February is for Valentines

Happy day of love to everyone!  We need it to survive the arctic blast of cold, not just here but apparently wherever you are.  I do think we here in western Mass may have outdone everyone else as the high temps for the day reached 1 degree.  That is not a typo.  As a result, for the first time, we have kept our wood-stove going for 24 hours straight.

We had a memorable week up here.  A Super Bowl party, followed by a Super Boss party.  Annie, Margaret and Andrew came up over the weekend (and D).  It was nice to be able to watch a Super Bowl where we weren't really invested in either of the teams.  We could just eat our chili and once-a-year Fritos and relax.  Even the half time show was good, though none of us were really sure why Coldplay was there.  

Anyway, Annie got up early the next morning to head back to Stamford CT for work and Margaret and Andrew both worked from home.  Until..... it was time to get in the car and go to Albany to see Bruce, better known as Springsteen, in concert.  My first, after having listened to and been inspired by him for my entire adult life.  It was wonderful.  I know from Peter and Janet and Jeff and Melodie and many others that he gives us a great show, and he did not disappoint.  It's easy to philosophize about this appeal, especially when you have people from all generations belting out the lines to Hungry Heart, or why some lines about fighting or racing in the streets appeal to someone who has never done either.  But it works, and we love his music.  

There was another concert Super Bowl weekend, this one at Hope College, and the photo here is of Claire and her roommates who are also musicians.  Andrew and Lur went to Michigan to watch the inaugural concert for a new music center at Hope.  The entire program was organized by the students, featuring jazz and classical ensembles.  And Claire.  Congrats.  

Yesterday was bachelor and bachelorette parties in Washington, for Joe and Leonor.  Sounds like they had some fun, extended activities planned.  Hope the weather didn't intrude too badly.  We are heading down there tomorrow, for the big day, this coming Thursday.  Exciting.

Other news, includes Annie moving to Boston.  She is now officially looking for apartments and will transfer there by first of April.  And, Margaret has a new job, working on a large exchange program for Africans.  It's an Obama legacy program, and she may end up traveling to Africa to recruit and select participants.  Can I come?  Joe too has been busy at work, as the New York Times implied this morning with worries about the Chinese economy.   Hopefully, he can fix their issues in time for his wedding!!

Big news from Florida as well.  John and Marilyn have a new house, in the same town.  The photos and descriptions sound great.  What we zoomed right in on was the number of bedrooms.  Looks like they have guest room(s)!  It is near a golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool.  Hard to even imagine swimming when it's 1 degree outside.  But congratulations. Other news includes a nice dinner with Colleen and Pauline who are now in NY at the Westminster dog show.

We've seen some good movies - The Revenant (though Mary covered her face so much I am not sure she can really say she saw it) and Spotlight, as well as the Martian, Brooklyn and The Big Short.  We were going to go out tonight to watch the Oscar nominated shorts, but it's too cold.  

Primary season has started, so we see a lot of family comments, on Facebook, and in conversations.  Looks like we're a little all over the map, though, I think we can all agree it was nice to see Chris Christie head back to New Jersey.  Although I am not sure the New Jersey Dicksons want him back.  

And, we started packing for Gabon today.  Our portable "loo," donated shoes, flashlights, medicines, etc.  Not sure we have much room for clothing.  Departure is Feb 25, less than 2 weeks away.  Yikes.  

Did someone mention birthday?  No?  Well, it was spectacular.  

Happy Valentines Day everyone, We love you!  

Engagement, Snozilla

Happiness is Joe's and Leonor's engagement.  It's official and what we were hoping for!  With what sounds like a memorable proposal, spontaneously in the falling snow, in Central Park.  Joe reminded me that he has done what neither Pop nor I did which was make a formal marriage proposal to his future wife.  (Joe remembered that Pop's question had to do with spending the rest of their lives together.)  I know Mary and I had a conversation at the end of which we knew we had agreed to be married, without me ever having said the magic words.  Whatever happened to tradition?

