Day 1400: Halloween

Steve was out working on sets for the MS musical so I had an entire day of quiet to work on the book.  He had emailed all the parent volunteers on October 22 to let them know when and where to report. They had the whole day to complete the sets.   Not one parent responded and none of them showed up to help.  Seven kids came for the morning including four very dependable high school students.  But he spent the afternoon working alone.

Interesting.  The show will be over at this time in three weeks.  How do people think all the work gets done?  Why on earth are they depending on a volunteer whose youngest child is nearly 32?  When our kids got involved in an activity, we made sure to volunteer our time to assist.  What has happened to parents?  Fifty kids in a musical and not one can show up to help?

OK. Rant over.  He's happy building and working with kids.  The work is getting done.  I just don't understand why people don't fulfill their promises and support their children.

I spent the morning finishing the editing of two chapters:  Routes and Field Sanitation.  The new chapter consumed the afternoon.  I've decided to call the three schools our partners instead of satellites.  It's far more appropriate.  The rest of my time was spent on Ripley, Brocton, Silver Creek and Cassadaga as case studies of how partnerships happen.  This is a bit difficult because I have to provide guidance to future schools who wish to expand their programs.   We learned as we went along and maneuvered through the process as things came up.

Day 1400.  I never anticipated writing this blog for 1400 days.  Lately, I have been considering dropping the blog, but I think I have to finish the book first.  Simply recording the progress has acted as both motivation and validation.

Halloween.  Why do people make such a big deal of this day?  Only nine kids came to the door, two freshmen, a few middle school kids, one lone girl of about eight and a toddler with a runny nose.  WE had purchased a bag of 60 pieces of candy and I do not want to eat any of it!  Needless to say, I didn't get out to walk so I have no new photos today.  The coming week promises to  be lovely, so we should be able to walk many miles.

I took this shot of the Rockefeller addition earlier this week.  It's almost totally enclosed now and ready for interior work.  Next week is supposed to be in the 70s so they should be able to finish before the harsh winter strikes.

Day 1399: Skykomish

 Temple Street succulents

When we ran into Shane yesterday, he told us he was giving a presentation today on his experiences working as a forest ranger intern this past summer.  The college biology department organized a series of student speakers who traveled around the country for a variety of science oriented internships.  So, this afternoon we walked over to the college and listened to four of the presentations.  

They were very impressive. 

 The first was a young woman who had spent the summer doing research on the forest at the college lodge.  Since it was familiar territory, we found it fascinating. The most disturbing information was on the damage to the ash and hemlock trees due to invasive pests.  We can expect to lose all of those two tree species in coming years.  

One of the interesting details Shane offered is that he was the only man on the team.  Apparently, conservation and forestry are now heavily female fields.  He spent much of his time cleaning up trash left behind by careless campers and hikers and teaching them how to stay safe.   One of his most important  duties was to ferry supplies to the wilderness firefighters battling wildfires in the park.  His photos reflected the majestic beauty of the Pacific northwest.  They made us want to travel there next!

Day 1398: Satellite schools

Much of my work day focused on writing the new chapter about how to add satellite or partner schools.  Part of the process is articulating what we've done in the past as advice to other schools for the future.  We have learned everything the hard way, as usual, and our experience with each school has been different.  The second section of the chapter will be our case histories to illustrate how we've gained partners and how successful Quest expansion has become.

The main requirement of course, is to get approval from the school boards of both the sponsor school and the proposed partner.  I also wrote sections on having a common core curriculum for instruction, arranging for transportation and equipment, making logistical arrangements, the challenges of recruiting and enrolling students in a new school, and addressing personnel issues.

I also finished reviewing chapter 8 on the four day hike.  It was a pleasure to read and I hope my readers will enjoy it, too.  It's a 19 page chapter of just over 10,000 words, but it moves right along.  So, I probably spent five to six hours all together,  It was time well spent.

Even though the wind was still whipping leaves and branches around, we walked another four miles around town.  Despite the wind, many trees are stilling hanging on to their leaves.  The oaks are a particularly beautiful bronze, cranberry and burnished gold.

