Cousin Memorial in New England

Last year we heard that our oldest cousin unexpectedly passed away after dealing with a new cancer diagnosis. She has just started chemotherapy and apparently died from a pulmonary embolism at home. I had just spoken to her at great length the day before. It was quite a shock. At the time there was no mention of funeral arrangements due to Covid. After a while it was determined that a get together memorial this summer would be nice. In the mean time, her husband, daughter and grand daughter set up a fund at Tufts University where she attended college. Two weeks ago we took a road trip to New England. Another cousin had called and asked if we would like to stay in her inherited family’s side by side home that she has since renovated and rents - she happened to be in between renters on one side. So we agreed and were happy to be on our way. We hadn’t been out of the state for three years and were anxious to get back to a routine of sorts even thought the reason for the travel was not exactly a happy one. But at least we would have the opportunity to see some familiar faces. We hadn’t been to New England since my parents surprise fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1998 - which happened to be at my cousin’s house. She was my mom’s flower girl. We had a lovely time visiting with everyone at the memorial “picnic.” On the way out we were given a plant in Judi’s memory. It now sits above the tv along with the other plants. Now I’ll think of her even more every time I look at it. 

A Memorial to my Cousin

My oldest cousin passed away very unexpectedly a year ago. I always admired her. She was the oldest out of sixteen cousins in our family. We moved away from New England when I was in second grade so we didn’t grow up together. But she stayed in touch with my mom to the end. They moved to Miami briefly and visited us with their newborn daughter. I was in high school at the time. Over the years we would meet up. She visited us in the Midwest and was the first family member to meet my husband. We drove to Chicago to say hi to her and her husband when they were in town. We saw them whenever we visited Boston. We planned my mom and dad’s surprise fiftieth wedding anniversary party at her house. She even had a wedding cake made that looked like the original. They came to visit us on Capitol Hill. She visited my mom and dad whenever they were in Florida and sent my mom scratch offs and chow mein noodles only found in the old hometown. She came to my mom’s funeral. She was the first to head off to college. She majored in biology at Northeastern University, genetics at Tufts, and an MBA at Boston University. She loved to travel. Her husband recently set up a memorial fund at Tufts University in her name. So my husband and I made a donation in her honor. She had a wonderful life. I’m so glad I knew her, but I also miss her. 

UVA Memorial

It’s not the kind of thing you want to happen to anyone. But whenever you hear about a mass killing you wonder if you will ever become involved. Before Thanksgiving there was one at the University of Virginia. That’s where our grandson goes to college and the closest thing we have come to knowing someone near an event like this. When we lived on Capitol Hill there was a mass shooting at the Navy Yard - a few blocks from our house at the time. My husband read about the event early in the morning and we contacted our grandson just to see how things were. He was sheltering in place and ended up driving home - luckily it is only one hour away. It was a very sad situation soon to be outdone by another mass killing somewhere else. When we drove to visit family for the holiday we first stopped at UVA in Charlottesville to get the tour of the campus. I thought when we finally took the tour with our grandson it would be a joyous occasion. Instead, it was quite solemn walking along the football stadium where the football players played and where the memorial flowers and tokens abounded. Our grandson lives near the stadium so that’s where our tour started. All along the campus route there were reminders of the event. The campus was also empty because of the holiday - so it was even a bit more eerie, but beautifull all at the same time. It’s hard to think that this tragedy will not affect the school’s reputation. It just makes everything seem a bit more sour. 

Korean War Memorial

We have visited the Korean War Memorial many times. Our friends from the Midwest visited when we first moved to DC sixteen years ago. One of them had a husband who served during the Korean War. My dad also served after having been in WWII. The site has been under construction for quite some time to add some new features. It now has a memorial pool and a wall of remembrance - similar to the Vietnam Memorial. Today we took our morning walk starting by the WWII Memorial, then walked down the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. I was searching for water photos for the challenge this week and was hoping to find something interesting. Along the way we stopped by the Korean War Memorial to see what changes were made. The figures on the field were always captivating. It’s simply incredible how many names are engraved on the stone surround including both American and Korean names. There was a steady stream of visitors and it was a beautiful day otherwise. There are simply too many memorials in this town. It’s very sad to walk through it. 

Fourth of July Wedding Memories

It was seventy three years ago today. My parents got married on the hottest day of the year in New England. The wedding day was on the Fourth of July because it was the only day that the family could be off work from my grandfather’s grocery store. So whenever this date comes around I think more about my parents wedding anniversary then Independence Day. But this year is different. My mom’s flower girl was my eldest cousin - my mom’s older sister’s first born. We have stayed in touch throughout the years even though she’s several years older. She was also instrumental in helping me plan for the fiftieth wedding anniversary in New England in 1999. None of us lived in New England anymore and she was welcoming in not only offering her house as the venue, but also having a wedding cake ordered that looked exactly like the original. It was probably the last time we saw most of our relatives together in one place. Both of my parents have passed away now. And I’m sad to say that this is the first year my cousin is not with us. She suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at home earlier this year. I had just spoken to her the week before and had an email from her the day before. It’s a bit melancholic to lose family members especially during the weird pandemic years. But I’d like to take the opportunity to remember them all today. What a wonderful holiday it was to celebrate seventy three years ago!

Albert Einstein Memorial

We have been spending more time by the Lincoln Memorial lately for our twice a week morning walks away from our northern Virginia neighborhood. Primarily we have been staying on the side by the tidal basin along independence avenue. But the last two times we have ventured over to the constitution avenue side. There are the constitution gardens, but also a tiny treasure that is tucked in a bit off the avenue. We went there over ten years ago when we had visitors from the midwest who had to see the Albert Einstein memorial. When we returned it looked different from what we remembered. We had a hard time finding it the first time around. I think it was hidden by trees and shrubs that have since been cut down. It is an impressive structure at 21 feet long and 7,000 pounds and sits on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. In his hand is a paper with the famous equation E=mc2. The nose is a different color than the rest. People have a tendency to want to touch it. One doesn’t get a feel for the size of it when the image stands alone. But when photographed next to someone it’s quite obvious. After taking a few photos for last week’s photo challenge we continued down the avenue and a walk through the White House neighborhood. There is always something to see here. And my husband loves it. 

Oliver Memorial Pet Portrait

I got a request for a custom dog portrait - but it was for a memorial portrait of a pooch for a dear friend. It's not unusual to receive these requests. It reminds me of our dogs that I will never forget - a golden and a borzoi. But I don't always get a thank you note from the recipient. It was unexpected and so touching. I'm so pleased I could recreate Oliver's likeness and so appreciate the kind words. Those furry critters bring a special something - and it's hard to forget them. 

National Police Week - Motorcycles and Horses

It's not every day that one sees sixty to seventy or more horses walk along Pennsylvania Avenue and just before that, near or more hundred of motorcycles lining the side of the street to salute bus loads of family members and officials making their way to the Capitol grounds. It's happened every year since we moved to DC and long before that - National Police Week. Perhaps it was the time of the day and day of the week...but we were caught up in the middle of the memorial service. Everyone was in full dress uniform and it was a quite solemn occasion. My husband commented that there is no other animal that behaves as well as the horse.They were all standing perfectly in sync and moved on command. There were vehicles from all over the US... From Michigan to Florida and beyond. You never know what you're going to run into when you head out to the national mall.