Discovery

After all those months without the use of my pony Subaru, the rollback of that restrictive lifestyle came. Around a week ago, I felt the difference in full measure. It became clear when I thought of some errand or remembered an appointment, I didn't need to include "who shall I call?". Granted, this freedom happened shortly before I'd left for the Midwest. There, I'd driven my sister Jeanenne's car in and out of St. Louis during my extended stay but the full impact on my everyday lifestyle didn't come home to me until after I'd returned to Pennsylvania last week. Many avenues lie ahead including retail therapy that I immediately ventured out to do. My favorite farm market headed the list and I came home with almost more than I could consume in a week's time.

I'm saying thanks for my regained autonomy. And, I'm saying thanks for birthday celebrations, face-times, greetings, notes, remembrances, and gifts I received this week. All of it makes me smile with deep appreciation.

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Keoni had a day away from his endeavors at Aspen Music Institute. He and friends hiked up a Colorado Rocky Mountain of 14,000+ feet. He sent some pictures...

A Marmot.

Alas, at the completion of his fellowship Keoni's return to Georgia will be direct, arriving barely in time for his first classes next month. No stop in Pennsylvania this time. We'll miss him.

Just as Keoni's life ever more follows his own trajectory, so does Aidan's. He is still at Heifetz Institute another week and poured on his practicing this past week to accomplish the assignment of a new piece for a cello Master Class. He was successful! Now, Hayden's "Divertimento for Cello in D Major: Allegro di Molto" can be counted in his repertoire. He will tell you it's not ready for prime time and his rendering is slow but, gee whiz, he did it.

Marge spent a week with her Ohio sisters and many other family members as they trekked to all meet at Notre Dame for her niece's destination wedding. From pictures, videos, and Marge's stories, it was the wedding by which all other weddings must be compared--from the gorgeous bride to ceremonial bagpiping. All very special.

Laundry now beckons, as does hunger. I will return to the downstairs and take care of both.

Sunshine Came Back This Afternoon

How nice to have the weather clear up some today and get to take a walk again around the perimeter of the farm. It's a bit of a workout since it is not a lawn. It sweeps out the cobwebs of my mind, spirit, and body.

Sometime this summer, this grass will be baled up.

John had a week away from his usual workplace. At home, he and Wendy have dug a ditch. It's to divert water away from one of the run-in sheds in the far pasture. They are French-i-fying it with some sort of techie fabric to line it and now filling it with gravel from the pile that John once had delivered to Wendy as a present. I didn't negotiate the high grass to check it out. I'll wait for Austen and her goat mascots to eat it down first.

John heading to the gravel pile.

Before Wendy joined him, I got to take a snap of her and Rosy, the goat that Sandy helped birth when she surprised all by sliding out a few minutes after her Mama had just delivered an enormous brother. No one thought there could be another goat on the way. Rosy is the friendliest of the goats, sweet, yet assertive.

Wendy and Rosy.

Pennsylvania is Dripping Wet

And it's a grey morning here at the homestead in Quakertown. Marge's fish were amazing going after fish food that lands in the "lettuce" now covering the pond. The Tillandsia (remember those little friends?) are soaking themselves upside-down in the pond water I dredged up for them.

So very much has taken place during the recent past encompassing Paula's illness. My sisters; many, many family members; and many, many friends brought together a palpable support of spirit, as well as, hospitality, humor, and inspiration where and when needed. In doing so, much came together and good happened.

While frequent drives to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis were taking place, a whole other life continued outside Paula's room and the waiting room. It's put me in an I-don't-know-where-to-begin blank spot. So, what I'll do is grab some of the pictures on my phone and see if there is a chronicle there.

I see the image chronicle is very lengthy...birthdays, a major holiday...there was plenty more that I missed or forgot to take...

Brother-in-law Larry had the first of the July birthdays. Note his logo emblazoned, brand-new tee-shirt gifted to him by his favorite local restaurant--Ethyl's. This is a glass room on the back of their home. Great for bird-watching and star-gazing.

In attendance...

Grandniece Harper.

Niece Jackie and grandniece Della.

Grandniece Kensie.

Grandniece Lexie.

Margaret, Jeanenne, and the brothers Barry and Larry. All are RETIRED.

Nephew David.

The girl table.

The boy table.
(Yes, this was a spontaneous migration to separate tables.)

Someone snapped one of me.

On with celebrations that took place...

Twinkle, twinkle little star. The next July birthday was grandniece Lexie's--daughter of David and Sarah. Here she is toddling toward her presents at her first ever birthday celebration.

Lexie with dad David, sister Kensie, and Sarah, her mom, holding her.

The Clarks, et al, gathered again. Here are a couple more...

Jackie and Della.

 Magically, the Cardinal game was on at mealtime...

Larry, center, with sons Jonathan and David.

The Clarks would have taken up at least a half-block of O'Fallon waiting for the Fourth of July Parade to begin but were thwarted when half of them arrived after the first bunch found space and settled out of sight just beyond the first hill of the parade.

Here they come...

Hmmm. Where'd this one come from?

Gloria and Joseph sent this from another small town in Pennsylvania...

Keoni sent a view from a practice room he was using over in Aspen, CO, at the music festival...

Many afternoons, Jackie brought Harper and some of her young cousins over to use the pool. Jackie, her sibs, and spouses exchange times they help each other with childcare while one or another of them work.

Jonathan and his dad catch up on the news and baseball.

Arthur Viehmann, one of our oldest family friends, stopped by for a visit the day before I returned to Philadelphia.

Jeanenne working on a quilt square while visiting.

There were many walks around Jeanenne and Larry's beautiful setting...

Jeanenne also  conducts tours of the place.

Sandy and I relaxed quite a bit with Paula returned to her home with visiting nurse care. We went to Pere Marquette State Park across the big rivers--Missouri, then Mississippi--on the banks of the Illinois River...

River commerce.

Past the chess game in the Lodge we had lunch.

Relaxed, at last.

Barge heading downriver.

Same barge a little later as we're crossing the river. Lots faster downstream.

Well, time to wrap it up...