Developments

Things are happening:
  +  Ellen  is gradually feeling better, though not yet fully recovered from whatever it is she was dealing with. She is increasingly becoming more active after a week or more when all she wanted to do was lie in bed (though she was not able to!).

   + Sunday evening (I think that was when it was), I went to the movies alone. I went to see RGB - a documentary about the life and judicial activity of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. It was very interesting; she is a remarkable person for sure. I was particularly interested to learn about her earlier work in the area of women's rights. She had argued six cases before the Supreme Court before becoming a Justice herself, and had won five of them.

    + Monday, I picked up my bike. Later I took it down to the Quarry Road and rode it briefly - I had not been on it for almost four years!  It felt unfamiliar. I can still ride a bike, but my right shoulder is not happy about my trying to do so. I'm not sure I'll be able to get back to where I was, but I'm going to try in small increments.

     +  Yesterday, after days of futile effort, I finally got the lawn mower going. I had done the things you are supposed to do - e.g., cleaning the spark plug, cleaning the air filter - but at best it would start chugging and immediately die. This time I emptied out all the old gas and filled the tank with fresh gas. And that seemed to do the trick. I had to start it several times before it finally kept running, but it finally did, and I mowed a section of lawn. Persistence pays!

      + Yesterday we also got a call from Windham/Windsor Housing Trust. We are  second in line for a 2-bedroom unit at Putney Landing! If the people ahead of us turn it down, we will be offered the unit. This is happening much sooner than we expected. I have mixed feelings and a lot of questions  about Putney Landing. It is ideally located for walking to Putney Village (though it isn't clear how easy it will be in the winter). But the unit they may offer us has (I think) a bath only on a second floor, where the two bedrooms are. That would present an accessibility problem if one of us got disabled. But if they offer it, we'll get a tour and we can ask all our questions. Not sure how we would be able to make a move this summer! We plan to go to Wyoming at the end of June, and were planning to be gone 4-6 weeks. There is even a possibility (I heard Ellen say this) that we would move out there this year to help with Max during what is clearly going to be a difficult transition year for Paul and Jenny. So - we'll see what happens!

      + Right now, I am at the Subaru dealership while they work on the Impreza. They found brakes that needed to be relined to pass inspection.  Always something!

       + And oh yes, I trimmed my beard last evening. Hadn't done that for months!

Not quite so ragged as I was!  

A Saturday in June

Today was a nice day. I went to the recycle place with a bunch of paper, took my bike to the West Hill Shop to get the tire fixed - I haven't ridden it for probably three years and am eager to see if I still can! Went by the cemetery and was happy to see iris blooming on Shirley's grave. Went by Putney Landing - new Windham/Windsor Housing Trust apartments in Putney Village where we are on the waiting list - just to take a peek. It looks nice! I saw someone there I knew from ages ago in Guilford, who has actually moved in. She really likes it.

Iris are in bloom

Hoping to ride this guy again!

Putney Landing - who knows? 

O what a beautiful morning!

Last night was perfect sleeping weather -  we even added a third blanket early this morning. And now the sun is shining brightly, the temperature is cool, the humidity is low, and the rhodedendron outside our bedroom window are in full bloom!

         The view from bed!

This piano's going to roll!

Forty plus years ago, I rescued an old upright piano from my friend Calvin Farwell's barn where it had languished for years after the closing of Camp Arden. I had new ivories put on the keys and had it tuned and it has served me well for four decades, mainly as a  tool in learning choral music parts. It has been about 30 years since it was last tuned, but I can still play my bass line along with a CD and it is right on pitch. However, when we move, which we will have to do eventually, there will be no room for an upright piano. So I'm donating it to Green Mountain Camp, which is a couple if miles down the road. I was thrilled they were willing to take it - it's hard to get rid of an upright! I will pay for having it moved and tuned, so it is a true donation. The movers will come next Thursday.

               My old upright piano - I will miss you!

A fine bat mitzvah

The huge family weekend is past, our house guests have moved on, Ellen is feeling a little better, and life is gradually returning to a rhythm one could call "normal."