Day 1397: Great progress

High winds, slashing rain: a day perfect for writing and editing!  All morning the fire radio was blasting.  Lines and branches down on Central Avenue, a tree across two cars at the college.  Steve hauled branches out of the road twice.  Firemen scrambled all over town.  Then, a nosebleed.  Can you believe someone would call for a rescue truck for a nosebleed?

Betsy was scheduled to leave the house on Holmes at 1:00, but at 11:00, a tree fell across power lines at Holmes and Central so the streets were closed to traffic for a couple hours.   I let her know about it so she could make arrangements with her driver.  I'm assuming she was able to get out on time to catch her flight.

With this activity as a backdrop, I got a huge amount of work accomplished.  I finished revising chapter 7 on the two day hike.  I went through it twice and made certain to reduce the number of "the", "that", "we" and "our".  It took a long time, but I spiffed up the language a bit and I'm really happy with it.  Then I moved on to the hard stuff, the new material.  I spent time on the new chapter on satellite schools and then wrote about 800 words for the preface.  I'm delighted with the progress and tomorrow promises to be just as productive.

So the diet is going well, too.  I call it the no C diet.  No chips, cookies, candy, crackers, cereal.  Plus, no bread.  Several of my favorite things.   I made low cal pancakes with grated apple and butternut squash this morning as an alternative to the daily veggie omlets.  Lunch  was homemade vegetable soup and dinner was a veggie chicken stir fry with rice.  I'm sure Steve is starving, but it's good for both of us!  The thing I'm missing most is a bowl of cereal, but I'm substituting sliced bananas in milk instead.  I said I'd do it for a week, but maybe I'll do it longer.  It's having an influence on my sugar-loving husband, too.

Before the storm

Day 1396: A Walk in the Woods

Bill Bryson's delightfully funny account of hiking the Appalachian Trail did not translate into film very well.  Robert Redford is still sweet and sexy, but the acting was flat.  Nick Nolte's speech was so garbled that we couldn't understand what he said.  We laughed out loud a couple times and a few moments were touching.

But it just gets so irritating when they don't get the details right.  I know that lots of folks are not properly prepared to backpack and depart with the wrong equipment.  But most learn over time.  These guys swung those backpacks around like they weighed two pounds.  Their hip belts were too low and too loose.  Redford wore five different flannel shirts and two jackets.

People in the audience were really enjoying it, but I doubt they had done much backpacking.

Although I had very little time available today, I finished revising chapter six!  The one day hike was in really good shape, but I still made a few minor changes and additions.  Tomorrow, because of the storm, I should be able to write all day and get a lot done.

Glory on Chestnut St. 

In the cemetery

Day 1395: Purple mums

Another trip to Roswell today yielded mostly good news for Mary.  Chemo is unlikely, although they want to do one more test before they make the determination.  That means.... more waiting. Looks like the radiation will go on through the winter.

While traveling, the three of us were enumerating the good things that have come out of this illness.  Most important of all, we've spent a lot more time together and had lots of great conversations.  Some have been serious and thought provoking, but others have been joyous and funny.  We love each other and this has given us an opportunity to really appreciate each other.  I have two sisters by one mother and another sister from another mother.

I spent a couple more hours working on the book and organizing my materials.  One of the chapters I've added to the list will discuss satellite programs.  There's a section in one of the history chapters where I talk about the expansion of Quest to neighboring schools.  My group said it didn't belong there and they were right as always.  I realized that it was important to offer guidance on the steps necessary for additional schools to join an established program.  So, that has to be done too.

We took another four mile walk on this gorgeous, sunny day.  Such a lovely autumn!  But tomorrow night, the remnants of Hurricane Patricia are going to sweep through with high winds and rain.  That will certainly blow away most of the leaves.

Day 1394: Time for a title!

Today, I finished reviewing my entire manuscript, made a few important decisions and created a plan of action for the book.

Many of the chapters are already in finished form.  Last spring I revised ruthlessly to achieve a nearly finished product.  Fourteen chapters will need only minor editing.  That should take a week if I do two chapters per day.

