One of the Best Days EVER

Alex graduated from Wyoming Area on Friday June 12, 2015.  It was a busy, but very wonderful day.  Here are highlights......

Preamble - Alex's friend Nick Shedlock asked Alex to play in his band for Senior Day.  Nick lives across Montgomery Avenue from us, and in fact we hear him practicing drums regularly.  Nick wrote the music and lyrics to a song Wish You Well, and was missing a base player.  Knowing that Alex plays guitar, he asked Alex to play base for the performance.  Alex used a borrowed base to practice including his music part, and was ready to go within a couple days.  After several band practices and Senior Day practices, Nick (guitar and vocals), Bryan Sachaczenski (guitar) and Ian Brace (percussion) and Alex did play on Thursday, Senior Day.  They were a hit!!  And they were selected for performance at graduation !!!

• Unexpected Development - Steve's daughter Katrina had not been feeling well for some time, and a few days earlier learned that her gallbladder had to be removed.  Unfortunately, she became very sick and needed emergency surgery.  She was transferred from Scranton to the Geisinger Hospital in Danville on Thursday.  Steve spent most of Friday with her in Danville; the surgery went very well, and he stayed to talk with her after she woke up.
• Edie & Jon - It was lovely to have Edie McCausland and Jon Dodge join us for graduation festivities.  We have spent happy weekends visiting in Webster, MA since Alex was a pre-schooler, and this was their first visit to Northeast PA to visit us.  Rather than staying with us, they checked into the Comfort Inn (near Wal-Mart in Pittston) about 4 pm on Thursday.  Edie and Jon had a pizza dinner with Robby and me here at home the night before graduation (while Alex was working at Fox Hill, where he is now handling the salad & sandwich bar).   Robby helped with the house tour - they seemed to like our place, which reminds them of 14 Hill Street in Webster (and we think were built about the same time).   
• Visit to Wilkes-Barre Etc. - On graduation day, while Alex was at practice and busy with other preparations, Edie, Jon, Robby and I went to downtown Wilkes-Barre.  We parked on S. Franklin Street in front of the Westmoreland Club, and walked around looking at the former St. Stephen's Church rectory - now owned by the local Historical Society.  Edie was particularly interested in looking at the house, which was your great grandparents' (Burke and Phyllis Rivers) home from the late 1940's until 1972 (just before Hurricane Agnes & the flood).  Edie has fond memories of visiting a few times as a child, with her parents John (Phyllis's brother) and Teresa McCausland and sister Nikki.  She remembers the dining room, red kitchen and handsome from staircase (as I do), and upstairs layout (I remember one bedroom).  We walked down the Westmoreland Club parking lot to look at the large backyard, which I remember as well.  (I also remember having fun on a toddler riding toy, on the walkway immediately next to the church.)  We went on to walk through Kirby Park, and drive around Harvey's Lake.  
• Meanwhile...... Alex had graduation practice starting at 9 am.  It was over by 11 am, when he and his bandmates went to the football field to set up equipment and do sound checks for their performance - this took quite some time, working in the hot sun (90+ degrees and humid).  Due to the weather forecast, a decision was announced that graduation would be indoors at the gym.  The boys then packed everything up and moved gear to the gym.  As of @2 pm, Alex  was still waiting in the gym - having been told that graduation might be switched back to the stadium.  He was quite unhappy about this, but had told his pals that he would have to leave @3 pm regardless.  Luckily, he had managed to get a fresh shirt & drink mid-day. After our trek to Harvey's Lake, Edie and Jon went back to the hotel and I brought green & gold balloons from Balloon Works to decorate the front porch.  
• Mizu Sushi - I picked Alex up at the gym just before 3, and we headed to Pittston to pick up Edie & Jon who stayed at the Comfort Inn (by Walmart).  We made it to Wilkes-Barre for our Hibachi dinner right on time at 3:30.  Aunt Pam joined us, and we had a nice time watching the cooking display.  Alex had sushi, which he shared with me and Aunt Pam - delicious.   ..... as was the rest of our meal, including selections of scallops, lobster, tuna, chicken and steak !  I got some nice pictures, and left the restaurant happy with full stomachs.  Alex, I think your favorite gift was a new set of dry flies from Edie & Jon - you looked thrilled.  You've been making out like a bandit, with gifts from Uncle Jason, Uncle George, Aunt Pam, Brud, Grammie, Aunt Diana and Aunt Julie.  Robby headed off with Aunt Pam.
