spaces of memory

My Facebook feed is full of cute memes and profile photo filters celebrating 50 years of Star Trek. I have very happy associations with the show as it reminds me of my cult-nerdy first couple of years of college. The show was already nearly 20 years old when I was in college. I was always attracted to the show in high school, but I hadn't watched it all that religiously before college. I fell in love with the show my freshman year, and when I think back to those times, I conjure up the feeling of lightness and fun and community that Star Trek thoughts have come to mean for me.

In my dorm, it was a rare student who had a television in their dorm room. (Heck, very few of us even paid to have a phone in our room for the year... there was one pay phone in the lobby we took turns using to call home once a week.) Watching television was not a big thing except for late night when a small subset of dorm residents. We were maybe 20-30 people out of 200. I'd like to think now that we were the equivalent of what "hipster" is now. Monday through Thursday evenings, in the dorm lounge, in slippers and sweats, toting blankets and pillows (or in my case, wearing my famous green plaid wool blanket poncho with the diagonal zipper at the center) and we would watch Star Trek followed by The Twilight Zone before programming went off for the night. (Cue the multicolored bar graph icon followed by black and white t.v. snow on the screen.) I can't even remember if this was 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.? I think it was.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun enjoying and poking fun at the show at the same time. My friend Susan and I were more "ironic trekkies" than some of the assembled. We saw the sexism in the show and just laughed. I loved Kirk's bad acting. I loved Mr. Spock, my favorite character. I loved the drama and the ethical and moral dilemmas.

These days it is hard to imagine that college students could have this kind of experience. Cell phones are ubiquitous. People can watch Netflix on their phones or laptops. There isn't the kind of community gathering we had, even though there are still dorm lounge events. Our dorm lounge was our living room except on weekends when it became the party place. I would like to think today's college students have something equivalent. For their sake, I truly hope they do!

Anyone who remembers Star Trek really, REALLY, needs to watch Other Space on Yahoo streaming. I have watched the series 2x now (there are only eight episodes). Brilliant and so funny. It is today's cult-nerdy offering for those who might have fond Star Trek memories. If you watched the original MST 3000, you will see a familiar character in this series.

the last weekend of summer

Today is the autumnal equinox, and it was a sunny and perfectly lovely first day of fall. Overall, it was a really nice summer, and I am still feeling the positive effects of a fun last weekend of the season. I feel a little bit guilty blogging about the good times I had because Tom is full-on into his semester and had grading all day both weekend days. I decided that just because he had his work cut out for himself, didn't mean I had to stay home and suffer with him. And so I didn't. (I did bring him home dinner Saturday night and came home Sunday in time to cook, so I wasn't a total meanie.)

Saturday I went with some friends to an apple orchard about 35 minutes from my house that I have never gone to (because we have one closer). This one was much more "involved" than our local apple and pie place. It has very nice grounds, apple picking and tasting, a gift shop, a bakery, a tavern, a burger stand, an apple fritter stand, and a distillery with tastings of gin and vodka made from apples as well as different kinds of hard ciders. It was so much fun! We did some tasting and some apple buying and spent some time in the gift shop. We had to split some fritters because they smelled too good! (They were.) I will be going back.

Sunday, a friend (whose company I completely enjoy) and I traveled about an hour and a half to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge for half the day, and then went shopping for some work clothes  at the nearby outlets for the other half the day. I don't really enjoy shopping all that much, so the birding was my favorite half of the day -- but I hit it big with some nice new (and needed) outfits, so shopping wasn't all that bad either. I was a motivated shopper.

I have driven past Montezuma countless times while traveling on the NYS Thruway, and I have often seen great blue herons flying overhead. I have actually seen a couple of bald eagles in that area as well. All of these big birds fascinate me. They are magnificent to see in flight. In all these years, I have never gone into the refuge area, taken any of the hikes, stopped at the visitors center, or have taken the driving tour (with call in tour-by-cell phone). Sunday we did all of this and spotted so many cool birds (and turtles). The fresh air was good medicine for the soul. We took a lot of photos. Among the birds we saw were: great blue herons, a northern harrier (swamp hawk), great white egrets, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, swallows, starlings, chickadees many geese and ducks, and more. A few photos are sprinkled through this post for your enjoyment. I didn't get any photos of the egrets, the harrier, or actually any birds in flight. I was too busy being present. Not a bad gig.

