I knew July was going to be busy. I knew it, but wow, it is very densely packed. We started with a July 4th party with a bunch of our daughter's friends. We had food, and then drove them up to the high pasture on the farm to watch the fireworks (and as it turned out, concurrent illumination shows from the lightning bugs and the heat lightning over the next mountain). It was fun, and by about 11:30 pm we had kicked them out so we could get some sleep.
The following day we went to CT, stayed overnight there before heading to Long Island to celebrate my aunt and uncle's 60th wedding anniversary.
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| The Anniversary Kids! |
We took the ferry over the Long Island Sound, which was so much nicer than driving down the L.I.E. in the blazing heat. We had a party/luncheon at a lovely inn and got to spend the time with cousins, sisters, nieces and nephews, Mommy, and various old friends from my family's past. It was great, but HOT!!! Everyone was so great - between my sisters, cousins, and nephews, everyone helped keep our eldest son as relaxed as he is capable of being in noisy crowded places!
After the luncheon, we went to Aunt G and Uncle T's house to have a house/home mass celebrated by Fr. Bill who was marking his 50th year as a priest. We sweltered through it - even outside - even with fans on (outside). The air was so hot, heavy and still that we had no relief. Sooo, we laughed and sweat, and kept passing tissues and paper towels to stop the drips! All the pictures are of our VERY shiny faces!
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| Not just a natural glow - more like an unnatural melting! |
Still, so many of us are in so many places - East Coast, West Coast, now, Chicago as well, that we do not often get to see each others - it was great.
We took the ferry back - another sunny day that lent itself to sailing topside.
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| Watching the ferry docking. |
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| A gorgeous day on the Sound |
My section of family drove home Sunday night, then Tuesday morning at about 6:30, my daughter and I rolled out the door to drive her to Western Michigan for 2 weeks of Fine Arts Camp. I stopped (just to fill up the gas tank) in Jamestown, NY, just to say I had been there. For those of you who do not understand this, Jamestown is Lucille Ball's hometown, and I have always admired her, so it was just my personal nod to her memory to say I had been there once. (Although I may want to go back to the museum!!)The drive wasn't too bad, but the construction was everywhere, slowing us down, as did the driving rain storm outside Williamston, MI that brought the traffic to a hazard blinking crawl.
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| Modern lighting |
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| NON-smoking room accessory! |
We finally got to our motel - a little Mom and Pop place with a sign from the 60s, a room with 1970s panelling and a 1960's bathtub. The sign said it was a no smoking room, but the ashtray on the desk belied that,
as did the stench of cigarette smoke that permeated the bedding, carpet and curtains. It was...memorable. At least the bed was firm. My husband and I had reservations for the return trip to pick our daughter up, and we cancelled them this morning, choosing to stay in a hotel an hour away in order to avoid the cigarette experience again.
I dropped my daughter off at the camp and got her settled and off to the theatre for her audition, then back I drove. The return trip was much smoother, the construction starting at hours other than the ones I was driving through. By 2:30 a.m. I was home, and I have a whole day here before we head down to Maryland for a wedding! Another week and it is back to MI to pick our daughter up!
Our house sitter is loving us this month!