Six more will require a bit more work.  I'm going to completely reorganize the classes chapter and move the lesson plans to the appendix.  That chapter will require two or three days.

The student leader chapter needs some new voices and a bit more punch.  That's true for recruiting and enrolling, too.  They'll probably take two to four days each.

I still have the issue of conflicting accounts of dates for the early 1970s.  That must be resolved with a bit more research, revision and two more interviews.  A few more days will be necessary for the two early history chapters.

The biggest task is to write the first and last chapters.  Although I've got sections to include, they will have to be woven together carefully.  I'm sure that will take at least a week each.

The appendix will be a collection of supplemental materials.  They are mostly ready, but will have to be organized.  I've decided to put the songs, games and cadences in that section as a reference.  That will probably require a week or ten days.

And I'll need a new preface.

All in all, a Dec. 31 completion date seems possible, although holidays could interfere.  We'll be away for a week at Thanksgiving.  And there are all those parent meetings.  So could my book be completed in ten weeks? Wow!   Jan. 15 might be more realistic.   It's very exciting!  Seven years of work and I'm closing in on the end.

Then the really hard work begins.  Finding possible publishers, query letters, submissions, rejections, rounds of editing, making an index, actually getting it published and then promoting the book.

Sounds like it's time for a title!

A shrub on Forest Place

Maples in our side yard

Day 1393: Oktoberfest 2015

Broke out the winter coat and boots today.  Although it was only 53 and raining, we knew we'd be standing outside for the annual Oaktoberfest party.  However, Chris had set up six giant heaters in the barn so it was warm and toasty.  In a separate tent, a band played and lots of small children ran about playing.

The pig was 260 pounds!  Plus, they had chili, beans, steamed potatoes, potato salad, macaroni salad, mac and cheese, and two other pasta dishes besides the pork and sauce.  Then the dessert table!  Oh my!  A feast for about a hundred or so of Amy's family and friends.  It's so nice of them to include us.  

Risley St. 

Day 1392: A Golden Day!

This beauty is on Maple Avenue.  Today was the pinnacle of autumn colors for 2015 and if people missed it, that's a shame.  We took a four mile walk down Temple, around Ring Road, through campus, down Central to Maple and then back down Risley.  The leaves were brilliant gold, red, orange and salmon, sparkling with sunlight.  Later in the day, I drove to Forestville along Rt. 39.  As I reached the rim of the cup and tipped over the edge, the view into the valley was breathtaking.  

Day 1391: Nancy's anniversary

My heart was breaking when I listened to my sister weep last night.  Today is her thirty-second anniversary and the second one spent without her husband.  She posted that it was a day she wanted to stay in bed under the covers and not come out.  But she did get up and kept moving all day.  Her strength and resolve are inspirational to me because she doesn't let her grief paralyze her.  Although she may have moments or even a day of depression, she always keeps occupied and busy.

I sent her a bouquet of brilliantly colored flowers and she received another bouquet from some friends.  Knowing she's thought of and loved helps.  I wish I could do more.

I spent a few more hours on my manuscript working through the financing and equipment chapters.  Generally, I'm very pleased and making only a few notes for changes.  The section on backpacks needed some additional information, so I did a bit of research to enhance those paragraphs.  I have to turn up the effort, though, cause there's so much to do.  Two hours a day is not enough to finish this book by January 1.

Last rose on Chestnut St.

Purple asters with bees

Risley Street

Day 1390: Quest DVDs

Delightful day!  We spent a couple hours at school during the lunch periods to distribute the Quest DVDs to students.  Of course, there was plenty of time to visit with friends and kids.  When we got home, we took off for a 4.5 mile walk through the campus, along Central Ave, then Newton and the cemetery, down Forest Place and home.  The trees were spectacularly colorful although the sky was cloudy and gray.   The stately trees of Forest Hill are especially serene.  At 66 degrees, it felt warm enough to swim and it reminded me how much I miss popping into the pool every afternoon.

I spent about another three hours today working on reviewing my manuscript.  My focus today was on chapters on enrollment, student leaders and organizing personnel.  I'm a bit surprised how much time the process takes, even though I'm not making many changes.