Tamar's bat mitzvah was lovely. Ellen started off the ritual by presenting Tamar with her tallit, and I said a few words about its meaning, grounded in Torah. Tamar handled her Hebrew chanting of Torah very well. Her d'var Torah, (a reflection on the Torah portion, which she wrote herself), was thoughtful and well-delivered. Julie and Jerry's words addressed to Tamar about what she means to them as their daughter, had us in tears. And once again, Ellen and I were invited to pass the Torah scroll up through the generations to Tamar. The symbolism of that is always very moving to me. And as before, Rabbi Riqi led the service with energy and passion and the 2 1/2 hour-service didn't seem that long because it flowed along so well. I'm impressed by the bar/bat mitzvah service. We have nothing like it in the Protestant church for a young person.

No photos were allowed during the service. But I took some before and after. There was a professional photographer who took hundreds (thousands?) of photos all day. I guess we'll see them eventually. 

L.to r., Bill Baker, Joyce Baker, Ben Feinland, Jerry, Tamar, Julie, Max Feinland, Jenny Baker, Paul Baker, Max Baker. 

          Tamar with friends at the luncheon following. 

Party time

Here we are at Tamar's party!

Tamar is beautiful in her party dress!

  Tamar was lifted up in a chair dancing the traditional hora dance 

Almost there!

The big day is almost here! Tamar will become a "daughter of the commandment" tomorrow, at 10a.m.! The family is gathering. Paul, Jenny and Max were with us from Wednesday evening until this morning - just a day and a half, as it turned out. Ellen was not feeling very well, but she managed to be part of the fun anyway. She had made chili and corn bread ahead of time, and that helped. Max loves cereal. (He has taken on the nickname of "cereal killer!" Ha! Ha! Get it?). He went through three bowls of cereal each breakfast. Yesterday we had sort of a local excursion, starting at Walker's Farm Stand, our nearby organic farm  - which is stunning this time of year; then on to Against the Grain, a local gluten-free bakery, where they had yummy free samples, then downtown to look around, had a bite to eat at The Works, made a visit to Experienced Goods, our local Hospice thrift shop, then to Everyone's Books, where Max got a Star Wars Dot-to-Dot Book, and then a stop at the South Indian Dosa Cart which is next to the Grafton Cheese Company store. Dosas are a delicious filled crepe made from fermented batter. Ellen actually felt like eating part of one. Then we came home and while the others rested, I got ready for a Dummerston Choir rehearsal, ate a snack and went off to church. Only four people showed up for the rehearsal, but it was ok. We are doing Taize chants Sunday, which are quite easy. I thought everyone else was going to Chelsea Diner for supper, but Max didn't feel like going out - he's a homebody - so people made do at home. When I got home from rehearsal, everyone was just hanging out. Max was especially enjoying a thing we have that is a scalp stimulator - using it on himself and others. We really got caught up on Paul and Jenny's plans, which have. changed a lot  in the past few weeks. No more move to Boise. They ares selling the house (June 15th!), moving into a rental condo in Alpine, and Paul is immediately starting to build a smaller house. They already have a nice lot. They haven't given up on the idea of moving to Boise, but the finances of it and the job uncertainty proved too daunting. Paul has been offered a chance to do something he loves: build cabinetry at the Sporting Club where Jenny works, for very good wages. Jenny's job has morphed into a more acceptable form (e.g., no more weekend events); Max is happy in school. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

This morning after a late breakfast, PJ&M went off to Amherst, and Ellen and I went to the local market for oodles of flowers, came to Northampton and now we are at the Florence Congregational church where the Jewish community, Beit Ahavah meets, and she and Wallace are making two big bouquets for tomorrow's service and when they are all done we will go to Katie and Savanna's for supper and a rehearsal of the song we are singing tomorrow.

Here's the song:

And here's the building we'll be gathering in tomorrow for Tamar's bat mitzvah:

Florence Congregational church, home of Beit Ahavah