't stay afloat without Pop's weekly trips to buy toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant. As you saw in Facebook, the building was torn down and replaced by Whole Foods.  Could you get any different from Spag's?  Sadly, I didn't get a haircut either, but I did go to an almost dump - Habitat Restore to drop off a couple of cabinet doors that we replaced in our bedroom.  Also in Worcester, I went to the city art museum where they had a Winslow Homer exhibition.  Beautiful.

Do we have a vote for the best vacation?  I bet there are quite a few nominees, including near (Fairport and the Finger Lakes, Shenandoah, Holland MI, Eastern Shore of Maryland, Poconos) and far (Guadeloupe, Italy, Oregon, India)

How 'bout best political event?  Not gonna touch that one.

Best reader?  We saw three nominees on Facebook last week - Donald, Elliott and Thomas.  Best movie? (We just saw a good one, that we thought was a bio-pic about "Lady Bird" Johnson.  NOT.)  Best TV show?  Best song? Best book?  Best cereal?  I could go on and on.

What about concerts?  Stephen Stills and Judy Collins is a runner up to Claire's conducting performance, I suspect.  (Speaking of Claire, she got a job, teaching music at two elementary schools in Allegan, Michigan.  Her student teaching ends in December so the timing is perfect, and she doesn't have to move!)

Best celebrity sighting?  Margaret saw Big Papi in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at in Santo Domingo, and John gave a tour at Shaker Village to Natalie Merchant.  Any others?  I'm sure there are.

Best animal sighting?  I spotted a bobcat in our back yard last week, which was better than the two raccoons on our screened in porch.

Lots of bests, since it was, all in all another wonderful year.  Hard to believe how much gets packed in during the course of a year.  

And final best for this letter:  Best mystery photo of 2017.  Whose feet are these, at the Poconos?  Love from up here.

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