Days 32-37--We were able to spend a long weekend with our son, Matt, and his wife, Pam, at their home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
More than a year ago they moved from Chicago, where Pam did post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago, to Cleveland Heights so that she could join the biology faculty of John Carroll University. Matt, a graphic designer who specializes in web design, is able to work from his sun-porch home office in their nearly century-old home. They are carving out a wonderful life in their new area.
If you look closely at the photo, you will see the other inhabitants of the home: three orange tabby kittens (siblings) named Koji, Bogaerts, and Fizzgig. Can you tell Matt is a Red Sox fan? The kittens are energetic, engaging, curious, affectionate, and often mischievous. Sometimes they keep Matt from getting work done on his projects.
On Saturday we drove out to Cuyahoga National Park, just a half hour from their home. It was a quintessential fall day--blue sky, warm sun, and cool breezes. We hiked to four waterfalls, explored some of the locks on the Erie Canal, walked through a covered bridge, and watched as the Cuyahoga Valley train stopped to unload dozens of bikes and bikers.
On Sunday we joined in worship with the congregation of a local Presbyterian church, which has an outstanding choir and organ. A trip to Pesti's in Little Italy for some European pastries with lots of whipped cream rounded out the afternoon.
Because we will not be with Matt on his upcoming 40th birthday in November, we celebrated with him in several ways. We gave him a coffee-table book we had created about his 40 years. We gave him 40 bottles of craft beers, each from a city in which he had either lived or visited on various travels. We also gave him and Pam 240 Dutch bulbs, both tulips and daffodils.
The deal was that we would also plant the bulbs in their yard. A nice idea, right? But after two days of fighting our way through tree roots, entrenched weeds, and pachysandra beds, we finally finished the task. Somehow it had seemed so tame when the brightly colored tulips on the bags attracted us in the store. But it will all be worth it when the flowers emerge in the spring (we hope). That is, if they survive the deer and the squirrels.
In addition to the European pastries (did I mention that they included a lot of whipped cream?), we had several other food experiences, including a trip to Melt, a restaurant that has been featured on both Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, both on the Food Network. We even tried the seasonal clambake sandwich, which arrived at our table at four inches high. It was one of the best things we ever ate.
One afternoon we visited Olivia, one of Alisa's childhood friends, and her daughter, Sophie. The law firm for which Olivia works graciously allows her to work a few hours from her home office, while she spends most of her time caring for Sophie. Olivia's husband, Dan, serves as the missions pastor at a large church near their home.
Alisa and Olivia have known each other since second grade, and it is always fun to enjoy the many memories the girls shared. Sophie is following in her mom's footsteps in many ways. She loves books. She is bright, sweet, and engaging. And she loves monkeys.
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