It's funny. I haven't had a weekend to do things "by myself for myself" with friends in a long time. The teen is so independent that he had plans all weekend. The spouse was busy. I was free as a bird. And so with the birds I went.

Good news on the teen front... he is golfing well and he qualified for sectionals. He likes his special environmental science class he is taking in his senior high school year. He has a girlfriend with whom he spends a lot of time. They seem pretty happy together. He seems well adjusted and getting ready for "the separation" as I like to think of next year's college departure. I am adjusting to all these changes pretty well. My eyes are wide open and I am trying to go with the flow. 

Have a great rest of the week. Remember, don't eat the pokeberries. They may look like grapes, but they're not. That is my metaphorical life advice for you. WJPP, signing over and out on a Tuesday night.  I will try to get on and blog again soon.

happenings

My favorite kind of writing these days is to take something relatively small or hard to see (a rose petal, an emotion, etc.), and expand it with thoughts and words. More difficult writing for me lately is to take something large, and whittle it down with precision to convey something. I used to prefer the latter. Research papers, descriptive notes, taking minutes, those were easy and fun for me. Now, if I have gone too long without writing here on JPP, I find too much has happened and it is hard to start. It is easy to say, I will try tomorrow. And so it has been a while since I have sat down to write here. If anyone has been stopping by to find nothing new, I apologize. If you find this post to be the opposite of concise and it is boring with just too much detail, sorry about that too. You can just look at the photos.

Since I last wrote, my interim position at the college, which I had done full-time for nine plus months became official and permanent, and we went right into the opening of school, which for me means working very full days, and then doing educational training programs in the evenings. Last weekend, I worked Saturday when we hosted a big speaker on campus for new students, and then my bestie Susan and her husband and son came to town after dropping off their daughter, my godchild, at college for her senior year. I now say things like, "how did that happen? I remember when she was born?!" (Things I thought only old people say, and I am not that old.) Susan and her family, our family, and some other friends had a nice picnic followed by a musical review at the local reperatory theater, thus torturing the teens, and entertaining those of us over 20. We spent last Sunday in the town next door, shopping, walking, talking, having a cocktail, enjoying a nature walk, and then having a great meal to celebrate, one week early, the two of us turning 50. Since we met as 17 year old freshmen in college (1983), we have celebrated our birthdays together in one way or another since hers is the day before mine.  (The photos on this post are a few snaps from our nature walks.)

After a fun weekend, we went into last week full speed ahead with more full days, some expected stress, and evening programs. Friday evening, continuing birthday celebrations, we enjoyed dinner with a few friends at a favorite New Orleans style supper club, followed by a walk-around and then carrot cake back at our house. I am now 50 and it feels great. I am not one of those people for whom this is scary or something to hide or worry about. Many of my friends have hit this mark already, and so I know there is a lot of great life that happens when we have our health. So many people don't get to live to 50 and be healthy. I feel very blessed. This is a good time in life. On some level, "same as it ever was," just like every year. And for a little fun, take a 22 second look at another 50-year old, Sally O'Malley, for a laugh: https://youtu.be/trcXlTiy3Xw.

Now here we are in day two of a three day weekend. My to-do list is insane, so I'll not be sitting here at the screen for much longer. The weather is very hot. The ground is parched. I have a few tasks I should undertake while it is still cool this morning. More regular blogging soon, I hope. After all, fall and winter are coming, and I tend to spend more computer time during those months of inclement weather.

souper bowl sunday

Today is the day so many wait for. The Super Bowl. I am not a football fan (for a couple of reasons) but I am a fun, friendship and good food fan, so even though we consciously do not glorify football in our house, we still want to have a little something going on for the sake of our teen feeling like he has a sort of normal family. After all, it is the "eatingist secular holiday in the U.S."

In keeping with tradition, we are having a "souper bowl" gathering this evening. Those who may follow this blog may recall past souper bowl posts and recipes. I am putting on a big pot of creamy split pea soup and a bowl of salad. We will be making flat bread pizzas and our friends are bringing some snacky things. We'll have the game on, but at 9 p.m. another TV will be broadcasting Downton Abbey (even though I kind of wish I wasn't still watching it.) In the post-holiday, full-on winter time, this is a good time to break things up with a little revelry. We have 10-14 inches of snow in the forecast beginning this afternoon, so that adds to the excitement. Time again to post an old favorite song that has a football metaphor for life: All Kinds of Time.

tweedy

Back from a trip to Cleveland... and so pleased to find the link to this NPR Tiny Desk Concert of Tweedy in my email. Going to see them tomorrow night! Very excited.