Anyway, we're very happy for them.  They are planning a small civil ceremony in February, and then a church wedding and reception at a later time and place to be determined.   

The falling snow in Central Park was not the marathon snow event that started in North Carolina and stopped just short of Pittsfield.  It;s nice to see that even though some official came up with names for winter storms (like hurricanes), that social media is giving these their own name, that sticks better - Snozilla.  We saw great photos of snowball fights, indoor card games, snow angels, and dogs in snow that you all in Washington, New Jersey and  New York posted on Facebook.  And it looked like fun, until Annie said she spent 4 hours on Sunday digging her car out, as she had to use a windshield scraper since all the shovels had been sold out.  That has to qualify for something Annie.  

Too bad the snowshoes Margaret got for Christmas about ten years ago and never worn were up here, because we did not get a single flake of snow here.  I know if we take them down to DC, then we'll get a big snow here.

In the "adventurous but not very smart" category, Mary and I decided to stick to our plans to go to Boston to attend a Robert Burns night celebration that Cliff and Sheila host every year.  We knew before that driving through snow is no fun, whether it is one inch or one foot.  We saw the first snowflakes around Sturbridge and then drove through pretty messy stuff at pretty sow speeds the rest of the way.  They ended up getting about 4 inches of snow, but overall it was probably worth it.  Poetry and stories and bagpipes and good food.  Oh and a little whisky.

After Boston, we stopped in to see Mary's high school friend Judy for a cup of tea (keeping with the anglophile tradition of the weekend) and then rushed home to see Tom Brady almost pull out a win, despite being hit over 25 times, more than any quarterback ever in the playoffs.  Do I hear the violin music?  Or is that just groans?

We spoke with Andrew who was working at a food bank with Lur, and also was going to go to a basketball game of Daniel's.  He has hurt his foot but hopes to be back in the lineup this weekend.  We also talked to David, who was on the train, on his way to New York City.  He mentioned he had lunch on the train with a guy who was traveling by train all the way from San Francisco.  

We were also fortunate to have a short visit from Annie, who used Pittsfield as a layover on her way to and from meetings in Schenectedy.  She is still waiting word on when she moves to Boston.

A month from today, we will be on our way to the village in Gabon.  We have a corner of our bedroom full of stuff to take.  I hope we have enough room in our suitcases for clothes.  Our latest purchase: a "Luggable Loo."  We will not take a photo  of that.

So, the days are getting longer, but it's not getting any warmer yet.  Next week, Groundhog Day will definitively tell us about the rest of winter.

Hope you all are well.  Love from up here.  

    

Birthdays and more

Let's start the new year shouting out "Happy birthday" to Jeffrey and Margaret.  Hope you both celebrated in style.  Maybe even in Bermuda shorts.  It's been so warm.

We did have some cold weather this week, which is actually nice, since the alternative is too scary.  It had snowed up here and then it stuck around for a while.  Fortunately, it was so warm this weekend, because the heavy rain and winds we encountered on the roads might mean that we'd still be in New Bedford.

New Bedford, you say?  What would take us there?  Herman Melville. A couple of years ago, we heard that the Whaling Museum in New Bedford hosts a Moby Dick marathon every January.  We got there a little late and missed the first six chapters read by Nathaniel Philbrick and the Melville great-great grandchildren.  We started in Chapter 7, in the Seamen's Bethel, the chapel across the street where the pulpit is built in the form of a prow of a ship.  They assembled 200 or more people sang the anthem that appears in the chapter and afterwards we went back to the museum for more reading.  We attended a couple of scholar chats and saw how so many people are drawn to the book and to the author, as am I.  I don't feel so weirdly obsessed anymore.  We did not sit through the night reading, but listened to probably 4-5 hours of the full 25.  And, now I can scratch that off my bucket list.  

