FINAL SCENES and a CELEBRATION from AWAY

A Dusty Pink Sky

 

Can't recall if it was dusk or dawn

 Forsythia

Weeping Cherry



Upstairs Cats





~*~

Memorial Bench
for Mother and Father
St at the back of what will soon be a sea of sweet Phlox and more

~*~



Supper for Ten
 
Though I've been visiting for decades, I'd never been at Easter. There's a family tradition of donning hats from the past decades and it added a cheerful twist to the gathering. Here's Richard, reading a card.

Listening

to Tim while preparing a dish

Rachel wearing many hats

and hatless

She is the baker who made our desert,
this blueberry delight in a shortbread crust
.
Leone, on the far left next to Roger and Melissa Latour
 
made all our place cards

.
 
Tim and Rachel look on as Nina snaps a shot of Jason

Guests brought floral gifts

*
 
First a toast with 'Lemoncello' (a lovely liquor I'd never tasted) that Nina brought and Oh, how we ate!
Honey mustard Glazed ham, two dishes of rich scalloped potato, green beans and Salmon. Very New England and very delicious.
~*~

Jason got lost in a Lemony Snicket adventure.
 
Others just sat contented...
.
...stunned and happy.

~*~ 

I'M BACK

From a week away with great good friends in Massachusetts...

sans internet was a gift...so too the rain...though not enough to replenish the fallen water tables...

(a spider's spin to catch dew)

 but there were cats demonstrating relaxation...

and the art of sleeping with one eye slightly open.

 Who could ask for more?

 Oh, the trees, the blessed trees, and the sleep and awake time, and the wind, even the heat of a few afternoons.

(view from the Gazebo)

First Disappointment

I neglected to take the battery charger for the Pentax camera so had to stop on the third day taking shots.
Just enjoyed the view, read...

and wrote a bit ...

delighted in the indoor memento toy shelf...

and many September hot-tubs...

 accompanied by this gorgeous sprawling geranium.

 Back to the outdoor beauties:

 Exquisite color

 Exquisite form

 What a stunner!

 The long standing Wisteria Vine fell when the hollow tree collapsed behind the gazebo.  It will be given a new post to grow upon as soon as the debris is cleared.

 Last Disappointment

I left my beloved rainbow string bag in the magazine compartment of the seat on the Amtrak train as we arrived in NY while helping an older Vermont couple to navigate out of the bowels of Penn Station to the street to meet their family...then realized my loss.  After reporting to NY Customer service in person, and the helpful Mr. Joseph alerting Newark (the next stop) and then reporting by phone and in detail to the Washington DC customer service end of the line who said that I could phone back in the morning to see if the cleaners found it. I am hoping for one of those human miracles of return.  Several critical pieces of ID, $26 and a bunch of bus change, and (worst) my eyeglasses were within.  So if it doesn't return the rest of this week will be reporting and applying for replacement cards.  My keys, bank card and NY City ID were elsewhere and I've got xerox copies of the missing cards so it will only be tedious and a lesson in attentiveness.  But Mr. Joseph said he was pretty sure it would return and I choose to believe that.

 Other than those inconveniences, It was a lovely getaway, and though I seem not to be smiling in this mirror selfie, I'm smiling deep within.

~*~

MORNING UPDATE

having made my first call to Washington...No one but a machine asking me for name and details is available at 7AM, so I did that and now I'll try to sleep.  I was more upset than I realized...tossed and turned. 

~*~

AFTERNOON UPDATE

I have reported to Amtrak police and received sympathy and an incident report number from Officer Proudman (that's his name...perfect for a police officer).  I can refer to it when reporting to the various Identity entities since the actual hard copy can take many weeks.  I'm holding off on reporting till the end of today and maybe until tomorrow morning.

Light Virtual Candles Dear Friends
~*~ 

CITY and COUNTRY

December the 5th
Since my return, I've sunk into present tense...

...a woman with moss covered stones on her heart.

~*~
 

December the 5th

Feeling the weight...

...I find myself in walking meditation.

  Consider that the precinct across the street has been a hotbed of hot-headed, aggressive activity through many nights, with helicopters hovering overhead all day all over town as a grief stricken populace by the hundreds of thousands marched.  A short while ago the roving protests passed nearby shouting "No justice, no peace." and "If we can't breathe, you can't breathe." Justice and breathing are the issues.
 ~*~
   
November the 25th
Backtracking to days in Massachusetts 

It snowed

turning bare trees to crystal garbed skeletons.

From the top floor of the house

 "The Window"
by Raymond Carver

A storm blew in last night and knocked out
the electricity. When I looked
through the window, the trees were translucent.
Bent and covered with rime. A vast calm
lay over the countryside.
I knew better. But at that moment
I felt I'd never in my life made any
false promises, nor committed
so much as one indecent act. My thoughts
were virtuous. Later on that morning,
of course, electricity was restored.
The sun moved from behind the clouds,
melting the hoarfrost.
And things stood as they had before.
  
 from Ultramarine. © Vintage, 1986.

*

Christmas cacti bloomed in two rooms.

My friend built a pine cone tree

a gift for their Veterinarian

Then the lights went out.  Workers labored to get fallen branches off electrical lines for four hours, and plows cleared roads through the night

 ~*~

November the 26th

Still and clear, and oh, so beautiful 

*

*

 Dennis goes walking.

~*~

November the 27th
We traveled from Westfield to Worcester

for Thanksgiving with the Scanlon-Henry clan and guests

Back to Westfield where we began watching
House of Cards
a bit each night till finishing 

 ~*~

November the 28th
My breakfast

A red fox comes for food and finds some...

...where three outdoor cats,

a possum, racoons, skunks, bluejays,

and other wild critters feed

Then - "poof"

"Where's that fox gone?"

Other felines found a new focus

Little-boy-blue Jason arrives
 
He watches "101 Dalmatians" with Auntie Jen an Uncle 'Dick" while Mommy Rachel makes a wreath for her car

Wreath Making continues after company departs

in process

 Night falls

 ~*~

November the 29th
Set for a second Thanksgiving 

Menu
One bird well done...

...two kinds of stuffing, mashed potato and sweet potato, cubed rutabaga, Kale salad with walnuts, red onion and apples, roasted brussel sprouts

Richard greets David and Norton

Melissa and Roger arrive bearing Poinsettia

Appetizer
Branston pickle on Feta cheese

The full feast 

Time out for Bruno love

 Felines share the bounty

Sated

~*~

 November the 30th
Iron Rabbits emerge

 Ready for Winter

 ~*~

December the 1st
Delivering the wreath

to neighbor George-for his barn

~*~

December the 2nd
"bye bye Betsy and Mona"...

"So long" to the comfy bed I slept upon...

"Farewell for a while"

 ~*~