Day 700: O'Donnell Reunion

Three generations of O'Donnells

My mother's sister and brother in the center 

My first cousins Eileen, Rick and Mike

and then the second cousins are my sons, Rick's three little children and Mike's daughter Rebecca.

My first cousin Rick is the youngest of all our grandparents' grandchildren and I am the oldest.  

We are thirty years apart.

It was a very healing day.  So much better to be together for a happy event rather than wait for a funeral.  

Day 699: Catching Fire

A quiet day, one that began with sleeping late, followed by lunch at a cute little cafe on 122 nd St. near Columbia.  We checked out a Duane Reade where I finally found a cold pack.  Then this evening, we all went to see Catching Fire at the 34th Street theater which was totally packed.  It was an intense film, better than the first of the Hunger Games series.

Dinner was at Jack Doyle's Irish Pub, a place we have enjoyed a couple of other times, but we got a surprise tonight when we sat down.  A singer with guitar, not bad, but so loud we couldn't talk and I couldn't wait to get out of there.  As a treat, Justin picked up the check!  A rare event that we greatly appreciated!  Poor Evan is stuck with the old folks.  The other three went out with their friends after dinner, but he accompanied us back.  So here we are, watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, visiting, relaxing, just being together.

The Empire State Building all lit up for Hannukah!

Day 698: Thanksgiving in Brooklyn

Colin and April's first Thanksgiving in their new home in Brooklyn was a hit.  They went to so much trouble and expense to prepare all the ingredients, appetizers, dishes, pans and drinks.  Beer, wine, eggnog, ciders, hot spiced ciders, French pressed coffees.  They have turned into gourmets! Our duty was to make the stuffing, stuff and cook the turkey, and make the cranberry sauce.  Finding celery was the major obstacle and today it was a scarce commodity.

For some reason the 12 pound turkey did not cook through in the specified time.  Perhaps it was because we had so many side dishes in the oven at the same time, or the oven simply wasn't hot enough.  It took two hours more to cook than we expected.  Colin made roasted, herb crusted brussel sprouts!  Yummy, even though they were overcooked by the time we served dinner.  The final results were fantastic!

My sister was supposed to be visiting her father-in-law in Pittsburg today and then attending Glenn's class reunion tomorrow.  Instead, she is in Columbus with Laurie's family.  We toasted Glenn tonight at dinner, though we would have much preferred hearing his hearty laugh.

Day 697: Kinky Boots

We saw the Tony Award winning musical, Kinky Boots, tonight on Broadway.  Starring Billy Turner and Stark Bunker Sands!  That's his real name!  It was a terrific show!  I'll write more tomorrow, but now I'm too tired.

Day 696: Together with our family

After an uneventful trip, we arrived in NYC for our Thanksgiving vacation.  We were so happy to finally have our four kids and Mary together for dinner.  I miss the chatter and laughter!

Justin knows we love Chinese and we so rarely get good Chinese food that he made reservations at the Grand Szechuan Restaurant.  It was fantastic!  Bok Choy, tofu, sesame chicken, soup dumplings, and Kung Pao = fabulous!  We devoured everything on the table!  In the excitement, I managed to knock over a glass of wine that hit my coat and soaked my new white hat.  Oh, well!

I have good pictures but I am too tired to upload.  What a difficult couple of weeks this has been.

Day 695: First day back

My heart is in Kentucky, but we are glad to be home, even if only for a short time.  Tomorrow, we travel to NYC to be with our kids.  In the evening, dinner with all of them, plus Mary.  I need to hold onto them.

A dozen turkeys strolled through the yard after first raiding the bird feeders.  I have always been irritated by routine.  Maybe that's why I loved teaching so much.  Every day and every child was different.  Today, I found great comfort in the routine of laundry, vacuuming, packing and watching the birds.

Tuesday will be Nancy's first day alone.  Her daughter's family has to travel back to Tulsa, back to work and school and she will be facing the rest of her life without him.  A friend will spend the day and night with her, but it will be unbearable.

Day 694: A sad and painful week

Our beloved brother-in-law, Glenn Smith, died on Tuesday, Nov. 19.  Our sister Nancy displayed remarkable courage, grace and compassion all week.  She carried out all of his wishes and respected the requests of his poor father, brother and sister.  Family and friends converged from all over the country to honor Glenn and comfort Nancy, who comforted them instead.  Leaving her today was wrenching because now she will have to face an entirely changed life and all of her family is so far away.

