We are all still vibrating with the joy of Alexander’s Bar Mitzvah.  It was held under a tent in the orchard below the house.  The day started out cool (actually chilly) and we all dressed just a bit warmer then planned.  The glow under the tent kept many of us warm and others moved out through the open walls to sit in the warming sun.  Most of the family from Dan’s side were there and many from Malena’s as well.  All the grandparents were present and one couple surviving from the prior generation as well, that was my Aunt Gloria and Uncle Josh.  Dan had invited them to stand in for my parents for the tradition of handing the Torah down from “generation to generation” so it passed down through three generations to Alexander the forth generation of our family.  I must admit I could not stop sobbing through most of the service and here with my Aunt and Uncle I was moved beyond tears.  For them this was the beginning of yet another trip as they headed off to Paris the next day.  May I live to have the strength for that kind of travel in my late 80’s.

Alexander delivered the “Words of Torah’ or drosh, with aplomb and fervor.  After all he had found a way to talk about his favorite subject, chickens, and how they are mistreated in Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations.  He had worked on this very hard and I was the “scribe” taking down his words and making the occasional amendment, which he mostly found and further revised into his own words.  This was a drosh that no one could say had been written for him.  He followed that with a chanting of the part of the Torah portion in his rich controlled voice with a minor error which he acknowledged with a smile and an “oops” and continued on as if it had not happened. If there is any doubt, I am a very proud grandfather.

Pictures?  We were so wrapped up in the event that we took very few – I took none – so I will share when I get them from others.

The party never did seem to end as we moved to a wonderful luncheon at the back of the tent and a continuation for the family from out of town that seemed to seamlessly emerge as a Memorial Day hots and hamburgers supper accompanied by a bottle of fine Scotch and much beer and wine.  Sunday we continued on to brunch at L’Etoile and some more goodbyes.  In the evening there was a meal of leftovers and a bonfire for the kids to make s’mores.  And then more farewells as people with early flights on Monday gathered their hugs in preparation for departure.  By Monday the only “out of towners” left were our niece Erica and grandson Josh (and of course us).  As I write, on Tuesday, Erica, Josh, and Carol and I are preparing to go our separate ways.  We will reconnect with Josh in Rochester within a week or so.  Our California family will rejoin us in Rochester in July and we will be back in Covesville in September.

Tomorrow, Pittsburgh, to have Gee Whiz get its first chassis service since we bought it a year ago.  Then on to Rochester.  We called Sarah at our summer home on St Paul St to arrange to bring the coach right to the loading area on Friday. She was very sweet and offered the help of staff to control traffic when we are ready to back out.  Looking forward to visiting with our Rochester friends over the next couple of months.  I will probably post less often as we will not be “On Board Gee Whiz.”