Halloween is around the corner

 ...and the beat goes on.

I was so happy to have Jennifer with me and our reunions were very worthwhile.

These twins were in Sue's class but came out to celebrate with us.

Here's the full album for the PTHS Sixtyish Reunion

celebration.

Other October events included  the bus trip to the 911 museum on Jennifer's birthday, my grief support group in Cherry Hill (nice people), Association activities, movies, books (I am in the middle of at least 5, not that good an idea, but here I am), book club, dancing, cleaning out my car,  surprise drop in library event, Boscov's Day (yesterday), and tv streaming of The Way Home (4 seasons).

Boscovs friends run in

book club

Author Kelly at the library

BCREA Fall Gen Memb. meeting

BCEA Rep Council

Cleaned out trunk

Prospectors dancers

Jenn heading home

NJREA Fall Meeting

Outside the 911 museum in NYC

Coming up soon: Lunch with Gee Gee and Tracy, Dave's birthday party, SHIP Fall update, BCEA Retirement Workshop, NJREA/NJEA Conventions in Atlantic City, Las Vegas vacation with Jennifer and Sue and Patrick accompaniment. Whew! (Keeping busy, but still missing Tom and a little lost without him).

Jennifer's coming!

 Although this turned out to be another beachless summer, I did have my share of vacationing so there's that. (and dancing and movies and reading).

   Also I did my best to not totally waste the time share expiring points so Las Vegas and back to NYC I go before my six months are up.

   The latest focus has been on Association membership recruitment and Sixtyish Reunion plans. I'm meeting Gee Gee and Tracy for lunch at Zinnas Bistro on the 17th and am determined to set a date for getting the DEAR lunch group back on track.

   Jennifer is coming on the 23rd and I can't wait! We have been playing daily Scrabble games online and now we'll be in person!

    My widow/widowers grief support group series starts tomorrow. I hope it helps.

Working my shift at the library book sale

    

Summer is always so short!

 Still hoping to get to Seaside Heights (aka "down the shore") before summer's end.

Since my last post I went to a SHIP meeting in S. Jersey, heard about, but wasn't there to celebrate, Jodie's 101st birthday, have been duly sticker shocked at food prices, had lunch with Ann and Gina with Dina, attended Randi's annual pig roast, and spent the last week in NYC.

At Carmines for murder mystery dinner with Louise
I was a suspect- 8 year old Polly Graph

Happy to see Millie and Harry who came
into the city to take me to lunch

Murder mystery site in passing

Set for "Two Strangers..." Also saw "Singfeld", "The Lost Boys"
and "Maybe Happy Ending"

Three days of seminars at the IRS National Forum

Surprise! Bumped into my Membership Chair, Fran,

Great music, fun, and food at the Pig Roast

Happy to see Gina and Ann on her birthday

So glad to see Dina too

My kind of food...but $70 ?!!

The family, celebrating Jodie (center)'s birthday. 101!

Matt, Hannah, and Cora Jeff

Keeping current with SHIP aka what's new with
Medicare

Upcoming: attending a grief group starting in Sept., Wendell's party for the BCREA exec comm, Friends of the Burlington County Library book sale, lunch with Gee Gee, Jennifer's visit-including birthday and bus trip to the 911 memorial, NJREA Fall luncheon, Sixtyish Reunion, 

Where did July go?

 And now it is August. Between high heat and pouring rain it has been quite a summer.

Sugarfootin' at Pros

A visit from Marcia Bass Brown

Wonderful PDII NJEA conference at the Mariott Forestal, Princeton

Book Blub meeting at Marian's down the shore

Hustled in Trenton for Membership recruitment

Decorating for Tyler's grad party

Dinner with Dina's student's family

Visiting the high tide beach

Tyler's graduation party

Cheryl and Sydney mid photo

SamDina selfie at the beach

I saw The Odyssey and Spider Man. August looks to be full of lunches and meetings and a week in NYC. I am either busy or playing layabout at the empty house....which needs mucho work I don't seem to have the energy to get to....yet.

Post Colorado Reflections

 So it's the Fourth of July (extreme heat) and these days since I've been back from Colorado have been lazy days. I did get out to the movies and dinner with Marcia on the 2nd so that was nice.

I am so glad I went out for Daniel's wedding. Reconnecting with the Goff children and meeting and interacting with 21 of the 22 (going on 24) grandchildren was a delight. 

I was totally blown away by the parenting I saw exhibited by all six family groups. They are constantly interacting with their children in the most positive and reinforcing ways and the children are polite and kind and sweet and self-motivated and talented.

Here they all are, posing with the bride and groom (Olivia and Daniel)

Claudia and Joshua wth Noelle

Nathan and Mary Grace with DJ, Haddie Rae,Eleanor, and Josie

Hannah (Seth and Steven absent) with Selah, Shiloh, and Samuel

Isaac and Bethany with Naomi, Esther, Elijah, and Asher

Franklin and Sarah with Eliana, Elizabeth, Annabelle, Caleb, Amelia, and Lydia

Krissy and Jonathan with Esther, Elizabeth, and Maryann

I stayed at first with half the group at Bethany's mom's house and post wedding at Bethany and Isaac's.

Breakfast out with Jonathan and a last day trip to the Ghost Town Museum and a quick peek from a distance at the Garden of the Gods were my only touristy things, but visiting with family was totally worth the trip and why I was there. Great memories.