Today is Memorial day.. and I was moved by many of the stories I heard on the radio about people who’d lost their lives in defending this country.. and the people who loved them…  My thoughts go out to all the  folks out there who’ve lost a loved one in the service of the country..

The day was also moving in a more literal way.. today we moved Gabe out of his old apartment and in to his new one. . THe day started a little rough when the secpnd rental company called to tell us that they didn’t have a truck for us ..   thsi after one other company did the same thing to us yesterday !

THey finally came through though.. and we got our truck.. just a bit later than planned. That gave us a few extra minutes to hang out wiht my aunt sis and unlce phil and daughter judy (like the jetsons !_)  I apologize for muy iphoen camera.. it’s pretty shot.. getting a new oen tomorrow I hope

my mom and her sister Sis

 

from ther ewe picked up the truck and headed to Gabes old place to pick up his stuff.. It took the better part of the afternoon to do.. Here

s my mom and Gabe

 

luckily we had Ian and Luke helping us with the move 

 

we then drove the loaded truck to Gabes new place.. we fit by about 2 inches !

 

his bedroom is a 3rd floor attic.. fun moving furnitre up tot that (not !) 

pizza break for the movers !

 

here’s the house

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heres gabes room !

 

dropped ma off at her bus at around 4 / she had a good visit .. I was glasd she wwas here fdo rthe Sam gathering.

ok.. gotta wake up at 4AM.. so signing off now.. Nite all. nite sam

-me

 

 

 

Today our Sam would have turned 25.. that subjunctive.. ‘would have’/ sticks in my throat. I  woke up cryign this morning.. missing Sam.. THat hadn’t happened in a long time. i lay in bed listening to music that reminded me of Sam and thought about him.. I brought back memories ofd how he looked sounded.. the way he talked It was hard and comforting at the same time..

My first step upon waking was to take a walk outside and take a picture of the new ’25’ thats been painted on the road in front of our house.. I know its the speed limit.. but it was fun to have that there  on this, his 25th birthaday/

 

 

sam is still all over our house and our lives.

here’s the banner I made to celibrate his birth.. it still hangs in our tower.

 

o spent lots of tiem today looking at pictures of sam.. and thinking of his wonderfully fun., generous and mischievous. spirit

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we went ofr a run .. and on the way back went by teh qunnns garage sale.. Barb gave us this picture of our family.. ..

more tears,

 

we cam home and got to work prepping for the party. .. 

aournd 3 we all met for a hot and buggy walk up bolton. we do it every  birthday and every  deathday. of Sams . that makes it 19 times.  THis tiem my mom join ded us.. quite a feet for an 83 year old.. i was proud of her for making it up and down the mountain.

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as we hiked we rant into these other guys who were driving RC cars up and down the mountain  to raise money and awareness for the march of dimes.. . THis guy had been awake for 36 hours and was shooting for 52 hours. of solid driving..  

 

the hike up was slow and buggy.. the dogs got in the water perhaps to get a break from the bugs. 

 

despite the heat.. there was still a bit of snow..

here

s the cerimpnial pciture we always take at the lodge.

 

 

and the red bull toast we always do 

 

then gabe and i made a quick climb up the rickety fire tower. \\\

 

 

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as is our custom, we launched a three ball  mortar shot from the top of the tower.

 

 

here’s silas.. holding some of the ashes from our friend Pucket who died a year and a half ago..

 

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we walked down and got home around 6.. son after people  startetd filtereing in. 

 

tiem for anouther red bull toast. .. sam

s favorite !

 

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we all tossed our cups into my brand new washer tub fire placew 

 

chai was thristy..

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later on we sta down to make samstones.. ere are soem of the more interesting ones we’ve made, resagular, iron. glass, onnes that have been shot into space.. even a 3d printed one woith an NFC chip inside. \

 

time to make more stones !\\\\

 

avery claled in from Oregan !

 

people had all filtered back out by 10.. cleaning is down now.. and I’m sitting here thinking of the long day … and appreciateng all our freinds that are here to support us..

 

Ok Sam.. I miss you so much my son.. so many good people out there keep your memory very much alive.

I love you Spamus..

nite all. nite sam

-me

 

 

I miss

Just back from a great music and beer  festival afternoon.

 

Tte rest of the day was sweet and slow paced. My mom and I went and checked out one radish. the cafe that is where ‘on the rise’ used to be.. It was really, really nice. They still have the satmsone in the chimney that ben and Rachel put there so many years ago.

 

net door the quinns started their egarage sale to clear out pat and jenets house. It’s apart of the prcoess.. of processign that both of htem have died.. it was so great seeig all the stuff that was there..

 

soem of it was our kids.. that had been generously stored in their garage over the years. 

 

some of it was just pure fun.. lie the dress up duck.. with a custume for every holiday and season

 

y favorite was the christmas corner.

 

i got a great plastic steak ( you can never have enough plastic steaks)

 

and . barb presented me with two of Janets saltshakers.. ! they look like me !

 

here are all the sisters plus Jim…

bother Mike was at work.

 

The rest of the day was just cutting the grass an workig around the house.   Aroudn 3 my mom and i headed over to teh fstival in SHelbourne .

 

Deb’s Douglas Sweets is lucky enough to be in a collection of buildigns that include beer makers, spirit makers. tortilla makers, choclate makers.. and of course delicious shortbread..   THey had a really, really fantastic grateful dead cover band.

 

it was SO great hearing them.. by  the  end of the 3 and a half our gig my smile muscles hurt from smiling !

 

 

 

julia, hannah, gabe and ian were sellign strawberry shortcake tot he hungry and intoxicated people . \

 

diane, deb and my mom looked on drom Deb’s cafe/factory

=

 

what a great, great day !

 

ok. time for slepp. more tomorrow..

tomorrw woud hacve been Sam’s 25th.. WoW.. thats big..

 

note all, nite sam

-me

Just home from Middlebury VT. My mom is up for a surprise visit . We have two cousins from different sides of the family graduating from Middlebury college tomorrow. We met up with both of their families. First a nice dinner with Ethan, Jon, Jean and jeans family and Ethan s friend Adam

Then a nice quick meet up with Emma and her family including my cousin Peter his wife Allison , my cousin Judy and my aunt sis and uncle Phil . And a bunch of allisand family .We had time for a quick drink (though I didn’t have one . I was the DD)

Not CE seeing all of them

Then the hour drive home . I took my mom to visit the time cycle which is rusting in the markowski’s field

Ok.. super sleepy. More tomorrow

Nite all, nite sam
-me

It was good hanging out with my mom on the drive. She kept me awake