P.S. Cleveland was great. Love that city... even if it is a really, really long drive from where I live. (Bear crossing signs, really??) Good mini-conference and great dinner with friends Paula and Cliff at Lola. Another foodie adventure... making a work trip all the more fun.

news of the weird and other nice stories

My favorite moment this past week was saying hello to my best friend at a rest stop on Route 81 for four minutes. This was not planned. Let me back up and explain this serendipitous, bizarre, karmic hello.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Susan called to say they would be driving through my town on Wednesday on their way from Long Island to pick up their daughter from college in Western New York. There is no easy way to get to my godchild's college town from their house, and they have about a seven hour trip. We frequently try to plan to meet them for dinner along their way and sometimes they are even able to plan a visit at our house... which is nice for us to see them and have a few laughs and nice for them to break up their trip when they have another two hours or so to go. 

Unfortunately, we had plans Wednesday afternoon to travel about an hour and fifteen minutes north. I was taking the afternoon off because it was my turn (with another mom) to provide food for the JV baseball team at their away double-header. This game was to have been played two weeks before, but it was postponed due to rain and cold weather. So I knew it was not going to be a day we could meet them or even get together briefly. We would be leaving about 3 p.m. and not getting home until about 9:30 p.m. 

Susan and I talked once or twice on the phone in the week and a half in between her first call telling me when they were picking up their daughter and this past Wednesday, and honestly I had forgotten about the fact that they would be driving through since the work week was busy and I was focusing on plans to feed 17 hungry boys and 2 coaches at the end of an away double-header that might rain out after one game... it was some heady planning and involved a local pizza place delivering sheet pizzas to the field while we brought up drinks, snacks and my friend Kate's cookies.

On Wednesday at about 2:30 p.m. Susan called from the road to say that they had just passed by the spot of the old Champion outlet store that we all liked. We chatted for just a couple of minutes and I told her I had to pack up the car and get going soon. She said they had decided to go a different way and drive all the way up to the Thruway from Route 81 and I thought that was a good idea. She said she would wave when they went through my town... and we laughed since I live about 5 miles from any of the exits off 81 for my town. 

At about 3 p.m. Tom and I hopped in the car and headed out to Route 81 north. While we were parallel to Route 81 on Route 281, I got a goofy text / video from Susan of her waving saying she was passing by our house. I texted back that we were parallel to where they were and wouldn't it be funny if we passed them... (a joke since we tend to drive a little faster than Susan's husband.) I asked what they were driving and she told me. I told her what which car we were driving and that we were just getting on the highway at exit 12. She replied that they were nearly at exit 12. And then I got the text as we got on 81 that she saw us and they were right behind us! How weird is that?  We texted back and forth a bit. They needed a rest stop break and so we all got off at the next rest stop and got to say hello in person. 

I am not sure what the chances are that a baseball game that wasn't supposed to happen on a particular day gets scheduled for that day. Susan and Steve decide to take a slightly different route for the heck of it. We have to leave a little earlier than usual because we are bringing food. And she decides to text me to be silly to send a waving video, reminding me that we will be on the same road at around the same time. And then we get on a major highway seconds before they are coming up right behind us and are the car right behind us. 

We were not able to stay long since our time frame was tight. I wish we had taken a group selfie at the rest stop as a memory. Even without the photo, I will remember this accidental hello that didn't seem like it could possibly have really been accidental. And who says that the ways of karma are very strange? I was just feeling sad recently that I don't get to see Susan in person as often as I wish due to the distance between us. I guess sometimes that distance closes right when you need it most. 

thoughts on high school reunions

My 30th high school reunion is about two months away, and I am trying to decide if I will attend. I graduated with nearly 500 others from a public high school that prepared me well for life -- socially as well as academically. I had a great time, was involved in a variety of things, and truly remember those years as "smiley" years . . . I would walk down the halls, happy, engaged, and smiling at friends, acquaintances and teachers. Does it sound too good to be true? Perhaps. But the truth is, it was largely that for me. I had some hurts, but I had resilience, and that too was foundational.