We had an uneventful New Year's, joined by Cliff and Sheila who came over from Boston area to spend a few days with us.  We played dominoes and watched the end of the Lord of the Rings, but didn't really make it to midnight.  That was off bucket list a long time ago.

And what are your New Years' resolutions?  I had a very ambitious one that had to do with diet but I broke it almost immediately.  The I read in the paper yesterday that most do break their resolution in the first week.  Nevertheless, Mary and I are trying our quarterly cleanse this week.

We talked to David who was on his way home from meetings in New York City, and he told us that Matthew is now focused on getting back to work.  That would be unbelievable from where you were a few weeks ago Matthew, but now seems very realistic. 

Out in Dundee, Claire has returned to school, Daniel hurt his foot and is on the injured reserve list for a while.  Andrew has found a volunteer gig with a local pet shelter, that sounds right up his alley.  On a sad note, he and Lur went to a memorial service for his best man this past weekend.   

On Joe's recommendation we went to see the movie The Big Short, and it was a good one.  They did a great job explaining fairly complicated financial investments to those of us who can barely figure out savings accounts.

Speaking of investments, one of the features of Pop's old letters was the occasional article he would cut out and send around.  I bet he would have sent this one, that was also one of the most popular e-mailed articles from the New York Times, this past week.  It's on personal financial planning but I like the one on retirement that says, "Let go of who you were and focus on who you'll become."  Or, what do you want to be when you grow up?  Still trying to figure that one out.  

Another article that seems to be making the family rounds was in the travel section this weekend of the 52 places to visit in 2016. Mexico City was first on the list, with a great photo taken just a block away from the Embassy. That article sent Johanna to the airlines website to get a ticket for Guadeloupe.  Sun and fun. I noticed a few places we had been, but so many more.  A few other places in Mexico, including where Margaret and Andrew went for their honeymoon, but neither Gabon nor the Berkshires made the list. 

The photo included here was right before Christmas after lunch with John and Marilyn.

Hope you all are well, love from up here.

Saying Goodbye

to 2015

to Joe and Leonor, who were heading south in a UHaul with a load of furniture, in the freezing rain.  They won't have such a nice drive, but they didn't have to drive on Joe's birthday.  Remember those days in Pomfret, when Joe got the big birthday celebration with all of you?  Fun.  It was a quiet celebration yesterday that was going well until the Bengals had to go and spoil his birthday.  technically, though, I think they lost a few minutes after midnight so it wasn't really his birthday.

to Annie and Margaret and Andrew, who left on Sunday.  Margaret and Andrew were on their way to the Meadowlands (still called that?) to watch the obnoxious Jets fans whose team pulled out an overtime win against the Pats.  Annie left later in the day, after she had given both Mary and me tutorials on our computers (thanks) and with a full load in her car as well.  It was so wonderful having everyone home.

But perhaps not as nice as it was for Matthew to be home, as he said goodbye to the hospital and re-hab on Christmas Eve.  Tremendous.  So happy to see all the photos on Facebook that we are re-posting one here.  

Speaking of Facebook, would Pop have loved it?  One side would say, it was not his pencil or typewriter ribbon with carbon paper.  But the other side would say, what a great way to keep up with everyone.  

For example, we had a Facebook debate over whether Love Actually is the best Christmas movie, after Melodie posted a photo of High Grant dancing in 10 Downing Street.  

We had another Facebook exchange after Johanna posted a photo from Grandma and Pop's 50th wedding celebration outside the Princeton chapel.

And, we saw Facebook photos of Jen and Bill on their way to Belize, of Myles and Auden in from of the Christmas tree.  And another one of Peter practicing flyfishing, with a little help from Dasha.  

So, we have to ask the question, if we are doing so well staying in touch on Facebook, perhaps we need a Pops Weekly Letter Facebook page.   Just a thought.  Not that I'm saying goodbye to Pops Weekly Letter, especially after Leonor told me she was now an avid reader.