• A Disappointment - Dad had been in the hospital about 3 weeks, and was released on the morning of graduation.  He had planned to make it to graduation, but unfortunately did not feel well enough (and in fact, went back to the hospital emergency room for a time in the late afternoon).  Ultimately, it wasn't possible for him to join us - I know he would be very disappointed.  I'm sorry that he couldn't see you graduate.
• Graduation - The final decision was......  graduation at the stadium !!  Alex's friends moved all the equipment back to the field.  With a fresh covering of sun tan lotion on his face and dressed in shorts & a shirt (not appropriate attire), Alex made it back to the stadium just after 5:30 to finish all the arrangements.  After a few quiet minutes at the house, Edie, Jon and I drove over to the stadium and parked on Susquehanna Ave.  On our walk over to the stadium @ 6:20, Steve called saying that he was leaving Danville.  After a sultry day, the evening was breezy and beautiful!!  You had picked a great spot in the bleachers - turned out to be right behind & next to Taylor's family!  We enjoyed meeting and saying hello to everyone.  Taylor graduated Summe cum Laude !!  Soon Aunt Pam and Robby joined us.  It was exciting and emotional to watch you and your classmates processing just before 7 pm, listening to speeches and - the best part - performances of original poetry & music by you and your 169 classmates.  Taylor's Mom, Dad and grandmother took pictures of both Taylor and you - as we did.
• Band Performance!!  After a struggle to keep your cap from blowing away, your friend Nick started playing guitar & singing.  You did a wonderful job playing base - which you first picked up only 3 weeks previously - and looked SO happy to be up there performing!!!  Your previous experience as a Star Boy and with baseball and soccer games must have been a factor.  The song was a huge hit with your class, and we madly took pictures through the whole performance.
• Diplomas - Presentation of diplomas started about 7:50.  A couple minutes later, Steve called to say he had parked on Susquehanna Ave. and was walking up to the stadium.  He walked into the stadium at the end of the "B's", and amazingly heard your name announced as your diploma was awarded!  (I was so happy that Steve made the effort to be there!)  It was nice to listen as so many of your friends - going back as far as Cookie Corner days - were introduced.....  Brian Berti, Conrad Chapple, Steven Dauber, Alex Dolan, Robby Foss, Nicholas Granteed, Colby Kluk, Mike Kuharchik, AJ Lenkaitis, John Joseph Marianacci, Matt Minnelli, Carmen Randazzo, Zack Scrobola, Drew Slater, John Urban, Zach Wishneski and a few girls who you went to preschool or played tee ball with Caitlyn Kraynack, Carrie Pozaic, Julianna Scappaticci.  Not to mention, best of all, Taylor Schechter.
• Grand Finale - After Mr. Quaglia's Top 10 quotations and a rousing Alma Mater, the class recessed and gathered at the goalpost, near the stadium entrance.  On queue, caps went flying in the air and cheers resounded!  It made for great pictures!  
• Postlude - We headed down to the field and eventually found you (not easy in the throng!).  Alex, it was fantastic to see your joy.  We got pictures with all of us, including a great picture of Robby hugging you (that I hope to track down)!  Robby was so very happy for you!!  You went around to take more pictures with your bandmates and friends, while I took Edie and Jon back to the hotel.  I came home to find you showered and ready for the All Night Party.  Taylor picked you up @10:15, and you did make it back home shortly after 6 am on Saturday.  You slept all morning, then went back to bed for another couple hours & left for a graduation party about 3 pm.  You had a good time at the overnight Party - I'm so glad!!
• And Time With Dad - In the evening we visited Dad, who spent his first full day at home.  Alex, you wore your cap and gown - and we showed Dad pictures of graduation.  You also told us about activities at the All Night Party.  You are a thoughtful boy to spend time sharing your special day with Dad.

