On Memorial Day, we planned to go to Dunkirk to take care of my ancestral graves. And our friends who own a farm in Otto, NY, needed some help setting up some hardware/software, something I don’t usually do, but it had been a while since I’ve been out there. We were going to try to do both things, but it was too much. We decided to go to the farm on Monday and planned for Dunkirk on Wednesday, Merry’s day off. It was wonderful seeing the Ritchies, and picking up some produce (and even lard for rendering). We didn’t get a chance to roam the fields, but we had lunch and caught up on things. I can’t believe their youngest daughter — whom I remember since she was a lump in her mother’s belly — is now 22!
Dunkirk was a great trip. After taking Mer to Betty’s for the first time, we went along the lake on the way down, and spent a few minutes on the beach at Wright Park. Afterward, we grabbed something to eat at Willie’s near where Valvo’s used to be on Route 20. It was just one beautiful day after another. We’ve been eating some meals on the deck finally. I was double-booked on Thursday with Masonic events I really wanted to go to, but Mer wanted me to stay home and I can never refuse such a thing. We actually played cards with Jeff and Mike for the first time in a long time.
I had my first backyard campfire on Friday, and it was cathartic. I’ve been antsy to use up all the wood stashed in the basement (along with branch debris). Last year it rained a lot and we just didn’t spend as much time as we wished outside. We are keeping the fire pit in the yard instead of the deck, out of a sense of fear upon us since the house across the street burned down a couple of years ago. Lint also seems to be less and less natural fibre and doesn’t act well as a fire starter, but fortunately, Merry’s sister bought me fire-starting bundles (for Christmas?), and they work instantly.
On Friday, a friend’s post caught my attention — the Pope was having a global moment of praying the rosary the next day. I got it into my head that I wanted to join in at that same time, but at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine outside Lewiston, NY. I had always wanted to go there, and it was a beautiful experience. The grounds are simple, and the cafeteria was closed, but there was still a lot to see. The sacred spaces there were moving to me. One painting in the gift shop brought me to tears (posted here).
I couldn’t find out ahead of time if there was a service, but there was one going on when we got there. It felt like a private group for some reason and I didn’t want to intrude. I prayed my rosary by a pond at the appointed time. We also left prayer intentions at one of the side chapels of the main building. We were all “Catholic-ed out” after a while and found someplace to eat — the Silo — by the Niagara River. Nearby was an estate sale and a garage sale to boot. As with other such days, we had to get back home to pill and feed Hazel.
Throughout the week we were also working on edits of Merry’s book, something I really enjoy, as stressful as it sometimes feels in miniature. It ended with the Davids coming over to watch Dr. Who, but had deck time for dinner and sat around the fire for a while. Just being there, under the trees and blue sky, was more catharsis. This week brought back feelings of childhood, past lives, and a pleasant present, despite the worries of the world. As the year goes on, I feel busy but fulfilled, and hopeful even if not optimistic. I am where I should be in so many ways.