Nice day, aside from the lousy weather; it rained on and off and the rest of the time, was gloomy.
Left about 10:15 and got to Cherry Hill by noon. It was easy on the main roads, but I got a little mixed up within the development where my sister-in-law lives with her daughter and family. No real prob, though, and she was happy to see me, as I was her.
Regina is 87 and has some vision issues ("issues!!" Aagh!), but is generally okay and her mind is certainly as sharp as ever. She showed me around the good-sized house and her own comfortable suite, then we left for lunch.
Regina had directions to a particular restaurant, but we didn't find it, so went to a neighborhood joint. We both had grilled cheese and, much more satisfying, a good, long talk.
I drove her home, we said goodbye, then I made my way two miles farther to Margaret and Irene Fitzsimmons'es house. M. is about two years older than I am and I. is three years younger, but somehow, seems the older of the two. She's very tall--at least six foot--and large-boned; plus, she uses a walker and cane. This may be the result of some medical procedures--didn't quite follow--but seems to be largely idiopathic. Irene talked the most as we chatted, although M. was comfortably "there." Both the sisters have pure-white hair, and it's hard to see the five-year difference in age.
Tom, their surviving brother, is retired, and lives in Sea Isle. I told the F.'s that he had been Regina's pastor at Lady On The Lake parish in--Folsom? Buena Vista? Don't recall.
I stayed a bit more than an hour and, of course, we reminisced about this one and that. Margaret and I have more acquaintances in common, as she graduated from St. James and Holy Spirit with my brother, Frank, and Irene went to a different high school after the family moved north.
Before leaving, I proposed that when the two of them, Betty, and I meet for lunch, it be at my house, and they were happy with that. I'll call them when I arrange a date.
Called Betty to tell her all this and had a good talk with her, too. I stir-fired the bok choy from the farm with onions and garlic and had it for dinner--yum. My friend called and asked me to be at her place about 4:30, after which we'll go to the farm and pick.
WIDER: My friend, Pat, has a friend named Steve, who is the subject of this article:
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/antiwar-protester-norfolk-gets-8-months-prison
He is also the subject of Pat's blog entry of yesterday, which includes a message from him:
http://wellington.typepad.com/blog/2014/05/wednesday-2.html#comments
It's lengthy, but every word is worth reading. I commented and asked Pat to direct my comment to him. Here is a religious person who lives his faith, rather than attending mass on Sunday and blindly following the militarism embraced by church and state the rest of the week. Jim, I think you, in particular, might be interested in this.
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