A not quiet week

This has been quite a week. First of all, we got news on Monday that Pooja Meyer, the adopted daughter of our beloved organist at the Guilford Church, Patty Meyer (and her husband Chris) had died in an automobile accident Sunday morning. She was nineteen. This was devastating news. Pooja had been adopted from India when she was about 8 years old, and we got to know her through the Guilford Church. Patty has always held a special place in my heart - starting with the fact that before coming to Guilford, she had lived and worked in Winchester, MA, where Betsey and her family lived before they moved to Boulder. i served on the Pastoral Relations Committee with Patty for several years as well as doing many musical things with her. Ellen and I immediately drove to Guilford with the intent of taking  the family a freshly baked apple pie, but we couldn't get up the Meyer's driveway - there was fresh snow and ice - but we were able to leave it at the church with Lise Sparrow and the family got it the next day. Tuesday was River Singers and Wednesday we sang at a vigil for Pooja at GCC in the late afternoon, followed immediately by a sing for our little friend (now turned five) who is dying of brain cancer (a particularly lovely sing), followed immediately by Concert Choir (where Patty has been the accompanist !), so that was an emotional day. Today, Ellen took lunch to the Meyer family (we got up the drive ok this time - things have melted) and then went to the Vermont Country Store with Eliza. It is now awful outside - freezing rain - and I am at the pool. Tomorrow is the funeral for Pooja, where 400 or more are expected - and then River Singers concert! Dummerston Choir Sunday morning and another RS concert in the afternoon. Whew!

An earlier photo of Patty with Pooja, and her children Wynona and Aiden