Brighton HS 60th Reunion

 

Brighton High School Reunion

October 2024

 

            In June I get an e-mail from Martha Presberg Supnik [Note: From now on I’ll use “high school names” for ease & better recognition.] about a 60^th (!!) reunion for our BHS class of 1965, to be combined with the surrounding classes of ’64 & ’66. I’ve made 2 reunions (1985 & 2002) but missed the 50^th due to other travels, so I’m very pleased to have another chance to catch up with classmates. I do wonder how many are still around and able. Martha and a reunion committee put a lot of effort into locating people; it appears that about 35 will attend. A couple of options for lodging are available, and a nice schedule of activities. We’re asked to send a “selfie” and short bio to be combined in a reunion yearbook. It will be interesting to see the lives that classmates have lived. Marjorie will join me. She’s something of a reunion junkie: every 5 years since 1970 except 2020 (due to COVID) for her Portage WI high school; I attended and enjoyed their gatherings in 2000 & 2010.

            We kick off our weekend early with a “cocktail party” fundraiser at St. Pius X for orphanages in the Dominican Republic and other sites. Surprisingly, I still remember how to tie a tie. On the way over I learn the secret of Marjorie’s personality, as reported by fellow Virgo Malcolm Gladwell: “demanding, critical, and picky.” Forget I said that! The fundraiser is a nice affair: a program on the history and current programming of the orphanages, tasty food stations from various local restaurants, wine tasting.

            More than a week of summery 70s notwithstanding, Fall is moving along. We’ve enjoyed traveling around: most of a week in the Finger Lakes, other local scenic drives. Some frosty mornings. Halloween next week. Scariest of all, the election, rated a “toss-up,” in 10 days. Hopefully we can avoid political discussions during the reunion.

Fall in the Finger Lakes

 

Finger Lakes Redux

October 2024

 

            Another Fall outing to the Fingers Lakes wine country, retracing some of our travels in 2013. [An article in the Sunday Times-Union says travel is “anti-aging therapy.”] Joined this time by 2 favorite travel companions from our Wisconsin days, Kay & Diane, the latter now coming out from Santa Fe. They arrive just a day after I return from a golf outing in southern Utah. I’m loaded up with Wine Trail maps. We thought of getting an arrangement to be driven around, but those are quite expensive. So I will be the “designated driver.”

            We have a couple of days before the Finger Lakes excursion. I catch up with lawn mowing and work on the journal & photos from Utah. Marjorie & I enjoy what seems an especially comforting 8am Mass Sunday with Fr. Daniel & Deacon Marty. Later I take photos of a well-attended Blessing of Animals outside the Church. Marjorie takes Diane & Kay to the lovely Sand Lake Merchant shop where some of her creations are sold. Then to the Hagaman art show, where she sold 3 pieces and received a 3^rd-place ribbon. On Monday Diane & Kay get tours of Pruyn House, a historical/cultural site for which Marjorie is on the Board of Trustees, and Beverwyck, where we are on the waiting list to move to “senior housing.”

Catskills Valentine

 

Catskills Valentine

 February 2023

 

          What to do for Valentine’s Day? A perennial quandary. One unusual option: India's Hindu nationalist government has proclaimed February 14 "Cow Hug Day," countering a holiday they say “encourages female promiscuity and vulgar behavior." I prefer the tried-and-true option of a romantic getaway. But where? My Red Cross blood delivery driving offers an answer. The “Southwest” route takes me to Cobleskill, where I recently came across a group of locals (deer, that is) strolling thru a neighborhood below the hospital, then to Catskill villages Walton & Margaretville. Very scenic: farms, lakes & streams, covered bridges, mountain vistas, villages with pretty houses, churches, & shops. Going thru Downsville I spot the Old Schoolhouse Inn. Looks promising, but an internet check back home finds some negative reviews. Further on, Margaretville Mountain Inn seems a better choice, plus more eateries & interesting shops in the village. First efforts find only 3-night stays but changing dates and help from booking.com scores an overnight into Valentine’s Day itself. What could be better?