Hope your time together was wonderful.  It was, up here - we saw Star Wars, we finished a difficult puzzle, walked up the mountain in Pittsfield State Forest, ate a lot of cookies, had a great visit with John and Marilyn who were up from Florida for the holidays, watched the fire, walked D, read newspapers, New Yorkers, and books, and had extended dinners and dinner conversations about...... everything.

So, farewell to 2015 - any reservations for next year yet?

Love from up here.

Thanksgiving and Chicago

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  But it sure crept up on us fast.  It seems a number of you have already gotten your trees and are moving into the spirit.  We have put up our wreath on the garage and near the front door, and that's about it.

Part of the problem is that it has been so mild.  Some are calling this the warmest fall on record.  This time last year we had already paid the snow plow guy a few times to clear the driveway.  And, I keep waiting for the temperature to dip below 50 degrees to put on snow tires.

Anyway, the big news continues to come out of Strong Hospital in Rochester.  Matthew has been climbing stairs, and he's walking without the harness.  That's so terrific, meaning he has worked so hard to get where he is and that he's going to make it. Moreover, he's not lost any of his alertness as he's all over the cookiness of Donald Trump and the new movies as well.  Way to go Matthew (and Tina!)

So, let's pick up the thread with Thanksgiving.  Lots of Facebook photos showed where everyone was.  The Rochester folks took Thanksgiving to the hospital; Melodie and Jeffrey were up for the occasion.  Looks like big crowds in New Jersey and Illinois.  Joe hosted his first turkey dinner, and we had wonderful food.  It wasn't Leonor's first Thanksgiving, but it was the first she hosted.  Wonderful - and their house is coming together so nicely.  I love to think about Thanksgiving conversations around the country, and I bet more than a few had Donald Trump in them.  Just what he wants. Speaking of which, hope everyone saw the Thanksgiving skit on Saturday night live, with the Adele song.  

Margaret and Annie had some excitement on Saturday afternoon as they were sitting outside at a restaurant/popsicle joint just a couple of blocks from home.  Minding their own business, they were interrupted by a gaggle of Secret Service guys who descended on the scene, with the announcement that a special visitor would be coming by in ten minutes, to take part in "small business Saturday."  Given the opportunity to leave, Margaret and Annie (and D, I should add) decided to stay.  And, right on cue a few minutes later, a motorcade pulled up and their new best friend, Barack, and his two, very tall daughters, piled out and went in to order some popsicles.  So much for outdoor studying.  

Last weekend, Mary and I went out to Dundee for a few days - a memorable visit.  Highlights included meeting for the first time Auden, who I am sure we will see on the national women's soccer team or in the Olypmics; she insisted on walking everywhere when we walked to and from town for Santa and for dinner.  Miles is quite the big brother, very responsible and helpful.  Great to see Bill, but we missed Jenn who had a cold.  It was nice to just hang out, watching the momentous Packer game, taking naps, chatting in the kitchen and in the living room, and in front of the college football games and on the porch and on walks.  Lur was busy doing her coursework for her social services degree, and Andrew had a tree crew come over to work on Saturday.  

This time our flights worked out but our car did not.  When we arrived at long term parking, our car did not start and we had to wait an hour before AAA showed up for a jump start.  Another memory, one we'd rather not have, though.

This week, Margaret passed a threshold, completing her coursework for her degree.  She had a couple of presentations and papers, but it looks like she is done with graduate school!  How did she celebrate?  Karaoke, of course.  Which songs would have been appropriate for completing studies?  The Thrill is Gone?  We Gotta Get out of the Place?

Today, Mary is off at the New England masters swimming championships.  A pattern has emerged with these meets.  The closer they come, the more nervous and stressed she becomes.  She goes, does well, and is giddy enthusiastic when she gets home.

Other than that, life has quieted down since all the museum jobs ended in early November.  Still going to UMass a couple of days a week, and I have started a new project, a book, on early industry in Berkshire county.  And, we have been busy with our preparations for returning to Gabon at the end of February.  But, I still have time for a nap!

