Lunch with Old Friends

On our way back home from celebrating Mom's birthday in September we stopped in Newport, RI for lunch with Niels and Ann West, whom we have known since our days at Clark in the mid-sixties. Niels is Danish (and a godfather to Brian) and Ann is Irish. Both are very dear to us, and we see them much too rarely.



After lunch we took a walk around the area and came across this really cool sculpture -- very location appropriate!

The Move to Vero Beach - Phase 1

The South Hills Movers arrived on Sept. 28 to get everything organized for the packing of the van the next day.

The result was room after room of tightly packed boxes and tagged furniture.

The loading begins. Actually, this is van #2, the one from yesterday having taken care of the stuff in the storage locker. When they finished loading from the house they had to go back to their warehouse and unload both vans onto the monster van which would make the trip to Vero Beach. On the way they also dropped off the antique piano at Tony and Holly's house in VA.

The movers arrived at our house in Vero Beach right on time -- in fact 20 minutes early. Jim and his son Dave were teriffic, handling everything professionally and with great care.

Nikki checks the inventory as boxes and furniture are brought in.

The kitchen became the staging area.

The guest room became the storage area.

Poor Gramma Bessie -- the indignity of it all! But she made the trip in good shape and is safe in her crate for the time being.

Dave's office.

Nikki's office.

The garage -- room for only one car at this point.

The move-in took 9 hours. The unpacking, well, that's another story.

A Hero of Ours!

Jim Alexander is a very big hero of ours and a man both Nikki and I admire and cherish. In his early life (around 1940) he sailed from Australia to New York with 3 others in a small sailboat with no motor and no communication equipment. Just think about Tierra del Fuego and you will agree that this is a man with True Grit, a Rooster Cogburn of our time. His career was in the newspaper business so he knows the English language and how to use it. Refreshing, eh? In early September he celebrated his 97th birthday. He also gets out on the golf course a couple of times a week. I enjoy playing with him in spite of his constant complaining that he can't hit the ball very far any more. I don't care!

His wonderful daughter Jeannie joined in our dinner party for Jim, as did Henry and Nancy Armstrong.

A Day at Fallingwater

In mid-September our dear friends John and Jessie Depasquale came for a visit. They had never seen Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's gem located just a half hour drive away. So off we went, cameras in hand.

Even hidden in the woods, the first view is quite spectacular.

The view from the bridge.


There wasn't much water falling, ...... so we went to nearby Ohiopyle to see some really falling water at the falls of the Yough River. It was because of these falls that George Washington abandoned this potential route to Fort Duquesne when he was scouting for the British.

Ohiopyle is also along the Great Allegheny Passage (see above, or is it below?) rails to trails path from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh. Here we are posing on the High Bridge just downstream from Ohiopyle.

It was a great day, indeed! We are so lucky to have old friends such as the Depasquales.

Sunrise at Hopewell

A beautiful sunrise on a September morning. This view is from the deck by my office.

And look who was up early as well.

A Family Saturday Morning

On the weekend following Mom's 93rd birthday party Nikki and I enjoyed a perfect family Saturday morning with the "kids." It was Henry's first soccer game of the year with his new team, the Bears. We then had lunch together at North Market, a renovated warehouse in Columbus filled with food vendors. Whatever you like is probably there.

Henry plats goalie...

and later plays offense and defense. Great fun to watch both teams!

Charlie plays with Omah and his trusty toothbrush.

Mmmmm, I wonder if I'm going to like this.

Henry keeps an eye on Charlie.

Poppy, Omah, and Henry try out the face board.

North Market -- a fun and very vibrant place.

Mom's 93rd Birthday

Nikki and I drove up to NH to celebrate Mom's 93rd birthday with her. The big day, Sunday, September 5, started with church, of course. Her birthday was recognized from the pulpit, a first she believes, and she got a big round of applause. We then shared a birthday lunch in the dining room at Hunt Community, where Mom lives.

The birthday girl.

Happy Birthday from the staff.



Mom and her buddies.

Nikki wore her birthday earrings.

The Best Front Porch

Nikki and I have always admired and loved big front porches, although we have never had one. They provide shade, protection from the elements, and offer an ambiance, a coziness, not found indoors. Such is the case with this wonderful wrap-around porch that we enjoyed for a weekend with friends in Eagles Mere, PA. Biggest problem was deciding where to sit! It was a great weekend.

What is Chautauqua?

Nikki and I spent a wonderful week with Brian, Kelly, Henry, Charlie, and Peggy (Kelly's Mom) at Chautauqua Institution, as we have done before. It's our family week together with lots of things for each of us to do. It's a great place, a magical place, but even old Chautauquans have trouble with a short answer to the question so often asked -- What is Chautauqua?


It is certainly a place where serious learning is offered and embraced:

It is a place where the arts flourish:

It is a place for families and family celebrations:

It is a place where whimsey is given free reign:

Where houses tell their own stories:

Where fairies have tea parties:

And bears fish from boats:

And fallen logs become crocodiles (thanks to Henry for this discovery):

And squirrels handle cleanup:
A place of elegance:


...and the more casual:
On our last afternoon there, at least part of the answer became more clear as I watched the scene below unfold. This very shy 13 year old girl had joined these older,experienced musicians

and they just had the greatest time playing together. In a quiet, nurturing way they let her set the tempo and take the lead while offering suggestions and support along the way. It was a coming together of music, the arts, education, family (her grandpa was watching), and a bit of whimsey as they all liked to play European folk dance tunes. It was a Chautauqua moment, to be sure.