Ma and Pa's Blog

Thanks, Lyn and Bob, for another very special Christmas gathering. We really enjoyed seeing everyone and eating and drinking too much. Just wish I’d gone home with the yodeling pickle. ;D

We had a great, albeit brief, visit. Mike’s roast cow for dinner, “Despicable Me” with the grandsons, Kewpee burgers, Frontier (Lincoln-like) Logs, and Simon Says. We even learned about Harry S Truman, thanks to Caleb’s thorough research and excellent report writing. Thanks for having us, Mike and Jenn. You have so much to be thankful for and proud of in those boys.

In case Ma forgets her 2nd Kewpee:

From 2011

The Master Builders:

From 2011

From 2011

Improvisation on the cigar-box banjo, a coffee-can drum and a Fisher-Price xylophone. Enjoy.

Caleb and Owen “Rock Out” from Pa on Vimeo.

Hot and humid with plenty of rain, but I really enjoyed our time in The Hocking Hills. Having the family together in one place is the BEST. The grandsons’ enthusiasm and energy was contagious (well, maybe the enthusiasm to a greater degree than the energy). Hiking, cooking and eating, playing games, laughing and just hanging out together made for a great week. Mike and Jeff (and sometimes I) entertained and annoyed audiences with “canjo” music(?) — that’s music on a banjo made from a stick, a tin can, and a guitar string, which Mike and Jeff discovered at a local antique store. The grandsons built elaborate scenes and structures with dominoes and Jenga blocks. We team-cooked pizzas and Sebastian discovered Moon Pies. Owen ruled the kiddie swimming pool. Caleb lost his second tooth — deja vu all over again. We saw deer, wild turkey, and more butterflies than we’ve seen in decades. Anna-Marie and Mike caught fish (Anna-Marie’s first). Pa stunk up Lake Logan trying to clear a dead fish from the shore near our picnic table — which only stirred up more eau d’ dead fish. Sorry. Anyway, here are some snapshots from the week.

We had a great week. Let’s do it again soon.

Today we road on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Everyone had a good time and a good meal in Peninsula before returning to Akron. The only photos are using my phone . . . sorry ’bout the low quality. It was a beautiful day.

Shelby and Brenna took time from their girls’ weekend to visit the Saracenos and us this evening.   Their daughters, Bailey and Kayla, entertained everyone with a variety of activities — gardening, bird tending, bug watching, flirting (with Daniel), coloring and wrestling  (all while being adorable).   It was great to see everyone, to get updated on the Wisconsin clan, and to reminisce.     A few pictures from the visit are below.

Today we celebrated Owen’s birthday (a few days early).    It was a rainy day (on and off all day; from sprinkles to downpours), but we had a good time.  Kate, Anna, Caleb and Owen had fun playing, setting off bottle poppers, and opening presents.  Owen and Anna licked the cake before we sang “Happy Birthday” . . . this is why Owen’s face looks a little blue in some of the photos.  We finished with Owen defending Caleb from Nate — Owen returned from the bedroom wearing boxing gloves and proceeded to deliver a major whooping to his much older (by 20  years) cousin Nathan.

I remember watching Mike and Cliff play together even before we moved next door to him:  Mike, green-eyed with hair bleached whitey-blond in the summer sun; Cliff, dark coffee complexion and laughing brown eyes~they looked like negatives of each other.  I remember Mike, Jeff, Cliff, Daquita, Anthony and probably Missy attempting to dig a tunnel from the sidewalk to our apple tree.  Oh, and throwing those damned apples.  When did they grow apart?  I don’t remember, exactly:  I think it was when Cliff’s parents divorced and he moved away.  Maybe  it was a natural divergence in interests, though.  Or was it race?  I don’t know.  Hadn’t really thought much about it, I guess.  Life gets busy and it’s easy to just compartmentalize memories and move on.  I’d run into Cliff’s mom now and then, and, of course, see his dad as we handled outdoor chores.  We kept loose tabs on how the kids were doing, Cliff, and Anthony, and Daquita.  Beautiful kids.  Great potential, these kids of ours.  We had seen Anthony and ‘Quita in recent years, but haven’t seen Cliff for what~10? 15? years.

And then last week we read that Clifford Cummings, Jr. had been stabbed during a home invasion and had died at the hospital.  Cliff, of the laughing brown eyes and wiry frame.  Cliff, who ran a recording studio now.  Cliff, veteran of the Gulf War.  Cliff, Mike’s childhood friend. Gone just like that.

Mike came home for the funeral, to say goodbye.  When I went up to her, Antoinette just said “Don’t make me cry!” and we hugged.  What could be said, after all, between us?  What do you say to a mom who lost a 38 year old son to an act of such elemental violence?

I just wish we’d stayed in better touch over the years, that’s all.

I just wish I’d known Cliff as an adult.

I just wish knives and guns weren’t the goddamn go-to responses in arguments.