He made his move

So I haven't written anything here in a while..a long while.
But I do take care of two blogs, one for the New Haven Register and one for the Valley Arts Council.

That's my excuse!

Yesterday we moved our son into his first apartment. It's in Brooklyn.

He landed a job in Manhattan and has been commuting for two weeks from home while waiting for the apartment to be ready. Now his commute is much shorter!

Cameron explaining to Ralph how he is going to arrange things in his new place.

I was happy to meet several of his neighbors, who welcomed us, held doors for us, and explained how to operate the old fashioned elevator (the building dates back to 1927).
Two women introduced themselves and wanted to know Cameron's name. Friendly folks.

This is a lot different than dropping him off at a dorm at college. A lot different.

Safe to say I'm sad and proud and happy for him all rolled into one.

And we wish him all the best as he makes his way in the Big Apple. Love you always, Cam!

The ups and downs of daily newspapering

So...two days ago I interviewed a 91-year old World War II veteran. He served in Alaska in 1942-43 in what has been called "The Forgotten War," and in Ie Shima, an island off of Okinawa, after that.
I thought he was going to tell me about his war experiences, but he told me so much more. He has had an interesting life, and I hope the article I wrote (that has not yet been published) does him justice.    
 
Yesterday I covered the sentencing of a man who drove drunk and struck a local police officer, who was a Vietnam veteran and beloved member of the force, as he was directing traffic. The officer died several days later from his injuries.
A dozen of his fellow police officers showed up in the courtroom to witness the sentencing. It was an extremely sad story and not the kind I normally cover.


Today I made up for dealing with a story about such a tragedy by writing about an 85th birthday party. It was an open house for a wonderful woman who used to run a downtown luncheonette.
People from all walks of life turned out to honor her. I quickly learned she was beloved by many, many people who got to know her over the 19 years she ran the restaurant.


It was wonderful to see all the love being bestowed on her from family and friends. Although she had no children of her own, she treated the young people who used to frequent her place after school as her own kids, the now-middle-aged partygoers told me.
"When Millie yelled, you listened," one woman recalled fondly.

Today I also interviewed a woman who grew up on a farm. She has opened an old-style general store that sells antiques and will carry only Connecticut-made and Connecticut-grown foods, from ice cream, maple syrup and organic bread to fresh produce in season.
She will be serving light meals on weekends and live music will also be performed there on occasion. It's a lovely spot and I'm sure she will succeed in her new venture. I plan to return there soon with Ralph. Sounds like fun.

So that's my world as of now...thanks for reading. 

Is there ANY good news out there?

The last six weeks or so have been filled with bad news. Both here in our community and all over the place, it seems.

It has been one thing after another.

I hope something good happens soon! It's getting depressing.

In June three friends lost family members, and today I read that an acquaintance, a salt of the earth kind of guy who was a World War II veteran, has passed away.

My good news is I may be getting together with a friend I haven't seen since *high school* tomorrow. That is a long time ago! We have reconnected after all these years through Facebook.

The bad news is she is back home in Connecticut for a sad reason.

Anyone have anything happy to share?

Weepy

Yesterday we took Kid Two to a final presentation for those who have been accepted at the University of Hartford but have not yet decided on the school.
As an aside, his parents love it there.
We got to see our Kid One, a sophomore, for only about 10 minutes. She had things to do and people to see. They were having an election at the student-run TV station and she was a candidate.

When our son left with the students-only tour, I got teary. It was easier when our daughter went, because Kid Two still had two more years of high school left.

During the presentation for parents, I got weepy. Several times. And there was a lump in my throat as I tried to say something to Ralph.

I got over it, for now.
Soon we will have the prom, class trips and graduation -- all the milestones that signal the end of his high school career. And that signal his mother to start weeping again.

Change is an easy concept to grasp, but it can be a tough one to live.