valeriesbookofme

  It was difficult to pick a favorite trip. I have had so very many: I loved all of the “big” trips I took with Mercy: to Washington, DC, to Montreal, to Vancouver. It was wonderful showing her the sights, watching her learn and get excited. I loved being in Paris three years ago in October with Laurie and Mercy; 2019, just before COVID changed everything. That was fantastic. I loved the summer of 2009 when I spent a summer in England, staying in Somerset with Sheila but also taking loads of mini trips: to Edinburgh for the Gathering of the Clans, to Mallaig and Eigg for a hiking holiday, to Preston to see where my grandfather was born, to Cornwall/Penzance and, with Sheila, to Portugal.  But today I am thinking about my first trip to Europe, which was a three-week bus tour (starting and ending in London) through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France in August of 1975 (or it could have been 1976, I am slightly fuzzy on that.)  What made it great? ...

 It’s 9:43 am of a Sunday morning. R has gone off to the ward meeting, I went to church last night at St Stephen Episcopal. I enjoy church on Saturday, I feel close to God. Went for a walk this morning with Belle at Tompkins Park, where I used to take Mitzi. She still is way too excited on the leash and she gave a few barks when she saw dogs in the distance. But I think she is calming down. Hope so! I plan to do this regularly for the next while which will entail setting the alarm for 5:00 am to be at the park at 5:30. Cross fingers this will be a good thing for all concerned :) There are some political postings on Facebook about the Supreme Court striking down Roe. I believe strongly--for personal reasons--in a woman’s right to choose. Especially young, vulnerable women for whom that might be the very first time they are ALLOWED to choose. I like what my nephew’s wife posted: If every time men had sex, they risked death, physical disability, social shunning, a life altering interr...