My Boys

I'm anticipating the weekend. All three boys(and two girlfriends) are coming home. The reason - the wedding of a son of family friends. Gone are those days when we were always together at home. They have grown and "flown the coop." But from time to time we manage to get together. This weekend three of my four children will be here to celebrate the joy of the wedding. I know I''ll treasure every minute with them.
My only regrets for the weekend are its going too quickly and my daughter(and son-in-law) will not make it home(Cambodia is too far away!). I am grateful for my boys and look forward to welcoming each with a big hug.

Fall is Here!

Now that Fall is officially here it's time for those "get ready for winter" projects. The first was completed(up to a point) over the course of 2 days - closing the pool. It's always done with sadness as it's a smack in the gut that summer has passed and a change is in the air. With the help of my 83 year old father we got the winter cover on and secured one day and the net leaf cover on the next day. What a great invention that leaf cover is. No more scooping wet and smelly leaves from the water on the cover in the springtime! Just pull that net off and all the leaves come with it. The filter still needs to be drained and put away but all in due time.

time marches on

The end of summer is approaching - the tomatoes are almost all ripened! I have a newly acquired taste of these bright red orbs and growing my own this year has been fun and rewarding. Today was the first day of another school year (and maybe her last)for my wife. After I kissed her goodbye and bid her a good year I had time to think about the summer we spent together. Our days were filled with family, friends and fun. Quiet times were also numerous. Sitting on the porch having that first cup of tea and reading the morning paper - a simple pleasure. The memories are many. As fall approaches the days of summer remain with me. Hopefully, their memories will get me through the changing seasons!

time well spent

We spent Thursday evening at the Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth State Park. My father enjoys taking his 5 children and their spouses to dinner once a year. What joy to see him surrounded by his children and spouses. He has been such an active part of this family since we brought him back from Florida 11 years ago! What a great move on our part!!

It was a noisy time with everyone chatting and enjoying wine and beer before dinner. Of course, the dinner food itself was delicious. But most important was the time spent together. As someone once said: "There's no present like time and no time like the present." Enjoy those times!!!

Funeral/Maynard's Memorial Picnic

One of the sad parts of life is losing a parent. This week one of my brother-in-laws experienced the death of his father. With his mother and his 6 siblings they faced that long final process of saying goodbye. There were tears as well as laughter over several days ( and I'm sure more to come). Our hearts are sad for him and his family. What can we do? Our support was to attend the funeral and offer our condolences.

My sister-in-law lost her father several months ago. This past weekend she and her 9 siblings hosted a memorial picnic for Maynard. There were over 140 family members there! He always had a chicken BBQ every summer when he returned to the area, so that was the menu for the picnic. Again, what could we do? Our support this time was to man the kitchen and help with setup, the serving of the food and the cleanup. Family is so dear and just being there for each other is at times is the best we can do.

Rest in peace Big Ed and Maynard.

the final touch

After much work on the flower gardens, the final touch is the mulch. A friend has a truck and a helping hand so this is the first year of buying bulk mulch at a local garden center - something called nutrabrew. My friend Doug says it assimilates easily into the soil. I definitely like the look of the gardens with that mulch. Now with the gardens done I can refine their looks and enjoy them!

spring gardens

Would you like to visit my spring gardens?