Home. Flew through Southwest from Louisville to Baltimore. Baltimore to Albany. Picked up by brother and driven to CT (Bristol). I wasn't aware that I would have to go through Mass, but apparently so. I left here when it was dark, so got to see the city as a bunch of amber lights down below. Looked a lot like a field of stars, or sparks from a fire. Pretty. I also got to see sunrise as well. It's a bit different up there without a discernable horizon. It was more like a line of color than anything else. Then it was cloudy, so all I could see below was the Antarctica-looking landscape below me. I half expected to see pengins on the iceburgs. The only turbulence seemed to be descending to Baltimore through the cloud layer, decsending. Craig drove me to Bristol, and we hit a pepperidge farm outlet on the way. I now love amaretto milanos...so will have to find some here. We went to John Garlic's pizza, where I had a clam, shrimp and lobster pizza. It was pretty good, if not the usual pizza fare. Also got cannoli....mmmmm. He also had some sweet cider in his fridge, which I miss here in KY. This was Thursday. Friday, I went to a place called Ichibans for sushi, and got introduced to oshinko rolls, which make a good appetizer. Sweet pickeled radish. I got the lunch special for $8, which was a tuna roll and 7 pieces of sushi. They were bigger than the pieces I got here and a bit fresher. For dinner, we went to a Mexican restaurant and ordered appetizers and fried ice cream for dessert. Theirs was Bailey's, burning as I got it. The ice cream wasn't that good, but it still made a decent dessert. Craig has been watching his favorite team for baseball and has been getting excited, since they are doing well (Colorado Rockies). Saturday we drove to Watking Glen and stayed at the Relax Inn. Most places were booked, due to a race being in town. Technically this was in Montour Falls, but hey.... Went to the farmer's market in Ithaca and talked to cousin Marie. She was selling concords, niagaras,and a basket of catawbas. My favorite. I got a couple pendants, some maple candy which melted (still can lick plastic), honey candies and a cup of warm cider. Went to Jerletteers's (something like that) which was the old Schuterri's Pizza. Their service was slow, but the food was good. Took about an hour for my baked ziti. I was the last served.

We went to Abie's house. It had been gutted. Everything pretty much was gone - the furniture - the carpet was ripped out..appliances gone. The walls were bare... I found a few things, but the books I read as a child were gone. There were newspaper clippings and a couplealbums. The safe was gone and being "appraised" as per Mary, my cousin. The executor of the will. Apparently an "attractive" offer was made for the house. Which goes to Craig. They want to sell it and pay off all the bills - which makes him responsible for everything, which isn't fair. He counterproposed it go by estate shares. I am not sure where I can come up wth that money, personally, but I admit it isn't fair for him to shoulder the whole burden of debt for taxes, nursing home, etc. I apparently inherited 25 1/6 acres of farmland, plus possibly more. I need someone to translate parts and get some sections clarified as well.
Mary gets the cottage, which she had been making improvements over the years already. The will was dated 2002.

I don't know how much it (the farm) is worth. Craig doesn't want me to sell it to Mary, but she gets first choice. I am not sure if I can sell or give it to Craig, and I don't know what the property taxes will entail either. There is really nothing there, but a couple ponds, a dilapidated barn and land. I doubt I would ever live up there. But I don't want to deal with family infighting either.

Sunday was the reading of the will at 9 am. The funeral home was at 12 to about 2. Then we went to the cemetary in Hector and laid his body to rest. I saw him with the open casket - he didn't look like my grandfather. He looked like my great grandfather. We closed the casket and had the service. My only quibble is that I prefer King James for funerals not the living Bible. The interrment was King James though. Craig and I got a spray, with grapevines and artificial grapes, irises and fall flowers that said Granddad. We also got a vase with 2 white roses to represent Mom and Uncle Ed. Aunt Marlene couldn't make it for health related issues. I saw David, and his wife from Kagistan, and their little one. He was 3. You can imagine...in its way it helped though. He made me laugh a little. Cousin Mary, Margaret, and Marie were there as well. Picked a couple bunches of concords. Have a bunch of catawbas. Picked up some old checkers and some old announcements from Abie's, a Pyrex bowl, an antique jewelry holder, a set of grape shears, a small garden rake - my family has been farmers on that side for a long time. Craig got me a bottle of Ice wine I am supposed to try. I also have a copy of Aunt Lena's picture of Abie and Great Uncle Floyd. I lost him too early this year. She cried so much when I left, saying this will probably be the last time she sees me alive. I found a small cross stich picture, which I rescued as well. There was so little left. I went down the vineyards below the house to say goodbye and they have gone so far away. There was twisted vines, and deer tracks. No catnip among the branches anymore. I found some when I went to the cottage and brought a sprig home for the kitties. I gathered a bit of lake glass and some water rounded stones to take home. We are supposed to have access "from time to time" but I don't know exactly what that means. I scratched messages, like I used to do as a child, on the back of stones, and skipped them into the lake.

Dad picked me up after the funeral and we drove through PA. We stopped at an apple stand and I got a few apples and he got veggies too. We said hi to his mom and then stopped in York for the night. There was the Around the Clock diner for breakfast (belgian waffle, sausage)and the place mats were advertisements for the Todd family - Susan Todd, for supreme court. I must admit, that was one of the more original ways I have seen to campaign. We were less than an hour to Baltimore, where I was to fly from to go home. I will pay Dad back for the plane tickets, but he wants me to make sure I have enough not to get into debt. I put myself on the 1pm standby list for LOU but they were overbooked, so that was not to be. My luggage went without me. I flew on the 4pm flight which was delayed 45 min due to weather in Dallas. It was a smooth flight and talked to the people next to me a little. I always got wing seats - you can pick wherever you want to sit on the plane. I saw some scenery - it still was pretty cloudy. The people next to me were from Mass and RI, going to an equipment show at the fairgrounds. They were making fun of the catalog of stuff that was in our seats - some of the items were a bit much. Gravity shoes? Hot dog toaster and bun warmer? Where would you keep all these gadgets? There were trees and wine aerators annd wine coolers, wine agers, to give a smoother flavor.... Set down in Louisville around 6:30 and Nez picked me up. He pretty much stayed up all day. Went and got sushi at Mimosa and then I got Foxwit at 11:30. I will admit I was pretty autopilot the way there - I don't think I could really read the signs too well. I am so tired, weary, what-have-you still. I am off today and back tomorrow. I need the extra day. I will turn my berevement notice into Workforce so that I can be paid for my time away.

Goodbye Abie. Where you are, at least your mind is all there, your body is whole, you have been reunited with your wife and two children. Your brother and parents as well. You are at peace now. I will miss you. I love you.