Citizen's Voice Article

Alex, here you are on your first day of kindergarten (so excited) and getting your diploma !

Graduation Pictures !!

Thanks so much to Steve for helping to get the pictures saved, scanned, organized etc. !!!

                                                      The only photo we got of Taylor!

Senior Prom !

Finally, Alex went to a high school dance!  He waited for the big one - Senior Prom!  It was on Friday June 5th, only one week before graduation.

We started preparations in May.  With coupons "on hand" (i.e., available on the Internet via Alex's phone), Alex and I went to Savvi Formalwear in the Genetti's Hotel building, Wilkes-Barre.  Evenings in prom and wedding season are busy......  After waiting 40 minutes in the semi-air conditioned store, we were finally waited on.  Per instructions from Taylor, Alex selected a black tux with purple vest & tie.  I see it looks blue in the pictures below, but really they were purple!  We went back to pick everything up on Wednesday June 3rd.  Everything fit well, except for the shiny dress shoes.....  No big deal, since Alex already has handsome, well-fitting "rat stabbers", so named by Steve when the shoes were purchased back in Junior year.

With advice from Tad's mother Kim (of our newly adopted hair salon "A Little Off the Top", just up Montgomery Ave.), Alex and I headed to Robin Hill Florist to decide on flowers.  Alex, you picked the beautiful arm bouquet style and colors seen below,

With my recently-washed car that you can now drive by himself, plus white & purple-tipped boutonniere, you was ready to go!  Taylor came over for pictures with us.  Unfortunately, Dad couldn't be here since he was in the hospital.  You both looked fantastic, as you see below !!!  Then, it was on to Taylor's house and a friend's house for pictures.  You made it to the Woodlands on-time.  ..... and we learned that we should have asked to rent the most light-weight tux available, since the one you wore was a heavy wool......  Oh, well we learned something for next time!

After prom, you stopped here to change into regular clothes, then you and Taylor went to Matt Minnelli's house for an overnight visit.  You told me about watching movies, and having a relaxing time.  I'm glad you had a good, if slightly overheated, evening!  Prom is a memorable event - so glad all our plans worked out well !!

As Time Goes On......

Well, you may have noticed that until April, I had not posted anything in a long time.  A really long time, like a year and a half.  I'm not feeling compelled to continue pseudonyms now that Sasha is over 18, and Brok is almost a teenager.

Many things that have changed since I was last posted on a regular basis.  Highlights:

