Images of Ireland

Images of Ireland- 2000

In June, 2000, I rented a castle in Tipperary, Ireland.  Sixteen family members, spanning three generations, joined me for a week of traveling around the country.

Checking Us Out

Checking Us Out

Antarctica

December 2007

We were zooming on our zodiacs, heading back to the ship.  They must have heard us approaching because they all popped up at once and watched us with such intense interest.

My Mother's Robe

My Mother's Robe

Philadelphia, PA

1965- 2017

In 1965, my uncle completed a tour of duty in Viet Nam.  When he returns to the USA, he gave this robe to my mother. Maybe she wore it a few times but not much more than that.  Some years later, she gave me the robe and I carried it with me as I moved from Philadelphia to State College, to Williamsport, to Jenkintown and then back to State College and then to Stroudsburg and Springfield and finally to Carpenter's Point. And I never wore it, not even once.  I just hung on to it.

In 1997, Stroudsburg High School Theatre group was performing The King and I.  At the time, I was the principal of this school. I offered this robe to Betsy (below), the costume coordinator for  the play.  She loved it and then I told her that it once belonged to my mother.  At the time, my mother was very sick with cancer.  When Betsy heard that my mother was sick, she was afraid to borrow the robe.

"What is it gets damaged?"

"I don't care," I told her.

"What if it gets lost"?

"I don't care," i repeated.

"It's too valuable.  It belonged to your mother.  Surely, you want to hold on to it."

"Nope, I want to get rid of it.  I am giving this robe to you.  I don't want it back. And why don't you take it when the play is finished.  It looks beautiful on you."

Betsy wouldn't hear anything I had to say.  She was too uncomfortable with the robe.  So I brought it home and let it hang in my closet for another 20 years.

Then in 1 2017, I visited Betsy and her husband in her new home in Montana.  They have an outdoor sauna. When I returned home I decided to seize the moment.  I mailed the robe to Betsy as a thank you gift for her hospitality.  She had to accept it and it still looks beautiful on her.

The Farmers- India

The Farmers

Madras, India

Spring 1994

Some people have hard lives.  I am not one of those people.  This day was hot. Traffic was heavy and these farmers had a long, tedious trip to the market. And once, they dropped off their goods, they had a long trip home.

I could complain that my taxi did not have air conditioning. And I had to keep the windows up to keep the dust and flies out. But I think I will just shut up.

Driving in India

Driving In India

Madras, India

Spring 1994

Driving (or riding) in India is not for the faint-hearted.  Traffic laws are a suggestion, not a mandate.  There are very few traffic lights which are mostly ignored.  There is not right of way.  There is only survival of the fittest.

To add to this stress, they drive on the opposite side of the road.  So it is so hard for me to anticipate where an on-coming car is headed. Hence, it appears to me as if we are constantly heading towards a near fatal car accident.

By the time we reach our destination, I am exhausted from all of my self-imposed anxiety.

Heading To The Ocean

Heading to the Ocean
Long Beach Island, NJ

I love the anticipation of walking up the steep, steep dunes and reaching the top and seeing the ocean for the first time in a while.  I love the sounds, the smells, the sensation of the wind and the heat, the texture of the sand, the taste of the salt air, the joy and contentment of the people. When I lay my things down and sit on the beach, I feel as if I am transported to a different, kinder world.

Hanging On The Streets

Hanging On The Streets

Jamel, Haiti

Summer 2014

They spend their days, sitting on their motorbikes, waiting for something to break. Sometimes, someone will need a ride and so they will step up and serve as a taxi driver, earning a quick buck.  Other times, someone may show up with a soccer ball. Teams are quickly delineated and a competition ensues until the ball owner has to leave.  Someone may show up with something to eat and share with the others. But mostly, they just hang on the streets, waiting for something interesting to break.

Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah Valley

Middlebrook, VA

Spring 2016

Contrasts

Contrasts
Carpenter's Point, MD
Fall 2016


I spent some time in my yard today and just looked at the contrast from a few months ago when everything was in bloom and bursting with color and life. 

Today it is brown, lifeless and cold. I went inside and started a fire and marveled at the flames as they burst though the wood with color and life and heated up the room.

March 2017

March 2017

• 
  
• March 1- Alaska- I am here with my nephew, Clay Kelly. We spent the afternoon at the Seven Glacier resort and the evening at the Anchorage Curling club.
• March 2- Alaska- today we went dog sledding. As we are sledding, another dog sled approaches us head-on and nearly crashed in to us.In the evening, we went to a play.
• March 3- Alaska- we went ice fishing and it was cold.
• March 4- Alaska- we watched the running of the Reindeers.
• March 5- Alaska- we roamed around Anchorage all day. We had a red eye flight back to Virginia. Movies- The Great Wall (this was Clay's pick and it was not as bad as I thought it would be).
• March 6- Virginia- I spent the day in Virginia, recovering from our trip.
• March 7- home; I miss Clay.  He was good company.
  
• March 8- MD- my garden is starting to bloom.  I feel optimistic.
• March 9 - PA- Went to my Investment Club meeting.  We made $16,00 since January.
• March 10- PA- spent the night at Tricia's house because my car was making a new sound.
• March 11- PA- went car shopping in the morning.  I think it's time for a new car even though I only have 24,300 miles on it.  I went with Sharon and Glenn to an Irish show at the Anneberg Center in the evening.
• March 12- PA- spent the day in the city.  We roamed around the Italian Market.
• March 13- PA- picked up my new car, a Honda Civic.  Spent the night at the Descano' house.
• March 14- PA- we had a blizzard last night and I am going nowhere today.
• March 15- DE- finally was able to get out of the driveway after the big storm. I went to the the movies-  I'm not Your Negro.
• March 16- PA- sold my old Honda Element for $1200.  It had 243,811 miles on it.
• March 17- PA- celebrated St. Patrick's Day with Kathy Bandos and her mother.  We went to a local bar to hear her brother play Irish music.
• March 18- PA- Spent the afternoon apartment hunting.  I am going to sell my house and downsize to a one bedroom apartment. Dinner with the Anderkos.
• March 19-  MD- it's a gorgeous day today. Spring is here.
• March 20- PA- spend the night at Jimmy's house.
• March 21- Spent the day with Darcy Chamberlain.  She moved to her new house.
• March 22- PA- took Darcy to NYC for her cancer treatment at the Sloane Cancer Center.  Being around hundreds of people with cancer was humbling. Why am I so lucky?  Had dinner with the Frantzs.
• March 23- PA- lunch with Kathy Bandos and then I went off to see a boring movie (Keido) about feral cats in Turkey.
• March 24- MD- started my road trip to Plains, GA to meet the Carters. Drove for 8 hours.
• March 25- GA- made it to Atlanta, GA to visit with my cousin, Pam.
• March 26- GA- Pam and I drove to Jimmy Carter's church in Plains, GA and we met the Carters.  It was thrilling.
• March 27- GA- went to the Carter Center this afternoon.
• March 28- MD- headed home. Drove for 9 hours. Listened to Carrie Fischer's audiobook along the way.
• March 29- MD- came home to a dead refrigerator.  All of my food is ruined.
• March 30-  PA- movies: A Sense of Ending.
• March 31- MD a day of intense rain.  I spent the afternoon in the library with its metal roof.  The pounding of the rain was deafening at times.