So many questions, so many decisions, so much pain.  But they are somewhat counterbalanced by the love of a devoted family and extraordinary friendships.  Hundreds of people came to express their love for both of them and their church community embraced her and all of our family.

We are exhausted, sad and forever changed.  

Day 687: Great sadness

I am taking a break from the blog for a few days.  My sister Laurie and I are heading to Kentucky to be with Nancy for what is the most difficult time in her life.

Day 686: Building a palm tree

We worked for hours finalizing the sets for the middle school musical.  It looks terrific now that the landscaping is complete.  Taylor and Anna were excited to place tropical flowers around the bridges and lava floes.  I had fun putting palm leaves atop the palm tree and wrapping it in a skin of canvas.   Over the years our method of creating trees has changed significantly and I am much happier with canvas than wire or paper mache.

It's been a very upsetting day because Glenn's condition continues to worsen.  He has been transferred to a major medical center is heading for emergency surgery shortly.  The infection is still spreading.  It will be a miracle if  he can survive this night.

Taylor, our set designer and Anna, our incredible stage crew chief

Director Ben

Sets for Once on this Island

Day 685: Tubers and hummingbird

Milkweed hummingbird

Sweet potato vine tuber

When I was cleaning up my container gardens today, I discovered this giant tuber buried among the geraniums.  It was a little sad to put away the pots and cut back the vines for another year, but we were so happy to be outside.  

The news from Kentucky continues to get worse.  Today, he was intubated to help him breathe because now he has pneumonia.  I told Nancy I would come on Wednesday if her son isn't able to get there.  

Day 684: Cool creek

We made a trip to Erie to find a console for our entryway, but of course I didn't find any piece that met all my requirements.  I also needed a rolling file cabinet, no taller than 27.5 inches.  I found the perfect one, but they would not sell it to me since it was part of a set.  Such a crazy business practice.    

I finished rewriting the parent section in the leadership chapter.  The tone is far more positive and related to leading than the original section I wrote.  Then I started on the organization chapter which is a mess.  There's still lots more to do!

My brother-in-law has had a set back and our worry is reignited.   My niece is driving in from Tulsa to be with them.  Nancy really needs her now.  

College XC runners

Cool creek in late afternoon

Thank goodness for long walks in our beautiful little town.  My head clears and my mood refreshes.  Maybe tomorrow we will have the news we are hoping for. 

Day 683: Quest 2014 begins!

It's an exciting day when Quest begins.  Our student leaders spoke about their experiences and encouraged the kids to participate.  Mostly they repeated the same messages: you'll make a lot of new friends, you'll learn a lot about yourself and have lots of fun.  That's exactly what the kids need to know.  One boy asked if he should bring a clock radio to wake him up and the student leaders all burst out laughing.  

Quest 2014 Begins!  

Clare and Jake

Student Leaders

Jill and Charlotte

Student Leaders

8th Graders

Glenn's condition has stabilized,  thank goodness.  He's still in very serious condition, but showing a bit of improvement.  My sister is exhausted from worry and lack of sleep.  A friend spends the nights with Glenn, but she still can't sleep.

Day 682: Green Chili Stew

We loved our visit to Santa Fe last spring. It was one of our favorite trips because of the spectacular landscape, art venues, the historical sites and particularly the food.  Steve ordered a dehydrated green chili stew packet from Santa Fe that I made tonight.  It was terrific!  Such a great change from our regular meals and especially good when accompanied by oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

The news from Kentucky was encouraging.  Glenn was conscious and aware today, though very weak.  He'll remain in ICU for at least another week, but he's making significant progress.  What a relief.

I worked on the lists of responsibilities for each level of leadership for Quest from expedition leaders to students.  I've doubled the original draft because as I analyze each item, I realized that many items were so broad that I had to break them down into the component parts.  That yielded seven pages.  Steve and I have done these things for so long and quite automatically that we hardly notice how complex the tasks are.

Day 681: Difficult day

Morning turkeys

I wish I had been able to capture the eight point stag in the backyard this morning or the squirrel that was knocking on the back patio doors trying to bring his nut inside the house.  Molly went wild! 

