Awake: 5:05am Temp 48 sleep 5+55 sunny overnight @
Navarre, Ohio
Drive to the Mark & Joan home to be there @ 7:00am. The plan is: Kathy
will hang out with Joan & Stephen this morning, & I will ride with Mark &
join the monthly rendezvous with his 3 brothers for breakfast. Today we
meet @ Ferraros Restaurant. Each month the next brother in line selects
the restaurant of his choice.
The brothers: Eldest to youngest: Linus, a successful & retired dairy
farmer; Bub, also a successful & retired technical shop teacher; Mark, he
too, had a very illustrious electrical engineering position & retired;
Don, a wizard computer programmer, did retire but was called out of
retirement to continue working on a special project. They all live within
45 min of each other.
I’ve know these guys for over 50 yrs so we have no difficulty in gabbing.
3.0 hrs later, we feel our table has been monopolized enough & it’s time
to move on. I just think it’s great the way these brothers keep in touch &
I was honored to be a part of it today.
En route back to Mark’s home, we stop & visit his father-in-law, Joan’s
dad. As we approach his house, we see him mowing the lawn using a riding
mower. His age: 96 & he is amazing. A long since retired clever machinist,
he has kept himself busy by making many amusing gadgets & devices that are
still being used today. His wife passed many yrs ago so he lives alone,
but his kids are nearby & often drop in for a visit just like we are doing
this morning. His kids also take turns having him to their homes or supper
and help him with some chores like laundry, house cleaning, etc. Inside
his home, the kitchen table only has space for one to eat at; otherwise
the table is cluttered with various tools & projects that he has been
working on. Likewise, the dining room table is also cluttered with tools &
projects. We return to the Mark & Joan home @ 11:30am.
Meanwhile, Joan, Kathy & 5 yr old Stephen haven’t been just sitting
around; they’ve been shopping @ (3) stores: “Once Upon a Child,” “Pat
Catan’s Craft Center,” & “The Yarn Shop.” They were all smiles as they
were carrying their spoils into the kitchen area.
During the afternoon, we all sit outside under the covered patio & gab
some more. Stephen was a little restless as the adult conversation dragged
on & on…He asked Joan if she could bring out the swing so “I can do
something besides being bored.” So Mark brought out the chains with the
swing seat attached & that entertained Stephen for nearly 15 min. Mark
pushed him & I pushed him….then I swung myself on this tall swing
apparatus setup. This was the first time in many yrs that I’ve done that.
Dinner @ 6:15pm in Massillon @ the Kozmo’s Grill (15 min drive). We drove
separate cars & Stephen rode with us in his transferable car seat. He’s a
good kid; very patient & cooperative for his age. K & I share a meat loaf
dinner with baked potato, carrots, gravy & salad. It was very good. We say
our goodnights & return to our bus while the Boron’s return to their home.
In the bus, we give Mark’s sister Judy a call but….no answer.
High temp=? Lights out: 11:05pm
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