Home to stress a bit over the timing of the Ham and Au Gratin potatoes, and last minute cleaning .... finished JUST in time and was fixing my first (of the day AND of the season) White Peach Sangria, when company arrived.
We were blessed with a wonderful meal - many hands contributing - a call from the Tennessee sister ("Happy Easter" - "Happy Birthday - tommorrow" - Happy Wedding - last week" and blessings abound!).

and all too soon it is over, and everyone wants to go home early - and that's sad, but now the house is clean, the dishes are washed and put away. Michael, Jess and I tookt the golf cart for a ride, and to my suprise and ABUNDANCE of Trout Lilies are blooming in the woods and near the stream! (of course, did not count on the dog eating half of the left-over cheesecake while we took our time enjoying the evening ride).
But now we are done, I have changed into sweats, my feet hurt and I will sit on the couch and watch that recording of "The Robe" to finish my Wonderful Easter Celebration.
God is so Good!

He came and went using the same path as the bears ... we are going to rename the paths with highway names, or perhaps "Interyard 127"

This memory was only part of my collective memories today upon learning of the passing of Mary Travers last night.

The summer between third and fourth grade my sister and I sang in summer chorus ... standing on risers in the school yard adjacent to our yard, singing three-part harmonies to "Lemon Tree", "If I Had a Hammer", "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" and "Cruel War". My sister and I spent the following years singing them all by heart.

As I grew up in the 60's the more political folk music they sang with the social conscience became important to my life in other ways.

When my sister got married, my cousin sang Noel Paul's "Wedding Song" at her wedding.

At my first wedding, my sister and her husband sang "For Baby For Bobby" - OK, well, that turned out to NOT be a favorite memory, but anyway ...

... years later, Michael took me on our first real "date" to see Peter, Paul and Mary perform at the concert for the New York City Coalition for the Homeless. This was the concert where I got kissed on the cheek by Peter, and both he and Noel Paul signed my album cover.

In the years that followed there were the midnight trips to Cape Cod, the girls sleeping in the back of the van and us driving all night (to get to the campground for early early site call). We stayed awake all night by singing PP&M - harmonizing and memorizing every word to "Well, Well, Well" ~ (and we can do it to this day), OK, well maybe the girls didn't ALWAYS sleep through it 'cause they can sing a pretty mean PPM too!

Other concerts over the years kept us in touch with their new songs and singing the old ones.

At my parent's 50th anniversary party we (the collective kids) and spouses sang - and played our own "modified lyrics" version of "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" to my parents (no dry eyes there either)

Of course it goes without saying that you know what dominates the "folk" playlists on both of our i pods. And my youngest daughter sings along with us whenever they play.

And now Mary is gone, and we are broken hearted. We have lost a friend. Thank-you Mary for your unique voice, the messages you were never afraid to share and the joy and inspiration and depth of experiences you gave to our lives.

1) The way you instantly break into a smile when seeing an old friend who you have not seen in a year - and watching the smile on their face!
2) Having a four-acre backyard ~ and 30 guests who can't seem to leave the deck! - yet we never felt crowded.
3) Catching up on everyones family (and for those who brought their kids - telling the kids how grown up they got).
4) Sharing my home, my food, my property, my family and my dogs with my friends.
5) Alone with my husband after the party - putting our feet up on recliners and sharing our thoughts of the day - talking about occurances - wishing it did not have to end.

And today the country will focus on remembering those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001 - and for a time we will all recall the feeling of that morning ~ and turn and hug a loved one.

I am from Jacks on the sidewalk, from Cracker Jacks, Maypo, Buster Brown shoes and Good Humor Trucks.

I am from an Old Dutch Farmhouse, barefoot summer days, horses and raccoons, singing camp songs and the smell of campfires.

I am from Timothy hay fields, daisys and blue jeans, Tulip trees and the smell of black walnuts.

I am from family dinners with meat and potatoes every night, and a family with funny toes.

From Edna and Ida - from Chatelliers and Beaches and an Uncle named Trueman.

I am from the hospitality of open back doors, doing dishes and Saturday morning chores.

From ”cheaters never prosper” and “Lets Go Mets”.

I am from church on Sundays (and always in a dress), family reunions at Christmas and New Years Day gift gifts from Gram, family trips to the lake and a road trip to Florida.

I'm from Kearny and Towaco – from Germany, France, Ireland and more …
From Gram’s Apple Pies, Gram Chat’s toll house cookies and Mom’s roast beef.

From riding on the fender of the tractor with Dad and the afternoon swim in the pond when he got home from work.

A home with two sisters, parents with strong work ethics, from dogs and cats and mice in a cage.

I am from the years of bell bottoms – tie-dye and head bands, math tutors, roll-model teachers, marching band and friends who lost their lives in cars.

I am from God and home and family, from dysfunction, understanding and unconditional love.