A Family Celebration

 

Yesterday we celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary by going out to eat with our son and his wife and two of their children. The third child was beginning his first week of college.  We actually were also celebrating Susan's May birthday but for various reasons that was postponed.

We met at Metro North on Alexander Avenue and decided in spite of the heat to eat outside on their patio.  We were shown to a large corner table and it almost felt like eating in the woods.  It was quiet except for the far off sound of the Princeton Dinky, the train from the town to Princeton Junction.  

It was really wonderful to think that we could celebrate with three generations and a great meal in a lovely location--and all just a ten minute ride from our apartment. There was plenty to talk about--some reminiscing of course but also updates on the college freshman and the plans for the college graduate's move to Maryland and his first job and apartment.  Who would have thought 55 years ago that someday our family would include three children, three spouses, and eight grandchildren?  

The Unfiltered Joy of a Two-year-old

 

Our trip home
into the sunset

Our children were born in 1972, 1978, and 1984.  No, we did not plan to have children exactly six years apart.  And in fact, they really are spaced 6 3/4 years between the first two and 5 1/2 between the last two.  Years ago, a rather rude and bold parent at one elementary school asked me if the first child was with my first husband.  Yes, he was--but so was the second and the third.  My first and only husband.

Subsequently, our grandchildren also differ in age greatly.  Today the oldest grand-daughter is visiting her aunt and uncle and their family at Ocean Grove.  She is coming with her boyfriend and her only female cousin was very interested in just how they met and how long they had been dating.  I wonder if she will ask directly!  

Two of our grandsons are moving out of their parents' home this month--one off to college and one off to his first permanent job.  Our son and his wife will have an empty nest.  Our daughter and her husband do NOT have an empty nest--there are five children ranging in age from two to fifteen plus the new dog.

This blog post is inspired by the joy that the two year old shared with his grandma yesterday.  I noticed earlier in the week when we visited them in Ocean Grove that the bubble makers they had were out of bubbles so I bought a large container of them at Dollar Tree this week.  What great fun H had in blowing bubbles and chasing bubbles and popping bubbles on the grass.  It doesn't take much to create lots of excitement.

Another father and son had made a large mound of sand on the beach and when they left, they kindly told H and his grandpa that it was available for play.  This pile of sand was a priceless gift for an hour--climbing, smoothing, moving it, making roads on it.  The best sand-box ever!  

I brought along a blender to finish up the last minute preparations for the watermelon gazpacho soup I had made.  That caused many questions about just how that would work--plugging it in, pushing the button, making noise, and mixing it all up.  When it was suppertime,  I called H into the kitchen to watch the process.  When I pushed the button, he squealed with delight.  I don't usually get that kind of reaction when I blend our smoothies at home!   He even was willing to try a bit of gazpacho but that was not to his liking! 

Of course, the opposite can also be true for a two-year-old.  When things are not going right, one usually knows loud and clear. But yesterday was a happy day for this two-year-old and that made his grandparents happy too! 

My Home Library

All the Keepers!

 My project for the day was to sort through the shelves of books in the yellow bedroom and find books to donate to the Princeton Public Library.  It was not an easy process.  I pulled all the books off the shelves and put them on the bed.  I knew that if I just looked at them on the shelves, they would stay on the shelves.

I took a handful of books at a time into the living room and looked up the titles on Goodreads.  That reminded me if I had already read the book--and rated it.  Several of them were rated five stars so I determined they were keepers.  I might like to read them again.  Several others were shelved as "abandoned" and in some cases I decided it was time to pass them on.

Then there were the great majority of books.  These were books that I had enjoyed and might like to read again or books that I had bought and never got into.  So they went back on the shelves until the next time I decide I need to find more shelf room.

I spend quite a bit of time looking for the next good book to read.  The problem is that when I find one that I really appreciate, it is hard to get into the next book.  And I like to have one book on hand at all times.  I read Ann Patchett's Truth and Beauty this week and the loss of her friend at the end left me mourning and unable to pick up another book right away. 

I read too many mysteries.  They are great escape reading but when I get involved in one it is difficult to put it down and do anything else.  And so many of them are sad stories of evil and dysfunction.  At least justice is usually served--not always--but usually there is resolution and someone pays the price for crime.  I have the time to read as much as I want but have felt as if this murder mystery reading is somewhat of an addiction.  So even if I have enjoyed volume one of the Jeri Howard Mystery Anthology and have volumes two through five on my Kindle app waiting for me, I think I will hold off a few days!  

Just a few to donate

 Maybe I will reread some of the good books I just returned to the shelves.  Wendell Berry, Penelope Lively, Patrick Modiano, Carlo Levi, Graham Greene--lots of options.  Maybe I will reread The Great Gatsby for at least the fourth time.  

So there is one small bag of books to donate to the library.  And there are plenty of books to reread or read for the first time and maybe to reject again.