Another friend of mine from high school had a different reaction when I asked him if he would travel to the reunion. He said "Seriously? I hate everybody from high school." (Which is not true, of course, he was just being funny -- this is the kid who used to say at the age of 18 that "everything has been downhill since 3rd grade," and he meant it. Sort of.) My take is that a couple of other things about the prospect of returning across country to his one-time home were the source of his aversion. One, he would be directly faced with painful memories by returning to the town where he suffered some of life's greatest losses, earlier in life than most people have to. Another reason, likely secondary, is that the people he most wanted to see would probably not attend. I get it. My class has had five other reunions since 1983, and I have attended three of them, most recently five years ago. It was disappointing that several people I really hoped would attend did not.

The last reunion was a bit surreal. I enjoyed the Friday night bar event that had no structure, was somewhat random, and it was noisy, chaotic, and I had a few really nice conversations. The Saturday night more formal event was not as much fun. I sat with a table of fun people, but I didn't know them that well, and they didn't know me. I felt confined by the sit-down dinner, and felt a more like an observer than a participant. It was interesting. I left early and hung out with my family for the evening in a storm, which was a lot of fun! I am thinking this coming year, I will likely just go on the Friday night . . . with the hope that it works the way it did last time.

Anyway, I have been thinking about nostalgia and reunions and have come up with a few guiding principles for myself. What do you think?

Top 10 Things to Remember When Going to Your High School Reunion

1.Go into it with low expectations, plan to open up your smile, and don't try to impress people. Feel yourself "be home," and allow yourself to enjoy your time together with old friends. Too many reunion attendees focus on conveying how they have succeeded in life or return with something to prove or to impress. What is success, anyway? For some people it means material wealth, for others it's educational achievements or the job title. For others it is a happy marriage or a number of children (or no children), or what our kids have done. Whoever we are right now, the likely reason we are going to this reunion is that we are nostalgic, and high school had some kind of meaning to us.

2. Remember that everyone has changed, and despite this fact,  many people will say, "you haven't changed one bit." AND remember that some part of each person always remains the same even if who we were in high school was just a seed of who we have become. You may not remember some people, and some people may not remember you. And that is okay.

 3, "You look great!" can be an annoying platitude.  I promise not to tell anyone they look great when what I mean to say is "I am so happy to see you and I like how you've aged. I hope life has been good to you." Some of us have gone through struggles, recently or in the past -- chemo, loss of loved ones, depression, divorce, etc.  Our struggles make us grow, but they don't always make our bodies "look great." Why focus only on the external, right? I know I have put on a couple of pounds in the last year. No crash dieting for me. I am healthy and fit in my clothes. That's enough for me. I don't care if my friends have gained weight, lost their hair, color their hair or are gray. I just want them to be happy and healthy. (Of course, if people say either I haven't changed or I look great, I will be gracious and smile and remember that they mean they are happy to see me.)

4. Regardless of how we experienced high school  -- whether we were happy and involved or shy or unhappy -- whether we had fun or just got through it, we all shared an experience. So a reunion is a chance to say hello to old friends and remember shared experience of sorts, recognizing that each person experienced the same time and place differently.

5. You can't rekindle 30 years in one or two evenings.  You can enjoy nostalgia. I hope to have some nice conversations, greet people I like, and have a few laughs. I hope to re-bond with people who I really care about even beyond the distance of time and space. It can be sweet to tap into that part of us that has not changed and be with those people that I cared about then and still care about now.

6. Go in knowing that no matter how much fun you have or don't have, the reunion lasts only a few hours. Whether or not you go off to a quiet place with just a few friends at the end of a loud bar party or whether or not it just gets real and you have to get out while the going is good, we will likely be left with a feeling of wishing we could see some of these people again  -- or more often -- or for a longer period of time and there will be some people that you'll be left thinking, "yeah there's a reason that we were just acquaintances in high school. Good to see them, but it will be okay if I don't see them again for a while." Let's face it, we all have kindred spirits, that were it for a different set of circumstances, we would be good friends. We will be reminded of this, and yet, time and space and circumstance do separate kindred spirits, and that is life.

7. James Taylor has a line in a song I like (Fire and Rain) that says "I always thought that I'd see you again." Remember  that a reunion might be the last time you see someone, and it may be the last time they see you. I recognize that and will appreciate the time we have together. By all means let's have a few laughs. Those are the feelings that really stay with us in our hearts

8. We all have different memories. I have flipped through my old yearbook and love to read what others wrote. It helps me remember them. I sometimes wonder, what did I write in others' yearbooks? How do they remember me? It can be fun trading memories with old friends. It might be surprising to hear what it is others remember most.

