And We're Off!

 

Junior and Baby buried in the snow

It wasn't a good start but a happy ending. And that's just the first 20 minutes! I thought we were in good shape this  year as we  had only 1 and 1 /2 feet of snow (unlike 2 years ago when we had 3 feet) but underneath lurking, was some ice. We had planned carefully to avoid the long drive in 2020 when we arrived at our first RV park in the dark. So the RV was all packed and we spent our last night there. But we had waited to shovel out and hook up the truck until the morning. I carefully edged the truck out of the parking spot and turned down the driveway. But the tires locked and we turned sideways and skidded down, jacking the trailer. I managed to stop in front of the garage at the lip of the driveway. 

The snow fall ended a few days before we left giving Scott enough time to shovel the walk down to the driveway so we could pack up the RV. 

Scott was amazing. He directed me to manage a controlled (!) sideways skid of the front wheels that slowly turned the truck down the driveway and we were able to slowly descend towards Spring Lake Rd. But as we neared the bottom junction the brakes locked and I couldn't slow down or stop. We entered the road and managed to turn down it - but if a car had been coming, there would have been a crash! But luck was with us. The rest of the trip was a piece of cake. 

Baby and Junior hooked up and shoveled out, ready to skid down the driveway.

Scott's brother Brent and sister-in-law Wilma had applied for permission for us to park in front of their home in South Orange, NJ. They, unfortunately for us, were with their family in South Carolina but after a 5 hour drive, we were able to spend a comfortable night in their home before continuing on the next day for another 4.5 hours, all the way to Cherry Hill RV Park near Washington, DC. Baby will stay there for 8 nights while we visit my sister Paula in Belcamp, MD and our son James and his family in Washington.  We'll continue south on 12/28.

Quincy Market looks deserted but inside it was teaming with shoppers and people having lunch.

Earlier this month we went down to Boston for 5 days with Sean & Will. Our Annual Holiday Open House, suspended the last few years for COVID was planned for Sunday at their home in Dorchester. I also had the last of my yearly appointments with my thoracic surgeon. After 11 years with no problem I no longer need to see him. Scott and I had a great day in Boston enjoying the holiday decorations and doing some shopping down at Quincy Market. Each night with Sean and Will we had fabulous dinners out at Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen (followed by seeing the Soweto Gospel Choir at the Berkley School of Music), Oleana in Cambridge, and at their home. 

We pose for a photo with Sean & Will after our dinner at Darryl's Restaurant in the South End.

But then the bad news/good news vibe hit us. The first two nights we spent some time with Jenny Wolf, who is renting their third floor and on Friday night she tested positive for COVID before a Master's Swim Meet. So we had to cancel the party and spent the next five days worried about catching it. So that was the bad news - but happily none of us came down with COVID and Jenny never had a single symptom! It was sad for everyone to miss seeing all our friends again this year but maybe we'll try again in the Spring! So now we are at Paula's enjoying her company. Tomorrow we move on to James' for Christmas. 

A tiny tree all decorated at Sean & Will's for
the holiday

It just fit in this alcove perfectly.

Faneuil Hall is dwarfed by sky scrapers but the 
Customs Tower in the background is still there.

Quincy Market was decked out for the holidays 
and we enjoyed clam chowder for lunch.

This huge dinosaur didn't miss out on the festivities.

Giving Thanks!

 

Gathered around the table, from left, Heather, Josh, Shira, Gary, Will, Jonathan, Scott (hidden), Sean, Ariella and Daniel. 

We had lots of reasons to give thanks this Thanksgiving. Although we were really sad to learn that our son James, daughter-in-law Morgen and youngest grandson Kolya were unable to join us for the holiday, we were grateful that they recovered from the RSV that caused them to cancel without the complications that have landed some children in overcrowded hospitals at this time of year. Our hearts go out to those families.

We did a lot of cooking with everyone pitching in. That's Jonathan, Scott, Shira, Heather, Gary, Will and Sean.

But we did have two of our sons and their families join us. Sean, Will and Will's Dad Gary came up from Boston, while Josh, Michal, Shira and Jonathan flew from Tulsa, OK to NYC where they picked up our two grandchildren attending Columbia University, Daniel and Ariella and drove up overnight. Of course we did lots of cooking and eating, but the weather cooperated enough so that we got in a couple of hikes and Josh and Daniel spent a day skiing at Killington. It was a wonderful weekend with lots of board games and the World Cup soccer to watch.  And we had a Christmas/Hanukah morning opening the many boxes of gifts that my sister Paula sent for everyone! We are truly thankful. 

My beautiful daughter-in-law Michal and equally beautiful granddaughter Ariella had fun making a lemon meringue pie together, shown here before baking.

Top row: Will, Sean and Daniel. Bottom row: Jonathan, Heather, Gary, Shira, Ariella, Scott and Josh

Hiking near our home over the "wedding 
pasture".

The finished Lemon Meringue Pie.

Shira strikes a pose.

Watching the World Cup, Scott, Gary, Michal, Jonathan, Sean, Shira and Will.

Jonathan enjoyed the fun gifts that my
sister sent for all.

Sean attempting some difficult climbing
maneuvers on our hike.