Things Fall Apart

If there was a motto for the last few weeks, it would be "things fall apart."  Specifically, washing machine, lawn mower, blender, airplane schedules, and maybe a few other things, but fortunately not our spirits. And that has led as well to my retiring from retirement all over again.

For I have hired someone to mow our lawn. A big step, as Margaret said, life-changing. I actually like sitting on the machine and spacing out, but the new guy has come a couple of times, and the yard looks nice, maybe even nicer than before. My ride-on that I had bought used 5-6 years ago had broken down for the fourth time this summer. When the repair guy came, he asked me how old I was, one of the criteria he was suggesting for the choice of repair or buy another one. After recovering from that indignity, he had a point. And, as we were going to be gone for a few weeks coming up, I explored a lawn service. I didn't have to go far. There was a sign down the road that said "You grow it; I mow it." And now we have a lawn service. Too much information? Sorry.

I have another story about the washing machine breaking down, but I can't convince Mary to get a laundry service. So, waiting for the machine and the accompanying dryer has meant she has made several trips to the laundromat, and she is reenacting 19^th century laundry techniques of a clothesline. Fortunately, we bought the house next door, so there are trees close enough to hang a line, the same trees Mary's mother used.

Speaking of the house next door, we had two barbecues, one for the Boyle family and the other for friends, to come and see the house and take away any souvenirs they want. Both events were fun, and a number of items have been stripped and hauled away – spindles from porch railings, sconces, hinges, pencil sharpener, bottle opener, wall paper, shingles. We are just waiting now on the asbestos removal, that appears to be more extensive a project than originally thought.

As I write, Annie is on a plane somewhere between Washington and Chennai. Her original flight was canceled due to a bad storm in DC, but she's finally on her way. While in DC, she was able to get together with Jeff and Melodie (see photo.) Joe and Leonor also had the misfortune of a delayed flight, and they too were on their way to the airport when they found out, but they got to extend their vacation a couple of days. Hard to do with three young children.

Margaret and Andrew were here for almost two weeks, and we can report the good news that they didn't get the Covid that they found in the house when they arrived. Simon kept everyone busy, fun busy with marshmallows and water balloons and excursions to every playground in the area.

This week was back to school week, which means for Thomas it was first grade!  Wow. Exciting times and going too fast. Hoping that everyone else's back to school transitions went well. 

As soon as I stop writing, I'm going to finish packing for our road trip, that will take us to Fairport, Midland Michigan (where we'll see Andrew and Lur), on to Travers City to visit a Peace Corps friend, back to DC to check in there, up to NYC for a baseball game with Peter and Johanna and then home. I'm already tired, but it will be fun to see everyone.

Love from up here.    

Ice cream

Halfway through August, and there are hints of fall in the air.  It's a little chillier in the evenings and a few trees are looking orange. Too soon? Yes.

In fact, the first part of this month has been a bit of a blur. We were supposed to have a visit from John and Marilyn and then a Boyle family barbecue to say goodbye to the house next door, but Covid interrupted our plans. Mary was very sick, a little scary even. I had mild, cold-type symptoms, and Annie gave us the care we needed for a couple of days, until she got sick too, despite our sincere attempts at quarantining and masking. She was pretty sick with fatigue and cold symptoms.

None of this Covid household deterred Andrew and Margaret from making their way north. But the time they arrived, I was in the clear, but we continued our segregating efforts. So far, so good. Simon has a wee hint of a cough, but we hope that's just from all the exertion he puts forth every day, every hour, every minute.

Where are Joe and Leonor, you might ask? As far away from the Covid household as possible. Portugal, to be precise. They spent some time in Lisbon before heading out to a beach in the south. Everything looks fantastic. They're supposed to be coming home next week.

Annie had recovered enough to join Margaret in NYC for a play and an overnight. The play was about Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln to be exact. "Oh Mary." Pop might have been happy if it actually had anything to do with Lincoln. Annie and Margaret said it was very funny and worth seeing. Apparently, the playwright did no research at all on the Lincolns, and made everything up.

There was also a birthday, an August birthday, for Everett. Surely, it was a great day.