9.  Let go of past hurts - if you have them. Forgive. Remember the good and that we were teenagers then, for heaven's sake. People grow and grow up. For some, life has been great, and for others, it has unfolded differently. Some have stayed in the same town all these years and others have not been back for many, many years. Be kind. Be here now.

10. When it is time to go, remember that we can choose to stay in touch (hey, there's always Facebook), or we can choose to see our classmates in five years if it works out, or we can just choose to have closure and put it all in the past. I think Viv Savage from This is Spinal Tap said it best when he said, "have.a.good.time.all.the.time."

thimbleberry jam

presque isle fun

We found Presque Isle kind of by accident. Looking for a place to meet half-way between Cincinnati and CNY so that we could have some summer fun with our good friends Paula and Cliff, we found Presque Isle on a Google search, and it seemed like an interesting place right on Lake Erie. Back in February picked a weekend in August (last weekend) and we both ventured on our respective journeys to split the 11 hours between us.

We stayed in some quaint cottages just about a mile from the entrance of one of the nicest and largest state parks I've ever visited, Presque Isle State Park. There are two lighthouses, 11 beaches, miles of bike paths, interpretive nature paths and ponds, and plenty of beauty on this "almost island" that curves into great Lake Erie. A U.S. Coastguard Station is situated near the North Pier Lighthouse.

Paula and Cliff brought along grandson, 5-year-old Emmett, who became my little buddy. We managed to get in beach time, bon fire time, Yahtzee and Scrabble, fishing (well not me, but Matt and Tom), a lighthouse visit and some dining out. Paula got in some biking. Matt and Tom went on a fishing charter Saturday night and caught 50 perch (that were filleted and bagged for a ride home on ice).

On the ride home, I became fascinated with the history of Presque Isle and Lake Erie in general (accessed on my iPhone via Wikipedia). One of the things I read was that Lake Erie is known for its tremendous thunder storms, and I can attest to that! A huge storm crashed and banged and flashed most of Saturday night - with the lightning flashes hundredths of seconds from the thunder crashes and buckets of rain coming down in all directions. It was pretty intense, given that we were in a tiny cabin. It felt like we were in a tin can in the middle of a forest. Matt slept through the entire thing.

I highly recommend this place, and I hope to go back annually. I would love to do some bike trailing next time, and would also like to take a boat ride out on the lake. They have some different tours that sounded interesting and fun. Presque Isle is worth the trip. I hope you'll get there some time. (A couple of these photos have special effects courtesy of Hipstamatic, an iPhone application.)

pasta in the rough

Recently I had the pleasure of enjoying another one of Arlette's feasts. The main dish she prepared was a recipe from The Minimalist food writer Mark Bittman, called Fazzoletti, or "handkerchief pasta." Arlette served this delectable pasta with a pesto she made from her garden-grown basil. The accompanying vegetable medley included sauteed brussel sprouts and fennel, other vegetables, and toasted walnuts. The veggies had a wonderful, black peppery flavor. We finished the meal with homemade bread and a classic salad by Arlette with wonderful, fresh greens and a lemon and EVOO dressing. Dessert was a cranberry tart (and a little bit of chocolate).

How do I get so lucky to have a friend who can cook like this? I really don't know. I was so "in the moment" enjoying this meal that I didn't take photographs as I have sometimes done in the past. This photo is from the linked New York Times The Minimalist column on Bittman's recipe, and Arlette's looked just as good!

I heard an interview with Bittman on NPR this past fall, and was so impressed by his message. He encourages people to eat vegetarian for two of three meals per day. This alone would do more to decrease global warming than if people gave up their gas-hog SUVs! He has this to say about food:

" . . . while food is a necessity that we all share for survival, it's also a cultural bellwether. Taking control of our food - knowing where it comes from, selecting it and cooking it ourselves - makes us more thoughtful. Sitting down to a meal and eating with those we care about instead of standing over the sink with a bowl of cereal is an act of engagement rather than one of isolation. The way we interact with food says a lot about how we want to live our lives, and a move toward wholesome food and away from Pop Tarts and fish sticks can only portend good things."

wish you were here

I have posted this song before, but it's been a while. This is a great live rendition, performed fairly recently by David Gilmour and band -- including a lovely cello at the end. I heard the original today at in the waiting area at the eye doctor's office. It reminded me of my good friend Susan, who came to college knowing how to play this on her guitar at the same time I came to college loving to sing this - including singing along as the guitar with the guitar solo much like the way David does here. I still love Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album. Fun times, then and now.

