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While my sister was here
Mar. 18th, 2025 08:25 amArthur and I stopped being legally married about three weeks ago now, but I kept wearing my wedding ring until I had a chance to do a (one minute) formal taking-it-off-my-finger ceremony with my closest relatives.
On Friday (baby shower eve), my sister, Flo, B(behind the camera) and I gathered under a tree in their yard, and did the thing.
My sister is not actually that much taller than I am. I think she was standing on a tree root at the time.
Back in its original box, which also prompted a brief thought of Arthur's late father, who sold us the rings in 1980, when he was managing that store.
Also on Friday afternoon, we went to visit Rockridge retirement community in Northampton. My sister has done many tours of continuing care places, so I thought doing it with her as the expert might be helpful. This turned out to be not much like the ones she has been seeing, but for such a place, it probably would be good enough for me if I really could no longer live at home. I picked it somewhat at random from the web, being a 20 minute drive from Flo, next to some conservation land, not far from a nice food coop. They have a ten-year wait for the largest of the residences, so I will probably fill out the extensive application to be on the waiting list, give them the down payment, and then stop thinking about it. In this case largest is not very large - all of their units (there are four categories, I think) are based on only one bedroom, but at this level there is a "den" (which seems to mean a room without a closet plus a door that opens to the outdoors) and there is some more storage in that one.
https://rockridgema.org/
Saturday - baby shower, hanging out, driving back towards home. My sister is a Costco member, so we stopped at the one in Waltham by 128 so I could see if there was anything I needed and she could be a tourist to see how it compares to the ones she is used to. I bought some walnuts, lentils, and frozen spring rolls. She found the layout different and bigger than her usual, and was most surprised that they have a covered parking garage in addition to the parking lot. Slightly less sprawl for parking, I guess. She was also surprised at the diversity of Asian foods, but I wasn't.
I exclaimed "This is America!" The shopping population included all skin colors, many languages.
Sunday I skipped ringing, because the timing just didn't work out and I was glad not to be in Boston on St Patrick's parade day anyway. She is a very DIY sort of person and I live alone, so I had a list of things she could help with. She got the stuck shelf on the built-in bookcase unstuck. We fiddled with the garage door opener on what used to be Arthur's side of the garage. We moved the electric snow blower back into its box in the basement. Stuff like that. Then I took her around the Minute Man (sic) National Historical park. Some walking, some driving. Buzzed through Concord on the way to the Old North Bridge section, pointing out the window at famous author homes.
Home for pasta, a short appearance on the family Zoom to wish happy birthday to Arthur's brother, relatively early to bed because
Monday 4 AM wake-up to get her to the airport in time for her early flight. This meant that I was driving in the dark in the rain. I took highways to the airport and was so stressed that I chose a different route home that was a little bit highway and mostly local streets. I was much happier driving 30 mph like everyone else rather than being one of the slowest people on highways, sometimes barely able to see the lane lines. Maybe if such a situation happens again I'll just buy a visitor a trip in a Lyft.
On Friday (baby shower eve), my sister, Flo, B(behind the camera) and I gathered under a tree in their yard, and did the thing.
My sister is not actually that much taller than I am. I think she was standing on a tree root at the time.
Back in its original box, which also prompted a brief thought of Arthur's late father, who sold us the rings in 1980, when he was managing that store.
Also on Friday afternoon, we went to visit Rockridge retirement community in Northampton. My sister has done many tours of continuing care places, so I thought doing it with her as the expert might be helpful. This turned out to be not much like the ones she has been seeing, but for such a place, it probably would be good enough for me if I really could no longer live at home. I picked it somewhat at random from the web, being a 20 minute drive from Flo, next to some conservation land, not far from a nice food coop. They have a ten-year wait for the largest of the residences, so I will probably fill out the extensive application to be on the waiting list, give them the down payment, and then stop thinking about it. In this case largest is not very large - all of their units (there are four categories, I think) are based on only one bedroom, but at this level there is a "den" (which seems to mean a room without a closet plus a door that opens to the outdoors) and there is some more storage in that one.
https://rockridgema.org/
Saturday - baby shower, hanging out, driving back towards home. My sister is a Costco member, so we stopped at the one in Waltham by 128 so I could see if there was anything I needed and she could be a tourist to see how it compares to the ones she is used to. I bought some walnuts, lentils, and frozen spring rolls. She found the layout different and bigger than her usual, and was most surprised that they have a covered parking garage in addition to the parking lot. Slightly less sprawl for parking, I guess. She was also surprised at the diversity of Asian foods, but I wasn't.
I exclaimed "This is America!" The shopping population included all skin colors, many languages.
Sunday I skipped ringing, because the timing just didn't work out and I was glad not to be in Boston on St Patrick's parade day anyway. She is a very DIY sort of person and I live alone, so I had a list of things she could help with. She got the stuck shelf on the built-in bookcase unstuck. We fiddled with the garage door opener on what used to be Arthur's side of the garage. We moved the electric snow blower back into its box in the basement. Stuff like that. Then I took her around the Minute Man (sic) National Historical park. Some walking, some driving. Buzzed through Concord on the way to the Old North Bridge section, pointing out the window at famous author homes.
Home for pasta, a short appearance on the family Zoom to wish happy birthday to Arthur's brother, relatively early to bed because
Monday 4 AM wake-up to get her to the airport in time for her early flight. This meant that I was driving in the dark in the rain. I took highways to the airport and was so stressed that I chose a different route home that was a little bit highway and mostly local streets. I was much happier driving 30 mph like everyone else rather than being one of the slowest people on highways, sometimes barely able to see the lane lines. Maybe if such a situation happens again I'll just buy a visitor a trip in a Lyft.