At 5:00, we took off to deliver DVDs to the adults and graduate student leaders.  At Josh's house, (the SC adviser) we found out that Sebastian has moved to South Carolina.  I hope they can get the video to him. Next stop, Jake's house.  His mom was delighted because they are going to see him on Friday for Parent's weekend.  No one was home at Kathy's but I left three copies on her freezer.  We were happy to find Chris home and he stood and visited with us for twenty minutes.

Just down the street, Mark and his wife have put a huge addition on their home and Elaine proudly invited us in for a tour. She was so excited to share their renovations with us.  They've built a new master bedroom, walk-in closet, master bath, laundry room, expanded the kitchen and living room and added a beautiful screened in porch.  On the way back into town, we stopped at what we thought was Jill's parent's house.  Wrong.  It was her grandparent's house, but it didn't matter.  They were delighted to meet me, welcomed me in and showed me pictures of Jilly in her dress uniform.  They are incredibly proud that Jill is a cadet at West Point.

Our last stop was at Michael's.  His three dogs barked like crazy even before I rang the door bell.  Questy Dibble was jumping at door so I slipped the DVD into Mike's hand through a narrow crack in the door.  Success!

There's still seven more deliveries to make and I hope they are just as much fun!

Wild grape and maple along Risley St. hill

Day 1389: Best news ever!

No more cancer!  Mary's pathology reports contained all good news.  No cancer in the lymph nodes, no cancer in the margins and the .8 mm tumor gone.  All three of us cheered when the PA told us and Mary and I teared up.  Thank goodness for a skilled surgeon and early detection.

It was shocking to us that the American Cancer Society today announced a new recommendation for women to get mammograms beginning  at age 45 till they're 54.  Then after 55 they should move to every other year.  The original radiologist said if Mary had waited two years between mammograms, the cancer would have been into her chest wall.  I also think about all the younger women who have suffered and died from breast cancer.  The insurance companies must have pressured them into that position.

Her next appointments will be a meeting with the medical oncologist and the radiologist.  In a few weeks, radiation treatments will begin.  From now on, it's all about healing.

This morning was our talk with the Cassadaga eighth graders.  From the minute we walked into the building, the atmosphere was welcoming, positive and encouraging.  A gentleman met us at the door and walked us to the office where the principal, Josh, welcomed us warmly.  He shook our hands and told us how glad he was to have us.

Then Kelly, our teacher liaison, met us and took us to the auditorium where all the AV equipment was set up.  There we met Phil, the AV manager, who helped us get the DVD running and had microphones in case we needed them.  He stayed for the presentation in case we needed him.

Then the eighth graders came in with several teachers.  They were respectful, curious and really interested.  They asked great questions and made no snarky comments about the phones or going potty in the woods.  The superintendent also attended and made sure to greet us and thank us for coming.  We never see our superintendent.  During the two years at Silver Creek, we've never met a principal or superintendent.  It's interesting how different the school environments are.

It was truly impressive and we felt so appreciated.  In Fredonia, no one has ever helped with the AV equipment.  In fact, we've had to buy our own projector to show the videos.  There is very little interest among the faculty although they've pretty much stopped throwing up obstacles.  The whole staff takes us for granted.  The program has run so smoothly for so long that they just ignore us and assume we will always be there.

Again the question of the future of Quest arises.  What will happen when we decide to retire?

Mary's morning glory

Day 1388: Temple loop

So iPhoto decided to update to become photo.  I hate updates.  They always screw up something I really like about a program or app.  When we walked today, I took beautiful photos and used airdrop to put them into iPhoto like I do every day.  Now, the photos won't show up.  I'm sure it's because I haven't upgraded the OS.  I even hate that I know what these stupid acronyms mean.

Canadaway Creek from Matteson St.

Temple St.

Day 1387: First snow!

Just a little dusting!

Day 1386: 24 hours

We were so fortunate to have Colin and April with us for 24 hours.  It was wonderful to hear about their adventures in Japan, April's travels all over for work, Colin's plans for the upcoming move and new studio, Drizz't and Oscar's mischief, and their daily routines.