         I keep details a secret, only telling Marjorie to keep the 2 days clear and pack for overnight. Well, mostly a secret. We have lunch several days before with Becky, Exec Director of the Empire State Youth Orchestra (where young Matt began performing), at Jade Bistro in Scotia. 

Afterward, Becky gives me a tour of the new space for ESYO – a former school being remodeled & expanded to house the various ESYO ensembles with rehearsal & office space. Quite a project, aiming for Fall ’24 completion. I share my Valentine plans with Becky; she approves.

 

First let’s look at the lead-up to what Marjorie might call our “Valentine Festival” (like her “Birthday Festivals”). Tho I’m on the Board & Past President of Colonie Senior Service Centers, Inc., Marjorie seems more connected to CSSC. She joins neighbors Mary Ann & Paul to see PBS documentary “Searching for Timbuctoo” about a pre-Civil War Black settlement organized by abolitionists in the Adirondacks, hosted at CSSC by the filmmaker; ironically, a CSSC Board meeting prevents my joining them. 

Life in a Pandemic Part 3

 

Life in a Pandemic

Addendum

                    So we thought the pandemic was winding down. Things eased up, encouraging us to spread our wings a bit with some interstate travel: following on our lovely Nantucket weekend, another getaway to Burlington VT and a golf vacation for me in Pinehurst NC. Nice opportunities to write up some trip journals in my ramblingwithruss blog. But concluding my pandemic journal proved to be premature. A “Delta” COVID variant arises, first apparently from India but spreading around the world. It has proved to be more infectious & transmissible, and cause more serious illness.

New Paltz, Catskill, and Nantucket Outings

 

New Paltz-Catskill-Nantucket 

Spring 2021

          With multiple pandemic cancellations & rebookings, there haven’t been journal-worthy travels for a while. And I’ve missed my travel agent persona. So I’ve decided to combine here a day trip to New Paltz & Catskill with a weekend jaunt to Nantucket to give my writing chops some work. Its nice to get away a bit on these mini-trips, but we haven’t been hermits, finding various earlier Spring outings and photo ops. Flowering trees & shrubs have been beautiful, forsythia seem particularly bright, and daffodils then tulips coming out in force. 

 

Life in a Pandemic Part 2

 Life in a Pandemic Part 2 

 It takes annoyingly long to open the lengthy "Life in a Pandemic" post for editing, so I'll continue with a second post. What I might have expected to last maybe a few months has now continued for a year and still more to come!

        We’ve had another stretch of cloudy dreary weather, so a brighter day with breaks of sun in the 40s triggers our continuing efforts to get out & about with local outings, this time to Hudson. After delivering to St. Pius robes & linens Marjorie has laundered, we find ourselves behind 2 Brooks BBQ trucks; should we follow them for lunch? Into downtown Hudson – all the parking is metered! But we find a spot a block from the main drag. Many colorful old buildings & shops, murals, store windows, and especially antiques. Marjorie: “Not the Hudson I used to work at” (for CHP). Hudson has experienced quite a revival spurred in part by antique dealers. A friendly, relaxing lunch at another Patisserie Lenox (as in Great Barrington). Tradewinds (a “Not for Profit Mercantile”) an especially pretty shop. Nearby whimsical marker: “On this site in 1897 nothing happened.” A stop at The Warehouse with many (very expensive) antiques; Marjorie deems it a “Mary Spot,” sending photos to her antique hound sister.

 On the way out of town a nice view of the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse in mid-River, Over the Rip van Winkle Bridge with beautiful views of the Hudson & Catskills on the way home. 