Leafy afternoon

A long walk in the rain was very refreshing!  I felt like we were backpacking.

Snowy evening

It was such a difficult day.  This morning my sister was so terrified that she would lose her husband of thirty years.  Doctors were still unable to pinpoint the source of his infection, his kidneys were failing and his heart compromised.  Still semi-conscious, he was tended by half a dozen doctors and a slew of nurses.  Finally, an xray showed an enlarged infected cyst behind his esophagus.  Progress!  By early evening, he was stabilizing after a blitz of antibiotics and treatments.  He's not out of the woods yet, but we are encouraged by the news.

Day 680: Lots of writing

I finished the chapter called "The Outdoor Classroom" and will take it to Penelope next Sunday for their input.  All the goals have been re-evaluated and revised.   Now I am working on revising the leadership chapter to include a section on the tasks of the parents.  Steve and I also worked on titles but I am still stymied.  When I reviewed all the drafts I've written, I had to add several more tasks to my list.      I should have known it would be far more difficult to finish than I thought.

I should have gone outside today, but didn't and now I regret it.  The cold, crisp air would have helped clear my head!

My dad

It's been an upsetting evening.  First, Evan messaged us that the grocery store around the corner from his place was on fire.  Embers were raining down on his building.  The store is the only one that serves the neighborhood.  But more importantly, my sister called to say her husband is ICU with a massive infection, but they aren't certain what's happening.  She is very frightened and worried.  Lots of prayers are needed tonight.  

Day 679: Roaming rakers

After a couple hours of work, I bundled up for a long walk.  The steelhead fishermen have been in Canadaway Creek every day.  Joe C. told us that the creek is known on the internet as Steelhead Alley and fishermen come from all over the east to fish here. 

Crews of roaming rakers from the college were out in force raking leaves along Temple, Risley, Maple and Central Avenue.  It's partly a favor to the neighbors who endure the nightly pilgrimages to and from the downtown bars, the red solo cups, vomit and pee in their yards and loud parties.  It's a great gesture, but it's not enough.  

One night about 11:30, Amy and Dan, who live on Central Ave, heard a noise on the stairs and the bathroom door close.  Dan got up and found a drunken college student peeing in his bathroom.  Dan is a retired cop so he grabbed the kid by the neck and escorted him down the stairs and threw him out.  Amy called the police, but they never found the kid.  

Dinner was at the Whiskey Hill Saloon where we had the renowned garbage charred wings.  Wow!  Afterward, we went to see Forestville's production of Brigadoon that our friend Don produced and directed.  He did a terrific job and they had several great singers.  

Day 678: Busy writing day

Molly was a big help as I sifted through two chapters and decided how to merge the Outdoor Classroom with the Goals chapter.  It was a very good fit and I'm glad I decided to move in that direction.  I eliminated a lot of duplication and more effectively articulated the goals of Quest.  At this point, the chapter will take the title of "The Outdoor Classroom".

We were contacted today by a teacher from Silver Creek who wants to start a backpacking program there and go with us for their first year.  I'll be meeting with him on Wednesday.  It's very exciting and exactly what we've been hoping for.  It will also help me see how user friendly my manual is.  I've already seen a gap in the responsibilities list.  I had not put getting school board permission at the top of the list.  We assume so much and many steps are habit, but aren't written down.  This whole review process will be very helpful.

Day 677: No iPhones

Two cats are sharing my chair and my lap.  They can't stand each other in the daytime, but tonight my lap was calling out to them.

There are no iPhones left to purchase in the area.  The world wide release was this week and the distribution has shifted away from major Apple store outlets.  Fortunately I called before we left for Buffalo.  Steve lined one up at the local Verizon store and it should arrive on Monday.  Then he will be happy.

The pig was nearly as big and the horse and both of them were afraid of the camera!

Day 676: Here little piggy!

A view of the Tri-Parish Church from the west side.  The brick shell remains, but the entire interior is charred and the roof is gone.  

On the way back from Brocton, we took Webster Rd. and discovered this little piggy grazing with two skinny horses.  Steve thought it was a horse as we drove by, but I had him go back and proved it was a pig.  When the camera clicked, it startled both the pig and the horses and they took off.  

