Quarter Century Complete!

Had a fun weekend with parents visiting. Dad and Bonnie arrived Friday afternoon and joined us for Shabbat. We used a siddur compiled by Marcia Prager for services and I was overjoyed when I discovered the creative version of Ma'ariv Aravim that I learned from Daniel Siegel at the 2001 ALEPH Kallah. It's contained in his Siddur Kol Koreh that has been my primary prayer book since then, and I've only done this particular version once since then.

Anyway, now that everyone had it in hand, I led the prayer in the tune Daniel taught. I hadn't led much in services yet this season, and it was probably the first time I had an opportunity to lead a song to which no one else knew the tune. That was exciting!

Saturday afternoon after lunch, Dad, Bonnie, and I drove to visit Norfolk and Winsted, Connecticut. We stopped for a snack at Café 64 in Winsted, a quaint place with cool staff and good books on the shelf. We shared pesto and mozzarella on freschetta and veggie chili. Then we walked Main Street and back, probably at least a couple miles, and drove to Norfolk where we ate a delicious dinner at The Pub Station Place. I sat in the moose chair, which was very difficult to get in and out of with all those antler tips wanting to dig into my legs.

Upon our return to Freedman, all of Teva had disappeared. Fortunately, there was a note left on the board that folks should bring everything they need Sunday to Nili's, so I figured that's where everyone went. Did a couple chores on site and quickly packed a bag, and we went to Nili and Yosh's for the rest of the evening. Had stopped in Winsted and picked up some goodies to celebrate my birthday, so we brought them along to share. I gave Dad and Bonnie the quick tour of the house and they stayed to watch Annie Hall, which the crew was just starting when we arrived.

I said goodbye when they left, since the Sunday morning schedule wasn't conducive to their participation, nor convenient for their departure schedule. They enjoyed breakfast at Mountainside Café in Falls Village, just half a mile from Freedman, and I had a fun morning of breakfast and meeting and learning, not to mention the excitement of waking to a snow-covered landscape, at Nili's before we headed back to campus.

Spent a while of the afternoon after lunch trying to fill the hot tub, which was losing water fast. For now, finally, Stewart has hoses hooked up to the spigot at the main building to send water up. (The 4-gallon-bucket-to-30-gallon-trash-can-on-wheeled-cart-uphill-to-tub technique was exhausting and not worth repeating, so I brought a hose to a heated room to defrost for the night.) We're still waiting, though, for the hot tub company to come finish the work to hook up the pool house to the main water line for year-round filling purposes.

So, 25 years ago today, about an hour ago to be exact, I came out (of the womb). Thanks to Mom and Dad for having me! I received a spontaneous vocal celebration at lunch, care of Adamah, and we'll see whether I think of something special to request for this evening. Perhaps, though, we'll wait until I've survived my first two or three days of my second quarter before the wild and crazy fun begins.