Last night, they wanted Lena's pizza and wings.  I thought it was awful,  but they loved it and actually prefer it to NYC pizza.  Laugher and thoughtful conversation matters a lot more than the food.

After breakfast we delivered them to Buffalo for a friend's wedding and then went to the movies.  Although it was a quick visit, it will hold us till we see them at Thanksgiving.

Molly loves April

Day 1385: October treat

Such a wonderful day!  So glad we had this time together.

Day 1384: Remembering MUN

Another young person has died.  Was it drug related?  It will be announced tomorrow.  At noon, a young man was found dead in the creek near Spoden Road.  Just 18 years old and a recent graduate of FHS.  Neither Steve or I knew him, but we are deeply saddened whenever a young life is cut short.  The challenges and temptations young people face today are far worse than the problems we encountered as teens.

Tomorrow morning Colin and April arrive for a very brief visit to attend a wedding in Buffalo.  We'll pick them up at 9:30 am and deliver them back to Buffalo the next morning.  No complaints.  I just want to hug my son and hear their stories, plans and adventures.   I made the macaroni salad they like so much as well as pulled pork for sandwiches.  I vacuumed and dusted the whole house, cleaned bathrooms, cleaned out cupboards, and washed dishes.  They won't care about any of the cleaning, but I treat company as a motivation to do things that have been on my list.

When I was sorting papers the other day, I came across this photo of my Model UN team from November 2000.  I posted it and got lots of responses.  They were an extraordinary group of young people.  All brilliant, talented, driven, and so very interested in global events.  I advised the club for sixteen years and then turned it over to Pat, my replacement and he has continued for eight years.  The team must be working on their position paper cause the Gannon MUN will be in mid November.

It's interesting that I am still in touch with many of these students. It's not surprising because MUN was quite a bonding experience and as adults we share many common interests.

Day 1383: Anniversary of Dad's passing

My dad passed away in the early hours of October 14, 1996 at just seventy years old.  Nineteen years ago.  Now I'm 66, nearly as old as he was at the end of his life.  I can't help thinking about mortality because so many of my friends and classmates have died in the past year.  But I simply resolve to live each day fully and with gratitude for my good fortune.

I promised to tell the story of my friend Bonnie's gesture of incredible kindness and it seems appropriate today.

It was a day in early October 1996 and my dad had been enduring treatment for a brain tumor from his metastasized melanoma.  I rushed out of school during my lunch period to meet my folks at the doctor's office.  As I walked into the exam room, the doctor said, "there's nothing more we can do for you."  My father dissolved in tears and I rushed to hold him while my mother sat numbly staring straight ahead.  I tried to focus on what the doctor was saying.  '"Two weeks, maybe four at most."  I gasped and held him tighter.  It was hard to breathe and blood was pounding in my ears.  Somehow, I had to focus.  We agreed that he'd be admitted and I took my parents to the hospital just down the street.

I got him admitted and followed them upstairs.  When the nurse took Dad and Mom to the room to get him settled, I escaped to the waiting room and collapsed in a chair sobbing.  My father, my beloved father.  No, no, no.  It can't be!  Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.  When I looked up, there was Bonnie.

I don't remember what she said, but she sat with me and we visited quietly.   She was there visiting her father and happened to see me weeping.  She brought juice and tissues and listened.  Fifteen minutes of kindness that soothed my soul.  Gradually, I calmed and realized what I had to do.  I thanked her and walked back into that hospital room, ready to face our last ten days together.

She didn't have to come to me.  She could have walked by, but she took the time to help a friend.  That's how I'll always remember Bonnie.  Kind, gentle, soft-spoken and compassionate.

Looking south over the campus center

Canadaway Creek from Risley St. Bridge

Eighty-three DVDs are now burned!  Steve's been going up and down those stairs all day.  We're getting close to the end!

Day 1382: Quest video done!