 

 

 

 

 

Life in a Pandemic

Life in a Pandemic

A Personal and Historical Record

 

 

             We had a busy travel year planned for 2020. . . until the coronavirus aka COVID-19 pandemic throws travel into disarray. A trip to Europe for the end of May is cancelled. Ironically, it was highlighted by the famous Oberammergau Passion Play, which began in 1634 when residents of the village vowed if God spared them from the bubonic plague ravaging the region they would produce a play depicting the life and death of Jesus. Offered every 10 years since, it had been cancelled only twice before, in 1770 when all passion plays were banned & 1940 due to WWII. We accept an offer to reschedule at the same price when the Play resumes in 2022, with full refunds for trip insurance and United miles used for flights.Another shoe drops: a Viking River Cruise in Portugal with Marjorie’s cousin Jim and wife Susan scheduled early August is also cancelled. As usual, Viking is very accommodating: full refund or voucher for 125% of what’s been paid. I coordinate with Susan to rebook the trip in Spring 2021 (and then to July, joined by Marjorie’s sister Mary & Jeff). Closer to home, a visit with friends Francisco & Beth for Nantucket's Daffodil Festival has to be called off. One other possibility, Marjorie’s 55^th high school reunion in Portage, is also cancelled.

More cancellations accumulate on the calendar. Choir singing stops and all Masses move to streaming on-line. My Mendelssohn Club rehearsals and Spring concert are cancelled; we have some Zoom meetings of brothers and of the Board to think about the Fall, which is eventually also cancelled. Viewing a webinar on transmission from choral singing, to both singers & audience, was pretty scary! Marjorie has a major art exhibit through April with 3 artist friends cancelled, but thankfully able to reschedule in December (hopefully!). 

 The summer art camp she’s organized for several years for the Colonie Art League is cancelled, as is the Siena College Relay for Life event (tho Marjorie nonetheless surpasses her fundraising goal!). Son Matt and family in Queens are affected in various ways. Matt winds up being furloughed by Manhattan School of Music, moving onto unemployment checks. Anthea continues going to her mostly empty Metropolitan Youth Orchestra offices on Long Island, working hard to hold things together. Grandsons William & Miles finish the school year on-line. William’s soccer is on hold, Miles must settle for on-line dancing and singing classes.

 So what to do? Doesn’t look like I’ll have opportunities to do the usual trip journals for my blog. But I can do something similar to document our life in a pandemic, our local activities and ongoing updates of developments & events ˗ a combination of personal journal & historical record. Plus staying at home gives time to work on photo books, other projects. Artist-in-Residence Marjorie is able to create a stockpile for future shows. 

Saratoga Birthday

 

Saratoga Birthday

September 2020 

 What to do in the midst of a pandemic for Marjorie’s “Birthday Festival” (as she likes to call it)? A new garage door installed, but that doesn’t seem quite the thing. William Shatner sings to her on an e-card, courtesy of Jeff like my Dolly Parton BD serenade. I cater cheesecake for her church discussion group at our house, tho they leave too quickly so we’ll have to eat it all. Still not enough ˗ and she’s complaining there’s no marching band! A surprise overnight should do the trick. Plus good forecasts thru the weekend: sunny & cool (into the 30s, highs about 60). 

Three Days of Christmas 2019

The Three Days of Christmas

December 24-26, 2019 

Framed around some classic verses (and with my sincere apologies for taking such liberties), here’s an account of our busy Christmas.

‘Twas the day before Christmas and all thru the house not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse. I arose from my bed . . . to do my driving for the Red Cross: blood deliveries to hospitals in Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie. Now, I love Christmas music, but I’m getting a bit tired of it – I’ve been rehearsing Christmas with Mendelssohn Club since September, and been hearing all the usual standards over and over on the radio. But what to my wondering ears should I hear? Kingston radio 92.9 has the “Lighter Side of Christmas” with humorous versions of holiday classics. Some examples:

    Patrick Stewart a la Star Trek: ♫But as long as you love me so, make it so, make it so, 

           make it so♫

    ♫Just hear those noses snifflin’ and throats are tinglin’ too. Come on it’s lousy weather 

           for a flu ride together with you♫

    From the Beatles: ♫All you need is elves, all you need is elves, all you need is elves, 

           elves, elves are all you need♫

    And my personal favorite: Porky Pig singing ♫I’ll have a blue Christmas without you♫