1. Sadly Uncle Dick passed away in November, 2013.  We attended his memorial service in January, 2014 at the retirement community where Aunt Ginny lives near Rosemont.  Over the summer, we also joined the Rivers family for a commemoration at Lake Ganoga.  He was a special person, and supported Alex's interest in fishing and Robby's interest in board games.  I and more recently Steve, had many pleasant visits with him and Aunt Ginny at their beautiful lake home (complete with humming birds and bears).
2. We moved in January 2014!  To our very own almost-perfect-for-us house, in the same school district, less than 10 minutes from our place on Sharpe Street.  Alex is thrilled to have a room all to himself.  After a short time downstairs, his electric guitar was moved into his room as well.  Robby seems to love his room too, complete with Steve's very comfortable mattress brought from Cherry Street. Robby is frequently joined while sleeping or reading by his favorite companion Tiger.  
3. Steve and Jean Luc are now living with us.  In fact, Steve moved in before we did (immediately after we bought the house) in December 2013.  Tiger moved in about a week ahead of us, so he would have a little adjustment time with Jean Luc.
4. Tiger has successfully transitioned to sharing space with a kitty "pal".  Most of the time Tiger would rather not be bothered by his "pal", although they do occasionally run around together.  There is some growling and hissing, especially when Jean Luc is bored and picks on Tiger.  On the whole, this stress is balanced out by the extra attention and petting Tiger gets from Steve.  Since a a bird feeder was set up by the kitchen window last fall, Jean Luc has found the birds to be absolutely wonderful.  And he's interested in squirrels too, but it seems he pays little attention to our backyard rabbits.
5. Alex got his driver's permit in February, 2014.  We went out driving on-and-off, including country driving and eventually some snowy / icy days during the winter of 2014-15.  Alex, you were a good drive from the beginning, but not terribly interested in practicing for a long time (!)
6. In March 2014, Alex interviewed and was hired to work at Fox Hill Country Club as a dishwasher.  It paid minimum wage, and was generally a good maturity-inducing and money-making experience.  Over the summer, Alex got to work the snack bar, which was lovely in comparison to washing dishes.  After summer's end, Alex returned to the dishroom through the end of the year.  After a 3-month winter break, it was back to the dishroom again in March, 2015.  But then in late May, a nice surprise..... a raise!!  And a promotion to working the salad & sandwich bar! 
7. Another watershed event - Alex started to see Taylor Schechter.  It all started at the May, 2014 Cherry Blossom Festival, at the riverfront in West Pittston.  You have been fast friends, and a cute couple ever since.  There have been movies watched at the theatre and at home, walks in the woods, pizza dinners, and numerous fishing treks especially in the spring of 2015.  You recently celebrated your 1 year anniversary - and a huge event, went to the Senior Prom at the Woodlands together!  Renting a tux and buying prom flowers were a "first" for Alex and me.
8. Robby came to live at Montgomery Ave full -time on May 31, 2014.  The months that followed were sad, but over this time you did start making good friends with Rob Tryzenski.  Robby spent some time at day camp at Good Shepherd school in Kingston, and spent many afternoons with Aunt Pam. We tried to make the best of the new situation, and, Robby, I was and still am VERY GLAD and thankful that you're in a stable home.  
9. Last summer, we all went to Mt. Desert Island, Maine and stayed in Southwest Harbor.  Grammie and Grandad, along with Aunt Di, Uncle Lawrence, Kyra and Lucy joined us.  The highlight was whale watching expedition, similar to the one on our previous 2011 trip to celebrate Grammie and Grandad's 50th wedding anniversary in Maine.
10. In late August Alex started his senior year, while Robby started 6th grade.  Robby began to spend a couple days per week at the West Pittston Child Development Center (CDC) after-school program, along with afternoons at Aunt Pam's.  He also enjoyed the Walking Dead discussion group at the Wyoming Library on many Monday afternoons during the fall.  He started piano lessons with Aunt Pam this month and continued them into March.  
11. In September, we had Robby's 12th birthday party at the Luzerne County Paintball.  Robby and several friends played laser tag, and had a wonderful time.  That was followed by pizza & cake, as well as a fire in the fire pit, here in our very own back yard.  About this time, Alex began working in earnest on his senior project.  This included job shadowing a ranger at Frances Slocum Park and volunteering at the St. Vicent DePaul soup kitchen in Wilkes-Barre.  Both were good experiences, and Alex did a fabulous job on all the stages of his project.  
12. Steve and I "officially" got engaged in October, 2015, over a weekend visit to Atlantic City, NJ.  We have been planning this for some time, and by then had already made several arrangements including booking the East Mountain Inn for the wedding ceremony & reception.  And we already had our wedding bands too! 
13. Also in October, Alex took his SATs for the first time.  They were a success!  His senior pictures were taken at Golden Photo across from Montgomery Ave Elementary School.  
14. Alex's senior pictures turned out wonderfully!  I shared with proofs with various people and ordered a set of pictures.  We spent Thanksgiving in Philadelphia, shortly after Grammie had a hip replacement.  We celebrated the holiday at Church of Our Savior, where Grandad was an interim priest several years ago.
15. In December, Robby got to ride in the Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming/Forty-Fort Santa Parades on a float with the Jeanne Zano Band (named for his friend Adam's mother, who is the lead vocalist).  He also performed in Aunt Pam's recital and did a fantastic job (no sign of nerves)!!!  He performed his favorite "Ode to Joy" and a duet with Aunt Pam.  
16. It was our first Christmas at the new house!  We had fun decorating, including lights draping the bushes & curtain lights on the front porch. This year's Christmas cards included Alex's senior picture along with Robby's 6th grade school photo (also taken by Golden Photo, so I was able to get additional wallet size pictures).  Christmas was at home, followed by our annual Grotto Party and a couple days including New Year's Eve at Lake Jean (Alex left early to spend New Year's with Gage).  The "huge" Christmas gift of this year was a Play Station 4 that Dad gave to you boys.  That was a big surprise, and absolutely the best gift of all.
17. In the new year, Robby began to have weekend get-togethers with his friends. It started with playing Monopoly at our house, and graduated to taking turns with fun times at at other boys' houses too....  in Exeter and West Wyoming.  Meanwhile, he is still best friends with 2 particular pals Adam and Kyle.  (There are 2 close friends named "Adam", so Steve has taken to calling all Robby's friends "Adam" and claims they all look alike i.e., blonde).  Over this time, Robby also began cultivating a new hair do - the classic mullet.  Eeeekk!  But, he really likes it and Kim from the "A Little Off the Top" salon on Montgomery Ave. has helped to make Robby's dream come true.  
18. In March, Alex's driver's permit was renewed.  He began to drive more regularly, trying make progress on completing his 60 hours of driver training.  He filed his first tax returns and got a refund of @ $270 :-)  
19. In the second marking period, Alex made the honor role  !!!!!  Hokie Smokes!!  He focused his efforts and worked hard.  See the fabulous results below, following Taylor's shinning example.

