Roller coaster

Some highs and lows in June, so far.  We were saddened to hear that Lur's father passed away.  He had been in physical and mental decline for some time and required continual care, but we understand his final days were markedly different.  No matter how much you prepare for this eventuality, the departure still comes as a shock.  Claire, Daniel and Billy came home for the service, where the minister mentioned his work as a carpenter, a biblical profession.  Lur's mother, with her own issues, seems to be aware she's missing her life partner.  Very tough for all involved.

Over in Rochester, it was a different life commemoration, this one for 50 years of marriage for David and Paula.  5-0!  Wow!  Seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Grandma and Pop's 50^th in Princeton.  How does time pass so quickly?  That said, I do remember the wedding, beautiful in so many respects, traditional and a model for those that followed, but hard to match.  One thing did not get repeated - Pop's near meltdown over David and Paula's lingering to enjoy their party with their friends.  No word on the nature of the celebration in Fairport yet (photos??), but we saw Jeff and Melodie made their way up from the nation's capital, and it's a safe bet that Matthew and Tina came over as well.

We are coming off a week with Simon.  Enjoyable, funny, predictable, growing, learning, unpredictable, tiring – so much wrapped into one full week.  Margaret and Andrew made the courageous drives up and back, and paid the price of a little boy who didn't want to be in a car seat that long.  They set about trying to work from Hancock Road, with the inevitable interruptions, despite our (admittedly mostly Mary's) day caring.  We went on little outings, played in the pool, walked over to the lake, watched Simon scoot around each of the rooms in the house, looking back to make sure someone was on his tail.  He's standing and walking with support and crawling as fast as Carl Lewis.  Unfortunately, he got a cold on their return home, and has had to stay home while Margaret and Andrew try to work with a sick little boy.  I should add Simon had a couple of firsts - Shaker Village and a Pittsfield Suns baseball game.  It was also a first for Margaret and Andrew at Shaker Village.

Down in Brazil. Joe and Leonor had, by all accounts, a wonderful sejour in Rio, that seems to live up to its reputation.  All you have to do is hear the words Copacabana and Ipanema, and fun and sun and beaches and spectacular geography spring to mind.  Leonor's parents are down there and watched the boys back in Brasilia.

The news from Asheville was highlighted mostly by the sighting of a bear on Annie's street, just a ten-minute walk from the city center!  Yikes. 

One more piece of sad news from Dundee was Andrew and Lur had to put down their dog, Willie.  This followed the loss of their cat a few weeks ago.

In the eastern part of this commonwealth, Kara's daughter Sage graduated from high school and the John Boyle family congregated for the occasion.  Sage is off to Berklee Conservatory in the fall.  A talented musician/guitarist/singer.

Here, we're inching back to normal lives.  At church on Sunday, the hymnals were back in the pews, and they even took collection.  We're playing bridge, in person, with no masks. We even went to a Tom Rush concert, albeit outdoors under a tent.  Did I mention we washed the windows?  Does that even count?  Yes, because for some reason, the windows didn't get dirty during the year of Covid.

And, from the archives – on June 10, 2021, the letter that was at the top of the pile for scanning was from June 10, 1974.  And what was happening forty-six years ago, three years after David and Paula's wedding?  "It was so great to have everyone in Princeton, and your father deeply appreciates the effort that all of you made to come to the 25th. I know it was loads more fun for Pop than it was for you. I'll come to your 25th."

Love from up here.  Welcome summer!