Summer 2021 (joy and sadness)

It’s cooler outside, socks and sweaters are back, and instead of everyday ice cream, we are back to Cake of the Week. This can only mean that summer is over. But before we dive too deeply into the leaf pile and pumpkin flavored everything, let’s recap the almost normal Summer of 2021. I’ve already reported …

How to Have a Perfect Wedding

Our daughter got married last month. Having had an ultra simple wedding myself, this event was not without some worry and trepidation on my part. I am happy to report that every thing I worried about, in fact, contributed to the success of this event. And now that I am living happily on great memories …

A handful of years

The OG grandchild is turning five! You all know these years have flown by, even this last one, as slow and trying as it has been. In any case, through five whole years, tying or not, watching this amazing girl evolve into the person she is has been five years of delight. As is my …

Feral child Turns Two!

Here sits the cure for pandemic blues. (Ice cream helps too.) In this year of sadness, worry and isolation, Cora is the antidote we all need. She is perfectly oblivious to what is happening in the larger world at and is perfectly happy and carefree. She is two years old day, balanced beautifully on the …

Fashion for Interesting Times

The change of seasons is always a difficult time for fashion.  In the last couple of weeks, temperatures have fluctuated wildly.  Is it too  hot? Is it too cold?   I, for one, rarely get out of  old, stretchy clothes and my only sartorial efforts are finding matching masks and fitbit bands for my “outfits.” Luckily, …

Grampy Duke

I have written about my Nana and Papa’s mother Joan. Today’s featured celebrity is my father, grandfather to my children, great grandfather to Lo and Cora: Ray Martin also known as Grampy Duke. Today is Grampy Duke’s 90th birthday!   Because of Covid19, we were not able to have the big party we were planning, and …

Summer Vacation

How are you doing? The only answer anyone wants to give or get is “everyone is still healthy.” And, I am happy to report that is true for us. Since June, based on everyone’s health and commitment to following guidelines, we have rewarded ourselves with the formation of a “pod” with our kids and grandkids. …

The New Normal?

I suspect everyone is a little weary of the pandemic. We “locked down” on March 13th. Nearly 3 months later, I have adjusted to and perhaps embraced the so-called “new normal.” As I mentioned before, isolation isn’t much of a hardship for retirees. We had no jobs to lose or convert to remote working nor …

Four

Today, Lo joins the ranks of people celebrating their birthdays in quarantine. As a very social child with an instinct for party planning, it has been difficult for her to understand why she can’t have a party or see her friends. It about broke my heart to hear her explain “Nana, after the sick is …

A Birthday in a Weird Time

I wasn’t sure I was up to writing my annual birthday essay (see this and this). Like all of you, we are now leading a different life than we could have imagined just a few short months ago. On the one hand, social distancing is not a whole lot different from any other day in …