Hiking in the Swiss Alps. July, 1981.
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Guided by an early edition of Outside Magazine (1981, might have been named Mariah then?), we (Peter, Eileen and Diane) searched the Tamworth area of the White Mountains for a peaceful pothole in which to swim*, but found only rain swollen, turbulent streams. Okay, I did jump in, but I shouldnít have.
Here, Eileen kicks back.
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*In deference to Adam.

Ginger and Chris Schreiber, June 1981
I’ve been sorting and scanning old slides and I’ve found many stunning (if I don’t say so myself) photographs.
Many more to follow.
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Diane and I cruised into the Concord Park circle, a bit late, but still in time to ferry Flo to bingo the requisite two hours before the first number is shouted out.

“How’s the place, still dead?”

During the holidays there was no one to be seen, but the glasses askew, professor type, who sits in the first chair and keeps an eye on the new arrivals.

“They all go to their rooms after dinner.” Flo answered as she swung herself up and into the back seat of my truck.

“Even Bessie?” I reached over and snapped her seat belt.

“Everyone. I can’t get them to come to my place for anything. I even offer them wine.”

“Bunch of dead heads. How can you put up with that?” I began playing to my audience of one, Diane.

As we drove away I asked about entertainment.

“There hasn’t been any. One person sang old songs and Rick might be coming next week, but other than that… .”

“What are you paying all that money for?”

“They did have a birthday party with cake and ice cream. It was for the January birthdays. They have parties for everything.”

Ah, the contradiction. Diane pounced. “Wait a minute. How can they have a party for everything and you say it’s dead?”

“Oh, those are just parties.”

I jumped back in, “Flo, if you think it’s dead at your place, try ours.”

Flo didn’t hear me, but Diane laughed so hard, Flo asked what it was I said.

“I said, if you think it’s dead at Concord Park, you should try our house.”

“Whenever I call, no one answers.”

“That’s because we are all in bed, “ Diane answered.

“No. Diane is in bed and Matt’s out and that leaves me with nothing to do. Our place is like a tomb.”

We arrived at St. Bridget’s after the usual, “Where are we?” from Flo, and, “Oh, he’s taking the back roads,” from Diane and the, “I didn’t know it was this far,” from Flo. I pulled up to the door and there were four women waiting outside. The door wasn’t locked, it was as if they were waiting for the star attraction, and as she slid off the back seat and onto the pavement one of the women said, “Hurry up Flo.”

“Yeah Flo, you can move faster than that,” another chimed in.

Flo was clearly delighted by the attention and before they all turned toward the door, Flo kissed me good bye said, “He’s my good luck charm!”

The hurry up woman looked at me and fired back, “If she wins, you’re lining up out here next week.”

He doesn’t move this fast when he’s cleaning his car off to drive to school, but give Matthew a snow day and places to go… .

School Closings

Last Updated at 6:12am on 1/06/2005

Abby Kelley Foster Reg. Charter
Closed
Abington Public Schools
Closed
Abundant Life Christian School
Closed
Acad. of Notre Dame/Tyngsboro
Closed
Accept Educational Collaborative
Closed
Acre Family Day Care
Closed No Transportation
Acton/Acton-Boxboro Reg.
Closed
And on and on including Lincoln Sudbury which means Chris’s chillens are also home. Matt’s response when I woke him at 6. “Thank god.”
I wonder if those Minnesotans are still sking on alfalfa?

Poker last night at Stu’s (in the vest) house.
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Q’s mother gave me the jar and the rocks, I added the water, and for two weeks my ersatz aquarium sat otherwise empty on my kitchen counter. Then one day, just before Christmas, I turned around and there was a Betta fish in it. I’m thinking of adding a wall safe to my study. Did you know that Beta is a misspelling of Betta, which comes from the scientific name Betta splendens?
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Doesn’t it make you smile?
Another photo from them olden days. Diane with Patti Deverna and her daughters. Diane is on the far left.

Dan dancing with Drucilla Strain at our wedding reception in 1984.
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