A few weeks ago I wrote about going to Bob and Pam’s wedding. Bob’s the guy that received one of Sam’s kidneys when he died. Bob connected with us when he saw me put a a Samstone in the water filter in the first season of The Colony

The wedding was great.. and we felt honored and welcome to be there..by Bob Pam and both of their families That was back on July 23rd.. Today Bob and Pam drove up from Rutland to visit us and see where Sam had lived. 

They showed up just around lunchtime so I knocked off work.. and we spent about 3 hours talking about Sam, Bob and Pam’s past .. including Bob’s battle with kidney disease hat nearly killed him .. and all of our lives since Sam died.. and Bob got a new lease on life.

Their visit was really wonderful.. both Pam and Bob are great people.. They both spoke openly about how grateful they were for Sam and the life he gave Bob.  They had great compassion for our loss as well

I was really happy that Gabe and Max were here to meet Bob and Pam, Both of them hung out and talked. I wonder how it felt to them.  

It’s hard to describe what it was like for me having part of Sam still living

inside Bob.. and being in our house. In some ways i didn’t feel like I

thought it might.. A piece of Sam was here.. but it wasn’t Sam.. Sam to

me is all around me.. not in his organs.. .. I felt more happy for Bob

than I did sad for us… or freaked out..  .. and.. I didn’t expect it… I just felt connected..

Aroun 3L30 they headed south.. first to Rutland.. and then back down to Florida where they live.. I hope to see them again before too long..

Here we are just before they left.. (Thanks to Jack for taking the picture !) 

We did a great family party for dad yesterday. Today we all spent

chilling at my folks house.. Not much going on.. just trying to catch

up with our siblings and their kids..

Our one big task today was to get a set of family pictures.. Which we did with the help of my foks neighbor, Steve.. It was quite a feat getting everyone to stand still for 30 seconds.

I held a Samstone up to keep Sam in the picture. .

We always take a joke picture with an underbite.. we call it ‘the teeth’ ..

Here’s the assemblage from the rear.

We also got some nice shots of the families..

The rest of the day we all passed the time with Max’s new gist to Gabe.. a throwing knife.. It’s unbelievably fun and dangerous.. It was impossible to resist.

Turns out that Grandpa is a pretty good shot !

We spent the rest of the day hanging out.. The kids got to spend some time together which was really nice.

Then around 6 we hit the road.. It was an uneventful trip back.. except that we ran into our Vermont friends. Reese. Didi and family somewhere in the wilds of New Hampshire.. completely by accident .. It’s a samll world.. or at least a small set of states.

OK.. time for bed.. One last Happy Birthday shout out to my Pa.. Happy birtday Dad.. we all love you !

Nirte all.. nite Sam

-me

Today we celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday..   his real birthday isn’t until tomorrow.. but today was the big shindig..

Diane and and I began the day by lying in the parking lot and looking up at the sky whi;e the kids slept..

Diane and I headed over to my folks and let the boys sleep in a little.. we went back and got them around 10.. we picked up my dads cake on the way back.. it was good that we were able to find a cake with my dads picure.. it was the last one they had.. (haha)

The day was basically unpunctuated meal.. we began with lox and bagels.. and kept noshing all day..

We also did some very nice sitting around. Te weather was perfect for sitting outside.

late afternoon we finally ventured out of the house. Our mission was to find two nearby geocaches. we had never done geocaching.. but.. many samstones end  up in caches.. I thought it was fun to do it ourselves.. we followed our gps to the first cache site near the playground..

Gabe found the first cache. It was in a hole in a large tree.

It was full of a bunch of plastic toys. We added a samstone and a sam pin..

Max updatesd the log.. then we put it all back together.

Then on to the next cache.. with gabe driving.

Chris found this one

again.. we put a samstone in there.i also left 2000 costa rican colones. . and we took a small plastic shark.

Then we zoomed home.. it was time for birthday dinner. My mom showed up with the food.. beutiful sushi.. around 6:30

We got ready.. then went up and got the birthday boy.

We all held hands bfore eating all 18 of us.. actually 19 of us.. my dad and I held a samstone..

We made toasts to dad.. many of us spoke.. he is much loved…

then… we dug in. there was fish flying everywhere..

Once most of the sushi was gone.. it was time for cake..

Then cards.. I can’t draw.. so I made mine blink.

Dad loved all the cards..

Billy drew this !

Shaun found dad a cool book about his home town.. his grandfather and uncle were mentioned in the book

Berto found dad a cool hat

and Mary took the lead in combining lots of our pictures into a great book for dad..

We went trhoguht he 100 page book a page at a time. .

Pictures from when my dad was a young kid

My dad proposing to my mom !

..

and as not so little kids..

Then came all of our families.. Lots of smiles and lots of tears.. The pictures of our family… and the ones of sam had us all crying.. he was so missed.. and so there at the same time..

Then Max broke out some ‘apple pie’ moonshine he’d brought up from Virginia. and we had a closing toast.. this stuff was GOOD !

I made soemthign for dad too.. when I was about 6 I took a small metal tin and glued construction paper on it.. and filled it with colorful scraps of paper.. he carried it for years.. He called it his ‘happy box’..   I decide.. what the heck.. it worked before.. so i made him another.. though this one was full of family pictures..   He liked it.

Then we all retired to the living room.. where max and billy serenaded us..

It has been a wonderful day. My dad loved it.. and we love him !
happy birthday dad
Nite all. Nite Sam.. we feel you near..
-me

Greetings from Sherborn Mass.  We’re all here to celibrate my Dd’s 80th (!) birthday..   We got down here around 6:30. Pa came down to greet us sporting a new beard.. I like it !..   .. Though it’s scratchy when you kiss him… (who am I to talk ? )

My brother (big)  Billy and  family were already here.. My sister Mary and her family arrived a little later… .. It’s goign to be a fun weekend.. lots of energy in this small house !

Let me introduce you to soem of the players… ..  Here’s (not big)  Billy..  

Chris

Ben

‘Berto

Betsy

Here are Mary’s kids.. .. Here’s Jake..

Ellery

and Theo !

Mom made a great enchilada dinner…

Then we spread out across the house and hung out..

I went and picked Max up at the train station aroun 12:30.. we went back to my folks and my mom fed him.. even though it was 1AM

It’s now about 2AM and we’re ata nearby hotel.. More on the birthday weekend tomorrow..
Nite all..   Nite Sam.. you’re on all of our minds..
-me