Finally… getting back to writing something! Trust me, it is not that nothing has been going on… it is just that for some reason, I have simply not felt inspired. Might also be because, embarrassingly, I have not touched the boatbuilding project since May! Maybe I’ll do some catching up later. But for now, I’ll stick with more recent events…

The big news is, we just got back from taking Brian to college at Yale. He seems to be jumping right in, as I expected he would. He’s taking a pretty demanding workload, including the next level of calculus and a pretty advanced chemistry class. Living on the fifth floor of a dorm built in the 1920’s with no elevator and no air conditioning, so he is still adjusting to East Coast heat and humidity.

Some pictures from Brian’s move-in at Yale

After dropping Brian off, we decided to console ourselves by spending several days at Lake George, up in the Adirondacks. It’s hard to imagine anything that could be a better consolation! We spent a few days with my Aunt Julie and a few days with my cousin Ginger, and took a one-day side trip to Vermont. A little kayaking, a little boating, a little driving around, some lovely meals, great weather… all this took our minds off the fact that we would be returning to an empty house.

Fun times in the Adirondacks, and at the Farmhouse Inn in Vermont

We concluded our trip by heading down to Rhode Island for a couple days to visit with my dad, John Sr., and his wife Ann. Got to celebrate an 83rd birthday while we were there, and saw the sights of Bristol and Newport.

We are back home now, and getting used to the quiet house. Not so much of an adjustment, really, since once the boys got drivers licenses they were often out doing stuff. But, still, it can be a little eerie at times. But, to be honest, we are adjusting and enjoying it. After all, having the kids eventually grow up and move out is the idea, isn’t it?