In thinking of a subject header for this post, which I will make brief (sort of) honoring your skill at being concise, I came up with "extraordinary" to cover a wide emotional space.
The first and foremost was the drive, one of our last, in the country with our dying father, still with it, thankfully, and how perfect I felt it went. Not talkative, dad, still, in his silence, soaked in the beauty of that Sat afternoon.
The second event was my imposition and its initial, though not continuing, upset on you, dad and mom. It was an imprudent and selfish decision on my part to invite the Stams over for dinner. Granted it was thrust on me by the couple's overt, encompassing generosity, but, nonetheless, I should have discussed (it with our parents and you and Norma). Enough said. My apologies, post-incident.
We are entering a new phase of our lives. We shall soon, hopefully not too soon, be the surviving generation. My hope, my dear brother, is, that despite our divergent temperaments and worldviews that we continue to share the beauty of a fall afternoon and realize what is truly lasting -- our love as a family.
May it be so ... and in loving humankindness, your brother, always,
rudy
Went to church and with no choir practice, went for a walk around Paper Mill Park and came to a trail that led me to some nice homes and this horse and baby/small goats with budding horns:
Just off the asphalt track around the athletic fields of Paper Mill Park is a trail that led to this enclosed area with goats and this sociable and obviously, hungry, horse. I had nothing to offer him/her but an iPhone. Not going to get it but I did grab this image as I walked prior to the start of service at UUSMC. Walked for a total of 1.5 miles. Nice activity prior to the service where I got to sing with Kristen and Laurie on a hymn late in the service with Larry Stomberg accompanying on cello. He is an Assistant Professor of Cello at University of Delaware School of Music (Loudis Recital Hall).
Doug posted some amazing photos from our Saturday (yesterday) afternoon trip to the country with our father:
Travel to the country and The Whip this afternoon but it was packed due to the Eagles football game versus the Giants (they were losing 15-0 late in the 4th quarter) and so we traveled, thanks to Doug's expert GPS in his droid phone, to the Greathouse at Loch Nairn and had a nice late lunch, leisurely served by 18-year-old Eliza, younger than the cat that observed the dining area through the door outside (Doug went out to her and fed her some bread), who might be 19 or 20 years of age. Dad ate well -- an oyster stew -- and even drank a martini, his first in ages.
Male Muslim attire required at Greathouse lunch table ... with apologies to the Muslim faith.
Norma and dad posing in front of the Greathouse at Loch Nairn waiting for Doug to return after parking the car and going in for lunch on this sunny, beautiful Sunday, 27 October 2013.
Mid to late afternoon, Dancer needed a walk so I got Norma to come with us to Bark Park for a walk, even though she wasn't wearing the exactly right shoes for the trekking adventure. We did the trails and the park for a little over a mile walk into a brilliant sun which became my thrown together Daily Dancer pic for the day.
A few short hours after our fairly big meal (good bread, filling) at the Greathouse, Doug made reservations for Feby's but dad was unable to go. We left our parents recumbent on mom's bed watching a TCM offering on the wide screen TV. Prior to that, I'd brought up the oxygen for dad for a second time and he fiddled with the nasal cannula to get it fitted properly and I set the level at 2.0. Doug had ordered, earlier, pulse oxygen reader on the Internet and it should be arriving soon. We will determine dad's levels and see if he does need the supplemental oxygen, but now, if he feels the need, he's going to get it, of course. Dinner was too filling and the restaurant was packed, many ordering the lobster due to a special of 3 courses for $30.00.
The view of Feby's as you turn into the restaurant's parking lot off Maryland Avenue.
Got home after 8 p.m. and dad was still up, but not for long, and they said their goodbyes and headed for the Holiday Inn Express, an early departure in the AM in the plans, probably 5 a.m. Doug set his phone alarm for 4:30 a.m., as though he needs it. Well, it was a good visit and we got a lot of time with dad as he went out of his way to travel in the Chrysler 200 (a car Doug poo-pooed as inferior) over the hills, valleys, and narrow causeways of rural Maryland and Pennsylvania. Just a beautiful weekend. The challenges remain and Doug will be here if I need him. Tomorrow, it's back to the office in the afternoon after flying in to Atlanta in the morning and making their way, about 45 minutes, to their home in John's Creek.
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