I've reviewed, discussed, enhanced and edited the chapter on Quest expenses for two more days.  Now, I will move on.  We took recruiting materials to Brocton in preparation for the student meeting on Nov. 19.  This year the first meeting is after school rather than during the day, so I am afraid we will have a small crowd and a low enrollment.  

Day 675: Bouncing ball

This ball has been caught in the eddy for at least the past 24 hours.  It must have a cord on it that's stuck in a rock, but it looks like the ball is trying to swim upstream with the steelheads.

Day 674: Quest Chapter 17

Another chapter complete!  It didn't take long to revise and edit the chapter on the expenses involved in running a backpacking expedition and how to determine the fees charged to students.  I also included a discussion on alternative sources of funding and whether an expedition leader should be paid.  Tomorrow, I will review it one more time and then select another chapter to target.

On our walk through the cemetery today, we examined the headstones of Steve's ancestors and found the stone of the first relative to settle in Fredonia in 1821, Ervin Osborne.  He doesn't know how everyone is connected so I will have to get Mary to draw a family tree for me and trace all the relationships.

Angeline Parsons

Ervin F. Osborne

Born in Hoosick

Renssalaer County 1802

Removed to Fredonia 1821

John P. Cobb

I think his first wife was an Osborne.

Day 673: Three major fires

Steve is still at the third of three major fires today.  Brocton has been hit hard.  The first fire was in the Tri-Parish Church on Main Street and it was totally consumed.  It's at the heart of  their community.  We have regularly visited the church to attend their annual Harvest Dinner.  Our friends the Zirkles have been deeply involved in the church their whole lives and were devastated with its loss.  Steve was out from 12:30 to 4:30 am in freezing cold snow and came home numb and exhausted.

This afternoon we went for a long walk, despite having only four hours of sleep.  When we got to the corner of Barker and Center, an alarm of fire came in for 1 Park Place.  There was an electrical fire in the basement.  I ran home to get the car with all of Steve's gear so he could suit up.  Four departments arrived to assist and fortunately, a tragedy was averted.  Most of the businesses and apartments had smoke damage and residents were displaced.  We drove home quickly and were still able to get to Mary's concert on time.

We got a pizza, sat down to relax and the radio went off again.  This time he was summoned to a house fire in Portland.  Again, the structure was completely destroyed.  Most likely it was due to a wood stove chimney that had never been cleaned.   There are so many sad and displaced people in our region today.  The good news is that no one was injured.

Day 672: Baby Thomas

What a joy to hold a baby boy again!  Amy called for me to come over and meet her new grandson, Thomas.  At one month old, he weighs nine pounds and barely sleeps at all during the night so his mom and dad are very tired.  The dogs were so curious about him and a little jealous, too.  Molly and Petunia didn't get too close, but Emmet kept zipping by till he stole a tiny sock from Thomas.  Dan says he does it all the time with his granddaughters too.  Allison is an educated and informed mother.  She's read many of the latest books on raising children.  One funny change is that now the disposable diapers have a yellow strip on the front and when the baby pees, the strip turns blue.  They are so happy!

Today, I prepared a list of major tasks to work on to finish the Quest book.  There are six more chapters to revise and complete:

1. The outdoor classroom and preparation classes

2. Cost, logistics and scheduling

3. Games, songs and activities

4. Homecoming and what to do when it's over

5. Including parent tasks in the leadership chapter

6.  Revising the 1970s section to add newly discovered information.

As I began to read the text, I found many other smaller editing tasks, but I'll begin on the more significant first.  I think it's possible to do the six jobs in two months so that I can finish by Jan. 1, 2014.   I'm sure that as I work other revisions will become apparent.  Now I will feel more confident in January to begin the search for a publisher.  Steve still is urging me to approach Backpacker magazine with the proposal for them to do a story on Quest.  

Steve is out at a major fire on Route 20 in Brocton along with many other fire departments.  We had been asleep for an hour when the call came in.  He'll probably be out for most of the night.  

Day 671: New iPhone!

Purple dripping from crimson leaves

We planned to get our new iPhones today, but I was the only one able to complete the purchase.  We discovered that Steve's old phone had never been backed up, so we decided to do that before getting his.  Setting mine up took hours on the phone with Applecare.  For some reason it got caught in a repeating loop of installing my data.  It was very confusing, but I did it!  That was my brain exercise for the day.