IT'S A PARTY!!! Back in January Dave and Anna arrived at our house with two bottles of
champagne and a couple dozen oysters and announced they were engaged; we celebrated enthusiastically! But
what about everyone else? So, they sent out this invitation (Dave's art) for an engagement openhouse in Catskill
with friends and family. Another party! We immediately bought plane tickets.
Charlie, Dave, Anna and Frankie
News & Notes
For convenience and nostalgia we flew to New York via Boston. We lived in Lexington MA for a year in 1987/88 during a sabbatical (L lectured at Harvard and MIT) and we hadn't been back. Of course, Lexington Green is the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War. And on the day we visited (250 years, 4 days after the battle) citizens were exercising the very rights gained from that War.
Exercising the Benefits of Dumping the King at the Lexington Green
We also drove through beautiful New England countryside to Concord MA, but we didn't stop at that battle site. Instead, we stopped at Writers Ridge, a section of Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where notable authors are buried: Allcott, Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau. On earlier visits we'd been perplexed by Emerson family epitaphs. This time they were still enigmatic: Ellen Emerson's 70 years are summarized as, "Among the scenes of real life, she wrought Upon the plan that pleased her childish thoughts"; Robert Emerson's 52 years were described as Thou hast been faithful over a few things. Still odd.
Emerson Family Plot, Writer's Ridge
On our drive west to Catskill NY, we detoured south to the Connecticut shore to lunch with longtime friends Ginny and Gary in Guilford CT. We were delighted to visit our former hometown, see our old house and catch up with friends we've known for a half century.
Our comfortable AirBnB in Catskill came with an outdoor geodesic dome, which was the perfect place for dinner with the Engagees on a rainy evening.
Dining Out
With the party preparations all complete and the weather perfectly cooperative, Anna and Dave stepped outdoors to welcome guests.
The Hostess and Host
The party was extremely fun! Anna's immediate family was all there -- great folks -- including her niece Ada who shows off her "Dave Tattoo". Charlie and Frankie, Anna's two dogs, were joined by several others including Juniper's sweet little fur ball, Mister Sprinkles. Juniper's dad, Adam, a photographer, is shown here chatting with Tim, among others of Dave's art school posse. Anna's numerous friends included two of her foster "kids," now adults.
Anna and Dave's Friendship Network
On our last day we joined Dave and Anna's family for a visit to Art Omi, a nearby sculture park. Curiously, the Hudson Valley seems filled with large properties exhibiting sculptural installations. At Omi Dave inspects a work made from precast concrete septic tanks and sewer vaults. The artist explained that it was a pity these interesting pieces were always buried!
Monumental Sewer
When we got to Seattle, Spring had burst out all over the garden. This meant there was a lot of work to do to clean up after winter. But as we busy ourselves with unrewarding tasks, we get to enjoy the beauty. From left, the species are
Rhododendron catawbiense, Lord Robert's Rhododendron;
Polysticum setiferum rotundatum cristata Dwarf Round Crested Soft Shield Fern;
Polysticum setiferum plumosum densum Soft Shield Fern;
Iris siberica Caesar's Brother Siberian Iris.
Oh yes. One other thing to notice ... that slug sliming its way across the rock.
"Is there nothing here to eat but Himalayan Maidenhair Ferns (Adiantum venustum)?"