And, there was another birthday.  Herman Melville's.  August 1. It too was a great day, and I gave two talks, one at the library and one at the top of Mt. Greylock, and I only saw one person sleeping. Mary and I also participated in the annual Moby Dick marathon reading.

What do you do in the summer? Eat ice cream, so we have some ice cream pictures to share. I snuck one in of Kiernan eating fluff, but it looks enough like ice cream, and I'm pretty sure there was ice cream Everett on his birthday.

We've been swimming in the pool and in the lake, going to splash parks and playgrounds and the library, playing baseball and tennis, and doing projects around the house.

Speaking of the house, the permitting process for the demolition next door is moving along, as it has cleared three different city commissions. There's an asbestos removal component and then a pest control abatement, and then we're good to go. They sure don't make it easy.

The garden is producing a lot of cucumbers, and tomatoes are right around the corner. We can't eat the beans fast enough, and I'm not even sure I like beans that much. We gave away a lot of peaches, and I figured we split the harvest 50-50 with the squirrels. Andrew sent along a picture of his garden.   

And that's a wrap.  Enjoy the remaining days of summer.  Love from up here.

Poconos Redux

When the calendar reads August, I still think of my teaching days since it meant that the summer was over.  Sometimes, though, I think of soccer practices starting. Now, though, I think mostly of the vegetable garden and what we're going to do with all the cucumbers.

But end of July means our bash in the Poconos is still fresh in mind. Every year I say best ever, and this year is no different.  From the weather standpoint, it was wonderful, with just one brief storm on our last evening that only slightly affected the last dinner together. We all had different slices, but here are some highlights

-- grandchildren tops my list.  They had so much fun, especially the first night, when they ran and ran and ran around the pirate ship playground with Donald chasing the younger boys, and even Luisa. Normally, we hang out around the supper cabin, but everyone followed the youngest set down to the pirate ship. I have included a few pictures; looking at them, I cringe when I imagine this crew ten years from now.  No, I don't cringe; I welcome it.

How do you measure success? Here's one measure – exhausted children sleeping in the cars all the way home. Here's another – I took a couple of books and magazines and might have read a couple of paragraphs.

-- swimming to and jumping from the dock, endlessly, exhaustingly

-- wildlife, including deer, bear, heron and snake sightings. I think Jeffrey caught a few fish too; I know Simon caught a worm. Anyone else?

-- boat rides. Mary and Margaret stretched their diplomatic skills to make sure Thomas, John and Simon all got their share of boat rides.

-- endless chatter among generations, between generations. We picked up a lot of newsy items, most of which will go in the other letter – not for Pops Weekly Letter. But, it's important to catch up; so much happens in a year.

-- the multi-birthday party for Mary and Donald, Thomas and Everett. I managed to make my way through way too many desserts that night.

-- Rell's perseverance through computer shutdowns and plane and rental car delays to get there late at night.

-- visiting each other's cabins, exercising, napping, tv downtime, babysitting, board-gaming, wandering, tether ball and see saws and Oliver's yoyo contraption, sand castles.

We missed people too.  David and Paula, Janie and her crew had to take rain checks for health reasons. Next year, fingers crossed.

Mountain Springs really is an ideal place for gathering with people in their own cabins, in easy reach of the lake and sandy beach and playground, and so picturesque, with the view from cabin porches of the sun spotting through the trees with the lake in the distance.

With that in mind, put it on your calendars for next year – July 17, 18, 19. I reserved Sunday night for two cabins as well; let me know if there's more interest in one more night and I can reserve more.

Non-Poconos news: Billy and Jen made it to Colorado and then boarded a flight for Cabo San Lucas for a rest; Daniel took his parents to a concert, and Claire is heading home this weekend. Paula and David entertained with a few of Paula's college classmates they hadn't seen in years.  Joe and Leonor and little friends are in Portugal for a two-week vacation where they celebrated Thomas' birthday on his day. Annie is back in Pittsfield, but, not for long, as she heads to Boston next week. And Colleen and Laura got married.

I should add it's also Herman Melville's birthday. August 1, 1819.  But you already knew that. 

Love from up here.