Fall Sojourns: Hudson River to Montreal

Fall Sojourns: Hudson River to Montreal

October 2019

          The travels described in this narrative arose from the confluence of several storylines, a case study in the sometimes complex and serendipitous paths by which trip ideas are born and evolve. Marjorie’s sister Mary & hubbie Jeff have generously included us in some stays using their Marriott vacation membership: Boston in 2016 & Branson in 2017. So we were pleased to be invited to spend a weekend in Montreal when Jeff is participating in an international biochemistry conference. That, in turn, brought to mind a trip with friends Steve & Jill that included a Chinese lantern festival in the Montreal Botanical Garden, an annual event we can repeat with Mary & Jeff. Yet another storyline emerged this past Labor Day weekend when we met our Queens family for a campground brunch, leading to an overnight in Cold Spring and, separately, to a tour of Bannerman Castle. Come along to trace this convoluted pathway.

Images of the Capital Region

Images of the Capital Region

 

This blog has focused on out-of-town and especially out-of-the-country travel. Albany and the Capital Region, my home since 1974, has received short shrift, tho views are sprinkled into some posts (e.g., Gardens, Religious Sites, Cemeteries, Holidays, Seasons). Having done an “Images of NYC” post, it seems time to bring some local views to the fore. 

 The Empire State Plaza, a vision of Nelson Rockefeller, has an unfortunate political history, razing neighborhoods for its construction, but it is, I suppose, the most “iconic” site in Albany, dominating the skyline. It houses State offices, a performing arts center (“the Egg”), and the State Museum. 

Schoharie in Spring

A Spring Outing to Schoharie

April 2019

          Spring has started to emerge. The grass is greening. Been on the golf course a couple of times. In the midst of Easter singing. 

Last night (Friday, 4/12) was an ecumenical  evening of Lenten prayer and song at St. Clement’s in Saratoga, arranged by Mendelssohn Club Director Jeff Vredenberg and wife Brenda. The church is beautiful. It’s “A Redemtorist Community,” referring to a Catholic order that serves the poor. The latter seems ironic, considering it’s Saratoga, and word is the order will be moving out of the area. Don’t know what will happen to the church. Tonight’s choir is drawn from several sources. An hour of rehearsal, tho the music isn’t too complicated and mostly familiar: “Amazing Grace,” “Adoramus Te Christe,” “Lift High the Cross,” etc.  The music is lovely, and Marjorie says the basses sound especially good. Brenda is very excited that a few of us basses can hit a low D, her “favorite note.” I notice Jeff’s very active directing, much like an orchestra conductor. A nice service, but not a big audience. Refreshments after, highlighted by Brenda’s sinful chocolate-chip cookies. This was a nice lead-in to the Holy Week choir marathon next week.

Images of New York City

Images of New York City

1974-2019 

          Marjorie and I have lived in Albany since 1974, so we’ve had many opportunities to visit our neighbor (“The City” as we call it) to the south. Those visits became more frequent once our son Matt started his studies at Manhattan School of Music, and then moved to Queens to start his own family  ̶  grandchildren are such an attraction, after all. Many of the scenes and venues presented here are represented in other posts on my blog, but I decided it’s time to put together a centralized collection of photos from our visits, mostly for us but also to share with others who may be interested.  My apologies for any that are mislabeled  ̶  this covers a long period of time for my memory to cover! 