It is a snowy and cold weekend here. I hope you are staying warm!

life as cinema

The following video was shot by Justin Ho, the son of friends of friends of ours. It is a really interesting and beautiful work of art. I enjoyed the experience of watching the watcher, and I liked his editing and soundtrack choices for his 2010 in Review. A special treat for me is seeing shots of three of my favorite people . . . Susan and her children Sarah and Patrick -- from the cruise that they took with Justin and family.

Justin has this to say about about his work: "I love making films. Ever since I was five I had an acute interest in film. Film, being a form of entertainment and media has been an intricate part of my life. I have taped many school events, edited and taped weddings, made hundreds of short narratives, and feature length films. Everywhere I go I look not to see, but to embrace. I see a vision not to compute, but to examine, for life can be just as cinematic as film."

2010 in Review from Justin Ho on Vimeo.

fantastic fourth

Sunday, the 4th of July, was a fun-filled day. While Tom and Paula did a morning-long bike ride, Cliff took Matt and I on a tour of their new town outside Cincinnati. It was a really hot day, and I was appreciative of the air-conditioning in their vehicle and in their home! In the afternoon, we headed into the city, stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods to purchase a new baseball bat for Matthew and to take a little tour of Cincinnati. We got to see where Paula and Cliff lived for many years before they moved to New York State, and we went to a very nice coffee bar for some iced coffee. We later crossed the bridge into Newport, Kentucky, where we spent the rest of the afternoon heat in the very cool (more ways than one) Newport Aquarium. Matt was taking photos like crazy on his new cell phone, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

After our visit to the Aquarium, we had dinner at a fun Irish pub called Claddagh's, and then headed to the famous Cincinnati ice cream place, Graeter's, soon to be distributed nationally. I had the most incredible black raspberry chip ice cream ever. If I could go back tomorrow for another cone, I would! We wrapped up our evening on the Cincinnati side of the Ohio River at the home of one of Jonathan's friends who was hosting a party. From his porch (and park across the street, right on the river) we watched some outstanding fireworks. It was really fun. Matt and Emmett and the other kids seemed to have a great time.

Monday morning came quickly. We relaxed all morning, Tom and Cliff played some music together for old times' sake, and Devin came by with his two boys Nolan and Theo for lunch. Devin and Beth and the kids had just returned from a long weekend trip themselves, and we appreciated that he took the time to come for a visit so we could see the adorable little guys. They are all like "extended family," and we enjoyed a cookout with them before we hit the road. We made plans to be sure to get together at least once a year, and I know that our adventures will continue, here, there, and places in between.

Our original plan was to break up the 9-plus hour drive by staying overnight in Jamestown, NY on the way back and arriving home on Tuesday, but we decided to boldly travel on and did the entire drive home (with a couple of stops) in one day. We left about 1 p.m. and got home before midnight and I was happy to have one full day at home Tuesday to catch up before returning to work today. I had nine days off in a row (13 if you count weekends, and I do) -- and it was a much needed break from the routine. Between the visit with Jeremy and Elena at the beginning of my time off and the trip to Ohio at the end of the vacation block, I feel like I regained a part of myself that gets chipped away at during the work year. The good news is that I will be taking more time off in the coming weeks. Let those good times roll.

Meanwhile, it will be back to regular blogging for me. A new poetry prompt is coming up, and I have a few music and other posts planned. the feedback on the new look has been pretty positive, so it looks like I'll be keeping it for a while here at the Press.

mother nature's sons (and daughters)

We departed Cleveland early on Saturday morning and arrived at Paula and Cliff's home in time for a delicious lunch. I have to get some recipes from Paula, and will share the yummy edamame dip recipe. We had a laugh over the fact that Paula is the one that introduced Matthew to his favorite dessert, Peanut Butter Pie, about six or so years ago. I have made her recipe at Matt's request for every special occasion of the year since then. Paula wanted to make that for Matt, but wasn't able to locate her recipe, so she found her recipe on this blog. Anyway, it was ready and chilled in time to welcome Matt and Tom and me to the greater Cincinnati area!

