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magidThis weekend I was in Newport to celebrate my dad's birthday (slightly early): he's turning 80 this year, and my mom put together a family gathering.
++ Time with 100% of my extant aunts, 50% of uncles, 60% of first cousins, and 43% of spouses of first cousins (also 100% of my siblings and siblings-in-law).
++ Hearing family stories I've never heard before, sometimes from more than one perspective.
+ Seeing my dad through so many other people's eyes.
+ Staying at a kosher B&B.
+ Touring the Breakers.
+ Davening in the oldest shul in the US, the Touro Synagogue, including mincha lead by a Navy chaplain in dress whites under his tallit (weird to look down on the white hat of the uniform, rather than a kippah).
+ Hearing amusing anecdotes from the rabbi/mashgiach (plus his compliments were unstinting, which surprised me).
+ Walking along the Cliff Walk (the paved parts, anyway).
+ Going on a boat tour of the harbor (seeing two "summer White Houses" next to each other, Kennedy's and Eisenhower's).
+ Recovering from some fairly annoying back pain.
- Not doing as many activities as I'd hoped (always a challenge when there's a large group).
- The caterer of Shabbat dinner providing somewhat unpleasant food (salmon should not be white!).
+ The caterer of Sunday brunch (the actual 'party') providing excellent food (this being the RI-based caterer friends used for their wedding a couple of years ago; thanks again for the contact information).
- More humidity than is usual for Newport.
- Realizing yet again that the older generation is getting to be actually old, and their aches and pains unfortunately increasing.
- Realizing that my generation is not so young either (we're the tail end of the cousins on both sides, so I have first cousins who are 20 years older than me, and some of them have kids who are out of college already), regretting the sporadic contact I have with so many of them.
+ There's the chance to change that, even with the far-away ones (Oklahoma?! I still don't see the appeal.)
+ Helping my mom some through something that was frazzling for her to organize.
+ Walking around the city, which is full of historic houses and interesting details.
+ A Don Drumm necklace in honor of Israel's 60th.
++ Time with 100% of my extant aunts, 50% of uncles, 60% of first cousins, and 43% of spouses of first cousins (also 100% of my siblings and siblings-in-law).
++ Hearing family stories I've never heard before, sometimes from more than one perspective.
+ Seeing my dad through so many other people's eyes.
+ Staying at a kosher B&B.
+ Touring the Breakers.
+ Davening in the oldest shul in the US, the Touro Synagogue, including mincha lead by a Navy chaplain in dress whites under his tallit (weird to look down on the white hat of the uniform, rather than a kippah).
+ Hearing amusing anecdotes from the rabbi/mashgiach (plus his compliments were unstinting, which surprised me).
+ Walking along the Cliff Walk (the paved parts, anyway).
+ Going on a boat tour of the harbor (seeing two "summer White Houses" next to each other, Kennedy's and Eisenhower's).
+ Recovering from some fairly annoying back pain.
- Not doing as many activities as I'd hoped (always a challenge when there's a large group).
- The caterer of Shabbat dinner providing somewhat unpleasant food (salmon should not be white!).
+ The caterer of Sunday brunch (the actual 'party') providing excellent food (this being the RI-based caterer friends used for their wedding a couple of years ago; thanks again for the contact information).
- More humidity than is usual for Newport.
- Realizing yet again that the older generation is getting to be actually old, and their aches and pains unfortunately increasing.
- Realizing that my generation is not so young either (we're the tail end of the cousins on both sides, so I have first cousins who are 20 years older than me, and some of them have kids who are out of college already), regretting the sporadic contact I have with so many of them.
+ There's the chance to change that, even with the far-away ones (Oklahoma?! I still don't see the appeal.)
+ Helping my mom some through something that was frazzling for her to organize.
+ Walking around the city, which is full of historic houses and interesting details.
+ A Don Drumm necklace in honor of Israel's 60th.