Summer 2021 Visit:

Re-Introducing Charlie to the Roschys

It's been a good while since last we posted; several reasons, most importantly is the Pandemic and the complete disruption of life and social interaction. But we have now assumed something of our normal lives--at least until this Delta variant and the stupidity of anti-vaxers shuts us down again.

The week of August 2nd Charlie, our grandson, joined us in making a trip East to visit with family and friends.  

It was a lot of fun, if a bit tiring, especially for Sue who had a complete knee replacement on June 9th,  but we are very glad we made the trip and had a lot of great adventures.

Our first stop, after an eight hour marathon flight, was John and Bonnie's farm, Anchor Rest, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It's a lovely and peaceful setting, and we all look forward to being there.

Charlie loved seeing and meeting everyone, but says he doesn't want to live in the country.  Too much corn and soy beans; not enough civilization.

Our second day, along with John, Bonnie and their granddaughters, Hannah and Betsy, we made the two hour drive to Rehoboth. The weather gods were not smiling on us, and we were greeted with blustery winds, chilly temps, and rain or drizzle.  

Charlie was undeterred, and as soon as we were able to unload the car, we made the short walk to the beach.  

Charlie dropped his towel, discarded his shoes, and ran straight into the surf--only to be called back by the lifeguards.  The undertow was too dangerous and no one was allowed to go out beyond their knees. 

Fallback to Funland, the local amusement park. 

Hannah and Betsy have been going to Funland since they were tiny, and they were delighted to show Charlie the ropes. 

He loved everything, although the Gravitron--a spinning nightmare was his favorite.

Charlie really enjoyed meeting and getting to know his cool East coast cousins--Hannah and Betsy.

And Abby and Evelyn--who along with their parents, Susie & Jerry--joined us all at Rehoboth. (Later we were able to join them to celebrate Abby's 11th birthday & then a couple of days of visiting and getting to know them all better.)

After a couple of days of rain, the sun did come out on the morning we had to leave, but the ocean still remained rough and dangerous, 

and even though the lifeguards were still cautioning us not to go out beyond one’s knees, a kind fellow bather showed Charlie how to bodysurf--and we all know he is always up for a physical challenge. 

Too soon we had to say good bye to Rehoboth... 

but Charlie was in for another new experience—eating crabs.  He liked the crab, but thought it was better if Opa picked it out for him.

One of the reasons for our trip was to show Charlie DC. So reluctantly saying goodbye to the Roschys, we set off for our friend Angie’s place in Alexandria. 

 

But first we decided to drive through the city and stop at the Lincoln Memorial. That was pretty easy, and we were able to spend a little time there.

After the Lincoln, we had hoped to see the FDR Memorial, but by the time we arrived the Park Service had turned out all of the lights--a change from times past, making such a visit not easily done.

Angie is a wonderful & loving friend and a great host—she welcomed us with open arms, way past her normal 10:00 bedtime. She entertained us graciously throughout our visit. 

We have missed seeing Angie so much. Charlie and Angie became fast friends.

We all had a lot of fun, especially when Charlie tried to teach us some of his favorite card games—interpreting the rules as he went along. Guess who was the winner?

Deciding not to try to tackle the entire city of DC, we opted for touring Mount Vernon, which is very close to Angie’s condo. 

It was a great decision—Mount Vernon is a beautiful and intriguing place. Gloriously restored and maintained, with good docents and a great museum

We all came away thinking that George Washington was a greater man and patriot than we could have imagined.

We had a fun filled, but exhausting visit--family and friends are so important, 

and this Covid Year has made us realize that even more.  

We can't wait to go back and see everyone again.

 Happy New Year

2020 started off so well. On the last day of 2019, Joel, Bryn & Charlie joined us for a visit with Erin in the Bahamas. Sun, surf, and Junkanoo…we had a wonderful time: Charlie got to swim in the ocean for the first time & loved it, and Bryn & Joel ​became​ officially engaged. They returned home​;​we lingered another week enjoying Erin’s hospitality, and then flew to our annual stay in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; but normality was not to last. COVID19 was about to rear its ugly head!

We were able to enjoy a few delightful weeks in the Mexican sun & culture​ with our friends there​, but on March 20, we returned to Denver, accompanied by our ​good​ friends and longtime traveling companions, Mart & Bob Larson. They stayed with us a couple of weeks and then moved to a nearby apartment​,​but they have continued to be part of our COVID bubble​. ​Their friendship and mutual support have made this time easier.

And here we have stayed—trying our best to remain disease free & socially distanced. In mid-April, Erin joined us in Denver, as The Bahamas was and has continued to be on “lock-down” and working remotely from Denver is as easy as Nassau or DC.  We were thrilled to have her nearby, and it looks like she will be here well into 2021, although ​unfortunately ​she will not be returning to The Bahamas. We will miss visiting her there. 

Traveling, eating out and trying new eateries​;​live performance and ​seeing movies in a theater​​; as well as visiting with friends and family are among our favorite activities—and none of them are available to us these days.  We have not been able to see or be with our extended families in MD and GA for more than a year. It is only an inconvenience for us—but for the millions of people who have lost their livelihood​s​providing those services, this COVID pandemic has been ​disastrous to their lives.

We can only hope that it will soon be over. In the meanwhile, we​ have tried​, as we're sure you have,​to concentrate on the positive—more time with our children and grandchildren and the time to reflect and renew. Local road trips to explore the beautiful CO countryside have helped​ us​alleviate some of th​e​ ​​sense of isolation.

2020 did have one final surprise for us, on December 1st, Larry had open-heart surgery.  He was totally asymptomatic, but an alert Nurse Practitioner scheduled a stress test, leading to the discovery of major arterial blockage & thus the surgery.​Thankfully, the procedure went well, and although the recovery has been a bit bumpy, he is now well on his way to a full recovery​. 

Let's hope that 2021 brings a return to normalcy, sooner rather than later. 

Until then stay safe & stay well.​ 

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Photos: Top left to bottom right: Bryn & Erin with us at Denver Botanical Garden; Family photo this summer; Sue & Charlie on the beach in The Bahamas; Larry & Charlie--Garden of the Gods Park (Colorado Springs); Summer Gathering; Family in the Bahamas; Bike Riding on DU campus; our favorite get-away spot in Hotchkiss, CO; taking a walk in the New Normal.