20.  In April, Alex's favorite time of year arrived - fishing season!  After a visit to Harvey's Creek to fish for trout, he settled down with fishing the Susquehanna River in Exeter - for catfish.  The favorite bait was chicken livers purchased at Gerrity's and left in the sun for a couple days to get seriously stinky.  Also in April and continuing into May, Alex began driving lessons with Rich Boyer of "A Plus Driver Education" in Wyoming.  It ain't easy to schedule the driving test, with the end result that I got up at 4 am one Wednesday, when blocks of appointments open up for scheduling.  Alex's test was scheduled on May 30th  :-)  He practiced with Rich several days before at the course in Hanover Township (including parallel parking), and passed with flying colors!!  Also in May, Alex had his final presentations for his senior class project - we got to enjoy several practice speeches at home.....  Alex, you have become a great public speaker !!
21.  After enjoying his "favorite Field Day of all" on May 20th, Robby's class trip was to Camp Orchard Hill was June 1.  You said it was the best school day of the entire year, in spite of some rain!  Besides that, you got to spend the evening with his friend Kyle and overnight with Aunt Pam (while Steve and I were on business trips).  By then, Robby was already registered for 7 weeks of summer camp there, since several of his friends went to Camp Orchard Hill last year - and he liked our visit during the Camp's open house in early May.  Robby's last day of school is June 18th, and last day at CDC is June 19th.  Looking back on it, 6th grade and senior year flew right by!

Church Choirs - Lonesome Valley

I started singing in church as a little girl.  My earliest memory related to a choir is singing "Let All Things Now Living" with an older (well, actually he looked really old to me!) man in the Gloria Dei choir.  In addition to church, I also sang in my high school choir 'Treble Clef' and with a community choir in Wilkes-Barre during college.  Later I sang at Central United Methodist Church and Temple B'nai B'rith, where Aunt Pam was the music director.

Last year some time, this song was a hymn Robby and I sang at Wyoming Presbyterian.  It is one of the most beautiful spirituals I've heard.  It runs through my head every so often, and though it won't interest you much I can't resist posting it.  Like most church choir performances, it's not perfect - but in churches we accept everyone with smaller talents and bigger talents alike.  And focus on the text and genuine emotions conveyed as the singers, pianist and conductor share their gifts in that moment.

Girls Weekend Away 2013

Well, it's a little bit dated now.  But still a nice picture of me, Aunt Di, Grammie and Aunt Julie.  We spent Girls' Weekend in Milford that year.