First on our agenda after lunch was to ride out to Jonathan's land in some beautiful country outside the city. Matt and the boys did some fishing and Paula and I went for a relaxing hike and then sat around in the nice weather chatting. Matt was very happy to get to the stocked pond, having packed his fishing gear especially for the trip. He caught several fish -- and threw them back. Tom rowed Jonathan's adorable son around in the row boat and we had a lot of fun with Emmett, a completely charming and energetic four-year-old. (Note the Spidey face paint.) I enjoyed the bird watching. It was completely relaxing. These photos are courtesy of Cliff, because I was too "in the moment" to have remembered my camera at that point in the day.

One thing that is certain when you get together with good friends is that no matter how much time or space has elapsed since the last time you were together, things just fall into place and is it like picking up where you left off. We enjoyed good food, laughs and some nice wine at Paula and Cliff's and were made to feel completely at home. More on the trip in another installment. . . .

cleveland rocks!

Well, I'm back and I've missed you! Several days and more than 1100 miles later, we are back from a little jaunt. You may remember that our dear friends Paula and Cliff moved back to Cincinnati last August to be closer to their two sons, and their grandsons, now 4, 4, and 2. We said then that we would definitely visit, and we decided that this summer, sandwiched in between a small break in the baseball season, a long 4th of July weekend would be perfect. (I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but after the regular Little League season ended at the end of June, Matt was selected for an all-star team, and part of that selection means committing to making the practices and games in July. We have already postponed our trip to Gettysburg because of this exciting commitment, and I was happy we were able to make this trip happen. It was originally to have been one day longer, but we left a day later so that Matt - and Asst. Coach Tom - could attend practice on Thursday night.)

We decided to break up the long drive to Cincinnati with a stop-over in Cleveland. First stop was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I loved it!! Unfortunately, they don't allow photography in the actual museum and at the exhibits, but we did manage to strike several poses in the lobby with the many guitars. Note that I am standing next to the N. Young Rust Never Sleeps guitar.

It was really interesting to see the actual costumes and attire of rock and rollers from Elvis to Michael Jackson, to Bono, to David Bowie and more. There were hundreds of artifacts and listening booths and displays. They had a special Bruce Springsteen exhibit. A real highlight for me was seeing Joni Mitchell's hand-written lyrics and liner notes to various albums and songs. There were quite a few Beatles artifacts. It was really, really fun, and a very cool building, designed by I. M. Pei.

Matt was very excited to go there, but we thought he might not be as into it as we were. We were right. After about an hour and a half, he was ready to rock and roll himself, so we left earlier than I otherwise would have. It's okay though, because there was a cool Great Lakes freighter ship/museum (the William Mather Steamship Museum) docked right next to the Hall of Fame, and we were able to take a quick tour and imagine what life must have been like on this incredible vessel. It was built in 1925 and it was enormous!! It turns out that it was smaller than the Edmund Fitzgerald, making that sinking all the more unreal to me.

Matt's choice was to have a room-service dinner in our hotel and swim in the pool there. We had fun with that, and staying in was a good option as we left at 8 the next morning for the next leg of the trip . . . (to be continued next post).
Our weather was sunny and WARM from Friday through our return late Monday night. As I think back on the ground we covered and the fun had, I realize that memories are created so easily.

celebrating spring

We had a great visit to the New York metropolitan area this past weekend. It would have been more than enough fun just to spend time with our good friends, but to have a perfectly warm and sunny weekend coincide with the first day of spring while hanging out with Susan and Steve (and Sarah and Patrick) was like icing on the cupcake. One thing is for certain: time flies, and the visits are always too short.

We drove down to L.I. on Friday, and thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and greenery. We tend to favor route 17, crossing the Tappan Zee, and then the Hutch to the Cross Island to the LIE. We hit virtually no traffic, but we did think it through and left early enough to arrive by 4 p.m. That evening, after a delicious sushi dinner, we enjoyed a very good H.S. production of Oklahoma for which Sarah worked the stage crew. I had been in a summer production of that play when I was 14, and seeing it brought back a flood of memories.

Saturday, while Sarah had obligations with the play and Tom met up with some friends (who had all made plans for a NJ Devils hockey game before I made the plan for this weekend), Susan, Steve, Patrick, Matt and I drove into Manhattan and had lunch at a fun place called the Shake Shack, walked around Central Park a bit, walked the city, stopped at a Crumbs cupcake shop, and then drove all around to show Matthew the sights (and sounds) of the City. There were people out everywhere. It felt like we were part of a giant celebration of the first day of spring!

We all enjoyed hanging out together, doing some recreational eating, sipping at some wine (well, not the kids), and taking in as much fresh air and walking as we could manage. We laughed a lot, which felt good.

