Today was Maries Celebration of Life..   It was a touch day. with lots of tears.. and some great laughs.   We started at the house with a bunch of Maries friends and family getting ready.. we were practicing  a song Marie liked

Around 3ish we headed up to the Barn in Underhill to help with set up. We were doing the broadcast , audio and recording. It was a beautiful place.. Mostly set up for weddings.. iMarie wanted folks to wear bright clothes and celebrate.. .. it was a good setting for that.

There was a wonderful slide show running with music that Marie had composed.. it was beautiful.. and very sad to watch.. Mari was such  a wonderful  and active woman..

Around 5 Nina, the Chaplin from the Hospice called us to order.. and gave a nice introduction

Then Maries brother Nate gave a truly wonderful tribute to his sister. it was moving and funny,, . really beutiful

then Nate and his girlfriend Syd led us in singing Cold Play’s ‘yellow” .. a song that Marie really liked

Nina closed the service.. then we all gathered to talk and remember Marie

After the gathering about 40 of Maries friends and family gathered over our house for more stories.. and watching movies with Marie, Nate.. and some of of Sam

It was a long hard day.. lots of tears and some good laughs. I think it was just what Marie wanted..

nite all, nite sam

-me

Still on the plane home

Wow.. I’m now caught up on blogging.. .. with about 300 pictures to show for it.

I woke today and took a nice run down to the belvedere palace. It was like stepping back again to 1979.. it looked exactly the same as it did back then !

I got back to Grafstarhmergasse with just enough time to record a talk I had promised to do for UNAM university in Mexico City. It was planned for tomorrow.. but Marie’s Celebration Of Life is tomorrow.. so I recorded it today>>

At noon Kerin came and got me and drove me to the airport.. .. The end of such a great trip..

My heart is full .. Thank you Wien.. hope to see you again soon !

Nite all, nite sam

–me

Selem and I had a quick breakfast then waited for Karen to come down to pick us up. We all piled in her van and headed to the family 2nd home in the tiny town of Meisenbach in Neider Osterreih. .. I love that place.. its where Frau Erol had grown up .. its there I met her parents.. where my elder chosen where made .. and where we’ve visited many times over the years.   .. The house is an old sawmill.. .. such great memories being here . Murat came down to meet us.. So great seeing him too !

I definetly  missed Frau and Herr Erol

I got the cooks tour of the sawmill.. Murat actually got it working a few year ago.. t it was powered by a water driven electric turbine.he current saw, turbine and motors all date from the 50’s ..

after that we drove up to the cemetery where Frau Erol. Here carol and their son Ali who died many years ago are buried.. Frau erols parents are there too. I’ve been here before it’s such  beautiful and peaceful place !

From tehre we grabbed a delicios lunch at a nearby gasthaus then Karin and I headed back up to Wien
First order of busienss in Wien was to get another covid test so I could come back to the US..  >> They’re free for Austrian citizens.. but defiernly not free for visitors.. still.. was a fun adventure

When I got back to Graf Starhembergasse, Osmin the oldest brother came by. it was so great seeing him !. We all sat down and watched Karen an’s daughter Seems play in a championship hockey game against Germany. This is Slmas chance to qualify for the Olympics (!!!!).. both she and her sister Lene are champion goals. Austria was definitely the underdog here.. but they won.. not just won.. but it was a shut out !>. all thanks to Selma.. It was so exciting (and I’m not a sports guy .. as many folks know). It was a great night!!!
Nite all, nite sam

-me

I woke up refreshed and when out for a quick run around Baden..

Then we headed to Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt  where Selim is the Department head of Industrial Engineering. We were there for the opening event of their very beautiful Makerspace .. you can read about the event here https://innolab.fhwn.ac.at

It was so much fun seeign Salim in his element and seeing this amazing shop. The eventareted around 2. I gave the keynote around 5.. My talk went well.. (though a bit long as always :-). I wa very happy to be there to support Selim!
After the event Selim, Kenr *she’d driven down from Wien) and their friends Chris and Andy when to a wonderful Heurigen (wine bar) in Baden.. I got to relive all my favorite Austrian air foods.. Liptauer *paprika cheese spread) > Gebakene Emantaller (fried cheese)  .pefferoni (peppers) and a ton of other stuff. Yummmmm !

Slept well again .. always do after I’ve gotten a talk out of the way 🙂

niter all. nite sam

-me