Even if it was the only job we completed today, rendering and burning the first Quest DVD is a tremendous accomplishment.  I've been working on it since August and I'm so glad it's now out of my hands.  Steve's been burning disks for a couple hours.  Thirteen down and  another hundred more to burn.  Next week we should be able to distribute them to the kids.  I think they'll really like it, especially the footage from the go pro camera in the pond, the funny quips and beautiful scenery.  Of course, they always love the talent show.

My next task is to write the parent letter that has to be mailed out to families at the end of October.  It's designed to provide families with all the basic information about enrollment procedures, especially the required parent meetings. Our first student meeting is on Tuesday at 9:30 in Cassadaga.  That's an exciting prospect.  A new school and lots of new student participants.

I spent a couple hours taking Betsy around town to do errands.  We had a good time together and she got a lot done while I visited some stores that I don't usually patronize.  Her vision is so compromised that she has difficulty navigating steps and she has a tough time in low light.  It's a real challenge for her to travel around the country and it seems unlikely she'll be able to continue her eastern trips for much longer.

Day 1381: Summery October

Seventy-five degrees, brilliant blue sky, a soft breeze swishing golden leaves.  Such a lovely day.  We walked three miles through town and the cemetery.  It was surprising that so few leaves have turned compared to our visit to Arkwright yesterday.  But I rejoiced in the peace and quiet.  Till the mowers started.  Course, I added to the noise too. We also got the last few hostas and a daylily in the ground before the rain tonight.

The spectacular maple tree on Risley St. hill that's always first to change. 

Steve slept ten hours straight after being up most of Saturday night for a search.  This time it was a single, naked young man high on LSD.  His friends finally reported him missing at 3:30 am.  So it was dark when they found his clothes, backpack, keys and phone at the top of a ravine and tracked his footsteps down into a creek bed.  Teams searched for hours and then he walked out of the woods about 8:45.  So many strange searches and emergencies this summer!

Day 1380: October hike

Day 1379: Autumn colors

Betsy visits from California each October especially to experience the glorious autumn colors of western NY.  So, today we drove her and Mary over to South Dayton through some of the most beautiful countryside in the state.  We found the sights of Utah and Arizona to be spectacular and often awe inspiring, but ultimately harsh and barren.  New York teems with life and color and I love it!

Yes!  Mustard Seed had lemon meringue pie!  Finally, Mary understands why we're willing to make a special trip to South Dayton just to have a slice.

Lewis Road

Lewis Road

This poor flicker crashed into the sliding glass door this morning and knocked himself out.  For fifteen minutes he lay blinking and breathing deeply.  Then, he spent another half hour on his chest gathering his strength.  Fortunately, he recovered and was able to fly off to the oak tree.

Mary's morning glories

We

Day 1378: The rabbit hole

Well, that was one of the most unique weddings we've ever attended!  They chose an Alice in Wonderland theme and steam punk garb.  Wonderland references were worked into every bit of the ceremony, decorations, favors and garb.  Held at Shorewood tonight, they said their vows while cold winds lashed and waves crashed behind them.  Fortunately, it was a short ceremony because it was so cold!  The bridesmaids were heroic in their short, strapless gowns.

After the ceremony, the wedding party disappeared for photos and returned an hour and a half later.  There was no reception line and they didn't circulate through the dining hall so we never got to congratulate the happy couple.

We didn't really fit in and wondered where we would be seated.  As it turned out, there were four other couples at the table and I had taught all of their children.  One mom told us that their daughter had interviewed her father for my class interview project.  He wore his dress uniform and talked about his WWII experiences for a couple hours.  They videotaped the whole interview and treasure it since he has now passed away.  Lively conversation kept us occupied while we waited till nearly 8:30 for dinner.

Tomorrow, we're taking Mary and Betsy out to look at the autumn colors and to dinner at the Mustard Seed.  Maybe there will be lemon meringue pie!

Day 1377: Roswell Park

Relief!  The surgery is over and now the wait for pathology reports begins.   She's home in bed, resting after her long and traumatic day and we have collapsed as well. We all hope this is the last surgery and she can begin the healing process, but we won't know till October 20.  For her, it will be very difficult not to think about the negative possibilities.