The trip home, though it came too soon, was quite pleasant given the great weather. We stopped on the way home to catch the second half of the SU basketball game since it wasn't being broadcast on the radio. How nice that SU handily beat Gonzaga for their second win of the NCAA tournament. After a weekend of upsets, it was nice to have my team advance with confidence!

So here we are on Monday evening. The weekend went too fast, Monday seemed to last too long, and we are back in the regular routine once again.

angling on the weekend

Getting together with old friends is one of my favorite things, and we were lucky to be able to do that two weekends in a row. This past weekend, Dave and Monica and their adorable daughters Elisse and Marcia came to visit. Dave was one of Tom's RAs when he was a hall director several moons ago, and then Dave went to grad school in the same department as Tom and he became an RD for a couple of years also during that time -- so they have a lot in common and have shared many good times. We hadn't gotten together since all the kids came on the scene, although it really didn't feel like much time had passed at all.

Dave and family live and work in the metropolitan New York area, and they wanted to have some time "in the country." The weather cooperated so that we could do some outdoorsy things (although it could have been a little bit sunnier). We were able to go to Taughannock Park in Ithaca on Saturday, and Skaneateles on Sunday. Both are favorite spots, and Matthew was in luck, because at least half of Dave's family was interested in going fishing. We made sure to drive by lots of farms and fields to give them a real taste of central New York. We know that Dave golfs and bikes a lot, and we are guessing he got more fishing in during one weekend than he has in some time.

The families seemed to split along the following lines: active anglers on the one hand and the chatters/shoppers on the other. I was in the latter group. Matt, Marcia, Tom and Dave caught quite a few fish among them. I had no idea that fishing could be so competitive. There was quite a bit of trash talking going on -- particularly among the two men. Monica, Elisse, and I enjoyed talking and looking at the lake on Saturday, and talking and the shops on Sunday (although we did get a family photo of all of them with Marcia's fish on Saturday). I am voting for it as their Christmas card photo this year.

We also enjoyed a good meal at a funky restaurant in Ithaca called Za Za's Cucina, followed by dessert at Purity Ice Cream just across the street. I think after all the recreational eating I've been doing lately, I had better get back on a path to my elliptical machine! Since we move the new students in this coming Friday, and I've volunteered for a four-hour shift, I will jump start my busier, more healthy exercise pace very soon. Once the semester starts, the fun in the sun will just be a memory. I certainly have enjoyed this summer. Good times. Good friends. New memories.

P.S. I kind of like this last photo of our friends looking out over Skaneateles Lake with the skyline of trees beyond them. It's just a little bit different than the Manhattan skyline, yes?

some of the people in my life

This week flew by. I meant to do a little post about last weekend. So, quick, as another one starts, let me include this now. My closest friend, who I met on the first day of college, is Susan from Long Island. We got along from day one, and I feel as close to her as if she were my sister. We have a lot of fun together. What has helped our friendship continue through the years is that from the beginning as each of us became part of a "couple," we each got along well with the other's partner, and the four of us really enjoy time together. I think I laugh as much with Steve as I do with Susan. Tom and Susan are good friends also. When I first started falling for Tom, and the three of us were spending a lot of time together, I kept telling Susan, "I think Tom likes either me or you." She kept telling me, "Nan, it's you." She was right. I was glad about that.

As our families have grown, I am happy to say that we all meld together very well. I was honored to be chosen as her oldest child's godmother at a time when I patiently waited for my baby to arrive. I feel very lucky that we get to see each other at least once a year, and that we are compatible as groups that can travel together, etc. The kids really enjoy one another, and this weekend was no exception to the fun. Matt is 18 months younger than their youngest, and he enjoyed the time with the now teenagers!

It was quite warm and sunny. We spent a lot of time taking in the rays on the deck and floating in the pool (and Susan and I indulged in some Pinot Grigio). Our cats and our friends' allergies don't get along well, so it was good that the weather cooperated. I was introduced to a lot of new music from Sarah's iPod. Boy did it make me feel OLD! We did manage a nice hike at the local nature preserve (Matt and Patrick discovered clay and crayfish in the creek), some mini-golf, and some recreational eating to be sure that we didn't lose any weight. We were so relaxed that I didn't take many photos. On their last night before we said our goodbyes, I remembered that I wanted to do some family photos, so we snapped up a couple.