Hope you all are well and enjoying the season.  With so much prep work, it's hard to remember to enjoy.  Love from up here.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Let's start with the good news.  Matthew has been in rehab for a week or so, and wrote yesterday that he was standing.  According to David, he's got two sessions of physical therapy every day, morning and afternoon, of multiple hours.  Sounds like a work-out and sounds like he's a conscientious patient.  When we see the photos of him with Donald, we know he has a lot of incentive!!  That's a huge reason to be thankful.

We talked to David this week, who was in Albany and he gave us the updates on Matthew and Tina.  Annie has a new job, sort of.  She's in her second part of her rotation and is joining a new hi-tech division of GE. I have seen some GE commercials where this guy tells his tech friends he's leaving to work for GE and will work on systems to make hospitals and roads work better.  I think that's her new division.  Anyway, she is telecommuting for the time being, before moving to Boston.  Joe has a full plate of work, with a couple of big meetings in December, and continued work on his house.  Margaret is in her final lap of the semester, and it probably seems like it will never end.  But it does, and then you won't know what to do with your time.  

This past weekend, Peter and Janet came up for a little Berkshire chill.  Peter and I went even further north to watch the Princeton-Dartmouth game, that was going well until the last 24 seconds.  I found out that I actually don't mind losing, I just don't like to see the other team's fans celebrating.  Dartmouth won a share of the Ivy title by winning, reminding us that the last time we were here, Dartmouth won and denied us sole possession of the title.  Peter said he would never go to Dartmouth again, at least for a Princeton football game.

Mary and Janet were spared the agony, as they were going to Northampton for a live performance of one of Mary's favorite radio shows - The Moth.  These are short, true narrated stories that are entertaining and enlightening.  Since the football game ended early, we had time to meet our wives for dinner and shopping in Northampton, even though we did not have tickets for the show.

Among our many topics of conversation was hearing the good news that Sean was sworn in as a bona fide lawyer in the state of New Jersey.  You did it!  

The weekend before Marj and Lew came up, to see an old Berkshire friend who had moved to Montana and was back east for a visit.  We are now the recipients of a 51" plasma television, thanks to Lew's intolerance for a little, hardly noticeable discoloration in the screen.  We set it up and watched the Patriots - Giants football game that was once again a thriller.  Heart attack city.

Yesterday, we saw John and Marilyn who had escaped the sunny weather in Florida for some good old fashioned New England November temps (down to 18 degrees this am).  They are both well, with Marilyn full recovered from her knee problems, sp much that she is now playing racquetball. 

We are heading down to Washington for Thanksgiving.  We're going to be testing our new theory for driving this corridor. You can travel on the heaviest drive days of the year as long as you are through the congestion by noon.  So that means an early start on Wednesday and another early one on Sunday to come home. 

And after that, we head out to Chicago for a weekend with the Dundee Dicksons, who are celebrating the good news of another grandchild!!

Love and may you all have a Merry Christmas (aren't we supposed to start before Thanksgiving?)   

Highlights from Dundee

Jen is expecting. Their third.

I took Daniel and a friend to Western Michigan for a visit. We attended the presentation for the Haworth School of Business, which he intends to apply to. Ranked 5th in nation in undergrad BBA. They have close intern relationships with Smuckers, Kellogs, and SC Johnson.

Claire has numerous concerts in Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor for the Hope woodwinds orchestra. We are really looking forward to seeing her over Thanksgiving.

On Michigan, Kalamazoo College is right on the border of Western Michigan, and an absolutely beautiful campus. Not many like this one.

Lur continues her studies in social work, and I continue my studies in cooking, cleaning, and vacuuming. 

Back to Claire. She has a close friend who visited us this year and plays the sax. She is involved with a foursome of sax players who jam at concerts, and it is an incredible sight to see and hear. 

And, we close with a photo of Lur in her Dundee boosting role from the summer.