Unveiling

Sorry I've been AWOL. For the last two weeks, I've been in South Jersey at my mom's house. My first week here, I helped prepare for and execute a massive yard sale - I basically cleared out the attic and parts of the basement, and we sold/gave away tons of stuff. Success! My second week here, I prepared for and executed a) a concert yesterday at the Friends Village (assisted living facility where Bubbe lives); b) Poppop's 89th birthday party (directly following the concert); and c) the Unveiling for my dad's monument (today). This entailed: 1) practicing a lot, as I haven't really played since dad died; 2) baking three batches of cookies, two batches of ice cream, two cakes, and grilling london broil, chicken, and salmon; 3) getting together a short service, which I led.

I also (in no particular order) did a lot of yardwork, ran various errands, spent time with family, booked airfare to Paris, found out I got a Fulbright for next year, possibly found an apartment in Paris, and enjoyed a day at the beach with my mom and cousin Jacob.

This hole got much deeper, but I can't prove it. Also, this picture was taken before I suffered a massive sunburn. This despite having put on sunscreen. Check out Jacob's cool shades!

Anyway, it's been a busy two weeks. Today was the culmination of it all - going to the cemetery for the first time since dad died, seeing the monument for the first time, saying goodbye all over again. It was easier, and it helped to be surrounded by lots of supportive friends and family - way more than is normal at an unveiling. I think Dad would have liked the memorial (simple but elegant) and the service (short, respectful, and mostly in Hebrew).

Dad, the stone I left on your monument is one I found in St. Geniez-d'Olt, France in July, 2004. It's been my lucky stone ever since - the one I've carried in my pocket every day (strange, I know). Today, I felt like it was the right time to leave it behind, with you.

I miss you.

Success!!!

I ought to have posted about this sooner, but in my excitement (and in a bustle of out-of-the-house activity) I completely forgot.

PANDA IS CURED!!!

Well, kind of. (You knew that was coming.) 

As of about two weeks ago, Panda is now capable of calmly enduring time at home by herself. The longest she's gone so far is almost 6 hours; we try to make sure she spends at least 2 hours a day alone. 

The breakthrough came when Maggie put somme of our dirty clothes on the other side of the front door. When we left, Panda could still smell us (as if we were right there in the stairwell), and was comfortable enough to pass out in front of the door. Since then, she's taken to sleeping on the futon - around the corner from the door. 

When we leave the clothes, she still whines and paces for a few minutes before she calms down. When we don't leave the clothes, she's just as anxious as she ever was - barking, howling, scratching at the door. We try to always leave the clothes.

Life is completely different now that Panda can be home alone. We can take leisurely trips to the supermarket; we can go out for dinner; I can check out books from various libraries on campus without having to make sure someone can watch Panda. FREEDOM!!! 

As much as I give Maggie credit for the clothes-at-door innovation, we both realize that Panda's anti-anxiety medication (doggie Prozac) had a lot to do with it. We'll keep her on the Prozac for at least a few more months until we're absolutely sure that she'll be calm without it - until we can leave, without clothes at the door, and elicit no more than a yawn from a contented, anxiety-free Panda.

Home Care

As you might know, dad could be a little . . . irrational . . . about certain things, like travel and personal hygiene. While I entertain none of the same anxiety about these aspects of life, I have adopted my dad's home care fixation. Every time someone drags a piece of furniture across my hardwood floors, I cringe - even though I've preempted such negligence by attaching felt to the bottom of every chair, couch, futon, table, and nightstand leg. Every time I look at the inside of the bathroom door, my stomach drops a little. (At the height of her separation anxiety, we misguidedly left Panda in the bathroom, thinking she could do little damage. She tried her hardest to get to us, making toothpicks out of that door. Sigh.) And even though I've tried to accept the necessity of putting holes in the wall to hang pictures and kitchen utensil-holding peg boards, it still pains me to do it.

So it is with my dad's (and now my) neurosis in mind that I proudly post the following pictures of the condo, which I think we've kept in pretty good shape. Thanks, dad, for teaching me the value of proper (better than proper: near-obsessive) home care.

(The pictures are intended to entice a subletter for next year, when we'll be in Paris. If you know anyone who needs a place for next academic year, let me know!!)

Garden

We've been hard at work on the front yard the last few weekends, and I'm happy to announce that the 17 Conwell St. Community Garden Project is underway! Here's a list of the veggies we've planted:

Tomatoes (cherry and beefsteak)

Peppers

Squash

Zucchini

Broccoli

Lettuce

Peas

And we have lots of flowers and herbs and a few perennials, too! Check in every once in a while for updated pictures as the garden grows, and grows, and grows . . .

Sailing with Devens

For more than a year now, I've been traipsing all around Boston with the little brother I always wanted but never had (thanks, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Massachusetts!). His name is Devens, he's 11, and he lives with his mom and five brothers in Dorchester. Together, we've been to the Institute for Contemporary Art, Red Sox games, Franklin Park, the Boston Public Library, the Science Museum, the Children's Museum, bowling (at King's and at Sacco's, which is candle pin bowling - so cool). We've baked cookies and we've cooked matzoh ball soup. We took Panda to the dog park once, which Devens particularly enjoyed. And on Sunday, we trekked through the North End on our way to the Boston Sailing Center, where we enjoyed a free sailboat cruise in the Boston Harbor.  

Sure, we had to wait about an hour and a half to board, and sure, it was hot. But once we were out on the water, all was right with the world. Devens - who refused to appear on camera while we were on land - was soaking in all the new terms and techniques we were using. 

Devens even got to steer the ship!

I think the Boston Sailing Center does this "open house" once a year. Devens and I highly recommend checking it out!

The 23rd of any month...

Dad is in the middle, behind the first row of people, covering his face with his hand. I'm pretty sure he was playing peek-a-boo, which was maybe his favorite game, no matter how old the other person involved. 

So today is tough in a few ways. April 23rd is my parents' wedding anniversary; they would have been married 26 years. And today also makes eight months since dad's been gone. (Even figuring out what euphemism to use is a painful exercise.) 

It's nice to take a moment to remember. 

Maggie's in China

As of yesterday morning, Maggie is accompanying a study tour of teachers to China as part of her duties at Primary Source. She'll be keeping a blog of the experience, and she should be updating every day. You can follow along at http://chinastudytour-april2009.blogspot.com/ - but only until April 25th, when Maggie's China adventure comes to an end, and she returns home to me and Panda.