summer memories ~ visiting my sister

After visiting my buddy Janel I rented a car and drove to a suburb of Philadelphia. I cannot explain the joy I felt on this road trip, playing music, talking on the phone hands free, using modern technology to text people with voice activation. I was connected and yet free. Living on an island, one can only drive so far, so road trips are rare. It is so fun to get in a car and drive to a new state. Not to mention what happened afterwards. I arrived at my sister's house. She hadn't told any of her kids I was coming. So I got to surprise them, one by one. The looks on each of their faces was priceless. I had such a great time with them all. I had never visited them by myself, I was always Aunt Theresa, the mom, in the context of my family. This time I was just plain old aunt Theresa. I received a hero's welcome. It was like being a celebrity. Everyone wanted to sit near me, make me food, talk to me, hang out with me. I love all of my nieces and nephews. They are a precious piece of my siblings. I made a point to spend time with the kids. I slept in my teenage niece's bed, surrounded by her cute room, including my sister's and my childhood dollhouse. As a kid I spend many an hour making tiny things for that dollhouse! 

We launched rockets with the boys at a big open field (heat wave didn't stop us), we had wonderful home cooked meals, (my sister makes three warm meals a day for her family, she is a rock star wife and mother), we walked through their small town, went through the kids' art portfolios (they are all very talented), went to church where my niece sang. I went to a book club with my sister and met her friends, had an intelligent discussion with lovely women. For my birthday my sister took me via train into the city and we got pedicure/foot massages, shopped at the original Anthropologie, and got lunch. This country girl got a nice taste of the city!

It was a great visit. There's more to that story later.

summer memories ~ california, my hometown, camp drop-off, dc

We had a great summer away from home. First we stopped off in northern California to see Amma, which was uplifiting and wonderful as usual. Shawn took his first solo Uber ride to visit old friends he had met when we lived there years ago.

Next we took Shawn and flew to see my parents in Upstate New York. We stayed with them for a week, while Skylar went to photograph a wedding back near home. While in New York, Gary and I took Shawn shopping to prepare for summer camp, we went bowling, to the library, to the Erie Canal, and I took him to the trampoline park. We visited a university and Shawn toured the very impressive engineering department. We had a lot of fun with my parents relaxing, watching movies and sharing meals. And lots of ice cream.

In mid June we left town with my parents to take Shawn to camp in Pennsylvania. On the way Shawn toured a beautiful, small private college. Then we all went to Cooperstown and stayed in a beautiful hotel on a lake. The next day we toured the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was so much fun! We enjoyed lovely meals, played croquet on the expansive lawn, and had lots of laughs. Then we dropped Shawn off at camp, and headed back to my parents' home. Gary and I got to spend time with just my parents, which had never happened before. It was really special, QUIET, and relaxing!!

A couple days later I flew to DC to see my dear friend Janel. Gary stayed with my parents a couple days and then moved into our house exchange home. Janel and I met when we were eighteen, first semester freshman year of college. I stayed with her at her home in Virginia for a few nights and we got to visit, gab on her porch watching the fireflies, tour her garden, and catch up with her young adult children. We went hiking, toured Leesburg, Virginia, and shared many meals. It was wonderful. There is nothing like an old friend who knows you well.