Fall in Queens & Rhinebeck

A Surprising Fall Getaway to Queens and Rhinebeck

October 2018 

          One of my regular Red Cross runs delivering blood to regional hospitals takes me to Northern Duchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, then thru town toward hospitals in Poughkeepsie. That takes me past an old inn, the Beekman Arms, in the center of the pretty town, often thinking what a nice getaway that would make. I saw an opportunity this year when Marjorie was spending her mid-September birthday in Kansas City with her sister Mary. We couldn’t do anything for her birthday then, so I thought to combine birthday & our mid-November anniversary (#47, for those keeping score), making it a surprise  ̶  telling her only to keep the dates open. Our friend Marlene, who lives in Poughkeepsie, was a co-conspirator, advising on places to eat. Adding to the outing, we decided to visit the Queens family  ̶  son Matt, daughter-in-law Anthea, and grandsons William & Miles  ̶  to start things off.

Friday, October 19: “Special Deliveries to NYC”

We’re pretty much back to normal following a wonderful trip to the Balkans (Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and even a bit of Bosnia!) October 4-14, so I guess we can handle this more limited outing. The car’s pretty full of things to take down for the family: t-shirts for William & Miles from our trip, framed photos Matt wanted for Manhattan School of Music, treats baked by Marjorie, and more. A bit of our first frost in early AM. A nice PM drive down, some Fall color tho not too spectacular yet. A lunch stop at our favorite Plaza Diner outside New Paltz. Festive Halloween decorations, and another surprise for Marjorie: my credit card has fallen apart, so we’ll have to use her card to pay for things on “her weekend;” she manages to keep grumbling to a minimum.

Golf Venues in the Capital Region and Elsewhere

Golf Venues in the Capital Region

      This is another post that's not exactly "travel," but I thought I'd share some views of golf courses in the Albany "Capital Region" area, and a few beyond. I came back to golf when I retired after 30-some years away from the game and discovered that there are some beautiful public courses that offer diverse scenery, wildlife, and golfing challenges. Here's a selection. 

Chihuly at NYBG

Chihuly Night at NYBG

August 2017

          A brief report of our “Chihuly Night” at New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx with friends Marlene & Lydia. Dale Chihuly “has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.” He’s installed major exhibitions from Boston and Seattle to Venice and Jerusalem. 

We’ve been to NYBG a number of times, including the Spring Orchid Festivals and Fall Mum Festivals; see my "Gardens" post. 

And seen Chihuly glass there (2006) and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2004). So we were very interested to see promotions for “Chihuly Nights,” April to October on select nights 6:30-10:30.  More than 20 installations, many with multiple sculptures, thruout the gardens. Plus lighting at night. This reminds us of our visit to a Chinese lantern festival in the Montreal Botanical Garden (2010), when we enjoyed the colorful displays in both sunlight and night lighting. In addition to the flowers and glasswork, there are musicians in a few locations and panels of poetry about the sculptures written by elementary school children. But 2 disappointments: the tram around the gardens (a Marjorie favorite) isn’t running and the Children’s Adventure Garden is closed when we get to it (no sculptures).

Scenic Driving for the Red Cross

Scenic Driving for the Red Cross

          Heading toward retirement in 2015, I thought about what to do next. Added a few more frivolous activities, including creating this blog and taking up golf after 30-some years away from the game. More usefully, attended a Volunteer Fair where the Red Cross seemed a natural fit; Marjorie used to work for them and I’ve been a long-time blood donor. So I’ve become a “Blood Services Transportation Specialist.” That fancy title means I drive their vans to deliver boxes containing blood products to regional hospitals. 

In addition to filling in as needed, I’ve settled into a Tuesday morning slot that rotates among 3 routes: South (usually including Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie, plus sometimes Hudson and Ellenville), 

Far South (to Carmel), and West (Amsterdam, Gloversville, and Cobleskill). Southern routes entail as many as 7 hospitals, 3 for the West, plus some trips to local hospitals in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, and north to Saratoga and Glens Falls. Pictured are Northern Duchess in Rhinebeck and Vassar in Poughkeepsie (with fellow volunteer Matt on my “training” drive). 

In 2018-19 my Tuesday schedule meant I drove both Christmas and New Year's mornings. 

I continued my driving during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, past signs for health care "heroes."