Day Thirty-One...


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Published: July 25th 2015
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...was another casual day. We got to drive the Miata again. This time we took it to another cousin's house. The last two times we came to Massachusetts Mike has tried to get in touch with his cousin, Patrick. Both times were unsuccessful. Third time's a charm? We drove to his house (or what we hoped was still his house), Mike went to the door and knocked, one dog barked, the other just looked out the window, nobody answered. Three strikes, you're out? This time we came prepared; we brought paper and a pencil. Mike left a brief note to Patrick asking him to call. We drove around a bit more before heading back to base camp.

Later in the afternoon Kathy (cousin), Mike and I drove to Aunt Mary Jane and Uncle Lenny's house for suppah (dinner). More pizza from The Central; you can't have too much. Patti was also there, along with her daughters Christina and Marissa, Christina's husband, son and foster children and Marissa's boyfriend. Sadly, Marissa was still very much pregnant. The little ones were cute as bugs...why is that an expression? Bugs really aren't cute at all...except maybe Lady Bugs, but even then... So when we say a kid is cute as a bug are we secretly saying they look weird or horrifying or alien? Hmmm... Where was I? Oh yeah, the bug children. They were adorable. Christina and Brian's son looks very much like one of our former neighbor's boys at that age. Her other foster daughter is a little older and they are in the process of adopting her. They've been foster parents for a few years and have provided a safe, loving, structured environment to nearly 20 children so far. They're very special people. Marissa's boyfriend, Billy, was very attentive to Marissa and seems like he will be a very good daddy.

As we were eating and talking, talking and eating, Mike's phone rang. He excused himself so he could take the call away from the table. It was his cousin Patrick. Finally! They had a Reader's Digest (is that still around??) catch up conversation and made plans to get together over the weekend. I'll finally meet the elusive Cousin Patrick.

Shortly after 7:00 the kids began turning back into pumpkins. It was bed time. It didn't take long to clean up the toys in the back room, pack up the diaper bag and say good-bye. I enjoyed getting to know each of them a little more.

Kathy, Mike and I hung around for another two or three hours talking with Mary Jane and Lenny. I'd never heard Uncle Lenny talk so much until tonight. He talked a bit about his stint in the Air Force that began just after the Korean War, his mother and her life in Italy and his visits to family there, stories about Mike's parents... I think we kept them up well after their bed time.

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