Katie has been here!

My beautiful granddaughter, Katie, has been visiting with her friend, Malka. They arrived after midnight, Friday night (i.e., early Saturday morning). That gave Ellen and me the chance to go to the Chorale Concert - 4 Bach Cantatas - which was wonderful, and still get home in plenty of time to get everything ready. K&M had rented a car and left Brooklyn after work. They also brought Gertie, Katie's chihuahua. It worked out to be the perfect weekend weather-wise, beautiful, warm, sunny, with brilliant foliage and lots to do. They slept late Saturday - almost noon - and then went out and did fall foliage things: went to Green Mountain Orchard, got apples and other things, and then went to see John, took a short hike on the nearby Pinnacle Trail, and also saw the new stove, solar panels, heat pump, etc. We were all invited for supper at Eliza Bergh's house, and Katie and Malka were running late, but arrived in time get something to eat. Ellen contributed her delicious walnut-cheese balls to the meal. Gertie was a big hit, esp. with Phoebe. So that was a good, full day. Then Sunday, I went by myself to Guilford Church to lead the choir (everything went really well), Ellen stayed home to have breakfast with K&M, and then they went off to the Dummerston Pie Festival, where they went to both the pie sale and craft fair, the Putney Farmer's Market, where they found lots of things to do and buy, and then took a drive up through Grafton, a beautiful Vermont village, and down through Newfane. Sunday afternoon Ellen and I did the Spelling Bee, and then Sunday evening we had a birthday party for Katie, who turns 28 on Wednesday. John and Cynthia joined us and we had a nice party, including a delicious gluten-free birthday cake made by Ellen and three flavors of ice cream to choose from. Katie got some Vermonty gifts which she really appreciated. Then today, Ellen and I went to our Shakespeare Osher lecture, this one on Richard II, and then went to the Brattleboro Coop where we met K&M and we went to lunch together at The Works. Then we said our goodbyes, K&M went off to do a bit more shopping and then they will drive back to Brooklyn. Ellen is now at the prayer shawl session at GCC and I am at the pool. A really nice weekend, and it is still gorgeous out. But now it can rain all it wants to, to fill the spring!

Katie and Malka at Green Mountain Orchards (selfie by Katie)