| I have just returned from eight days away with my family. That's always a delight, but after spending so much time holed up here at home, it was a special joy. Family time began when Renana arrived here two weeks ago. She drove to Chicago from DC and spent several days visiting with friends and hanging out with me. We had Shabbat dinner out in the back yard together with Avi and my next-door neighbor, Rich Moline, whose wife Joni was in the hospital recovering from surgery. Then last Wednesday Renana and I drove as far as Kent, Ohio, and stayed over at an Airbnb. The next day we drove on to Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Pennsylvania. The house itself was not open due to the virus, but the very extensive grounds were, and we spent an hour walking around and taking pictures. Then we got back on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and drove the rest of the way to the house that I had rented for the weekend, near Shrewsbury. This was the sixth time we have arranged to spend a long summer weekend together. It already feels like a fixture in our lives, something you measure time against. My grandchildren are so much older and more accomplished every year, and you can imagine the pleasure that I take in that. I am thankful for many things, but most of all I am glad to have a family that enjoys spending time together. We can talk for hours and learn from each other, and the kids play well together. A particular highlight this year was a long walk (Andrew: "reconnoitre") around the property that ended with wading in the creek and an uproarious game of hide and seek. This was our second year renting this house, and we may come back again next year. There is so much to do in and around the house, that we hardly need to go out. On Sunday when we all left, I went to DC with Renana and spent the next two days at Deena and Andrew's house, where the kids were starting school over Zoom. Then on Tuesday I took the train to Philadelphia and spent the last two days of my tour with Tamar, Jesse, Adira, and Ronia. We visited a beautiful park on the West Bank of the Schuykill called Bartram's Gardens which has become a favorite spot during this time when some much is closed. Finally, I flew home, and here I am, back at my dining-room table. |
| Created on 20 August 2020 by Samuel Ethan Fox |
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| Home safe Deena Fox |
| Glad you got home safe! We all had a lovely time and look forward to next year. |