Day Twenty Three Without Rain: Mary Lou and Joe Barry Visit

Relaxing on Dock

Breakfast

We haven't changed a bit.

Up early to water the lawn, before anyone by an hour.  Joe and Mary Lou Barry stayed with us last night, left this morning around 9:00 for Oxford.  We had a good time, catching up on our families, as both their children live in the East, one in Connecticut, the other New Jersey.  They have six grandchildren, ranging in ages from twelve to one.  There son's oldest son, unfortunately, has a form of autism and, at about two, just stopped talking.  He demands almost 24 hour supervision so, because they both work, they have a nanny and when one is gone on  business, the other needs help from either set of grandparents, which is why they headed East the past week.  Both are retired, enjoying it obviously, and Mary Lou, like me, does not miss teaching a bit.  She loved it, first graders, but has not looked back.  It's interesting that we do something we like for a good part of our life, then retire and don't miss it at all.  I wonder if we really did like it or just did it because it was a job, something you did with your life.  We had a great dinner, chicken picata, fresh peaches and blueberries on ice cream for dessert, and Mrs. Snavely's kuchen for breakfast, the good life.  They seem to travel quite a bit, have a group of friends with whom they rent a house on the North Carolina coast.  At one time, they had a condo down there but sold it to move into a new place in Oxford.  Joe was my roommate sophomore year in college, frat brother, teammate on the basketball team and we were in each others weddings.  We have seen each other five or ten times over the past 45 years, but not for long, so it was good to catch up, talk about the good old days, and our grandchildren of course.  They really loved our house, the inside as well as the lake, which always makes us feel good.  And we hope they will make it a regular stop on their way East, at least once or twice a year.