Had a delightful day with niece Joan, her husband, Jim, and Betty yesterday. They didn't get to Ventnor (from New Palz, NY) until about noon and I got there about 1:30. We went around the corner to a little restaurant for lunch where I had my usual C.s. with c., but J. and J. had oriental salad with wonderful tuna tartare; wish I had ordered that. It featured strips of fresh tuna just barely seared on the outside, and essentially raw on the inside. I had this as an entree in Hawaii, and oh, mama--so good!
We then walked on the boardwalk about a mile out and a mile back, talking warmly all the way. After another hour of family chat (and a strange, perfume-scented--I swear--ale), I started home. Betty had thought Joan and Jim would stay over, but they had someone coming the next day, so they didn't. They have their condo up for sale, as they want to live nearer to Jim's work in Bergen County (NJ). I was pleased to hear they made plans to go with Alison and Mike in October for a hike in the mountains in New York state or Vermont, can't recall which.
Got an interesting e-mail from niece-in-law Robyn, who had some very intelligent and provocative things to write concerning my blog yesterday about WW II. I think she's spot-on (as the Brits say), and I'll write her back to that effect. Most people think of WW II as the "good war" in human memory, but Robyn raised the question whether it was not, at base, also about money and acquisition. She has a real point and I think I'll look into the history behind it. WW II was, of course, directly related to WW I. I took a course at history cum literature course at Rider on the latter and talk about your cynical sacrificing of young lives, that took the cake. The course introduced me to Wilfred Owen, whom I've mentioned on the blog before and who wrote some of the greatest pro-peace poetry ever. Look him up.
Robyn also asked me to finish my pedometer story--not sure what that was, though. I'm wearing the pedometer every day and, according to the numbers, walked 12,458 steps yesterday. (The ideal is 10,000, which is about four miles for most people.) However, I was told by Cris, our WW leader, that you shouldn't wear it in the car, as it will record the bumps and jolts as steps. Is this true? Haven't yet tested it. If it is true, what if you drive somewhere, then walk, as I often do? Geez, everything in life is so complicated...