Family

July 2014

July, the month of vacations, travel, new experiences. Well, that's what happened in the world of the Stitelys. A little of what has become usual, a cruise with Grandma and Uncle Brian. And new experiences, riding a zip line through a Central American rainforest, lazily tubing our way down a river, into a cave which was pitch black at times and back out again. Oh, and food, new and different or, at least, new to us. Things like escargot or even a cheesseburger on a roll.

June 2014

    June opens on a rather sad note. Patricia Tudor, Aunt Pat, passed away 31 May 2014. After an almost 2 year battle with pancriatic cancer, she departed us. We are left with a lifetime of wonderful memories. Her intelligence, her compassion, her integrity, but, maybe, most of all, her spirit is a wonderful example for those of use left behind. As a relative newcomer to her family, I have a somewhat limited view of her gifts, but from our first meeting she treated me with nothing but kindness and welcome and made me feel a part of the family. I can, with all earnestness, say that it's been pleasure and an honor to have gotten to spend the time with her that I've been allowed.
     To her more immediate family, I hope they can find the peace and strength she seemed to live her life with. And to the very end she lived, even as her body failed her, she continued to push herself, including joining us to watch the Memorial Day parade and having one more hot dog from our grill. I spent that afternoon marvelling at the grace she continued to live her life with. I can only hope that I live my remaining years with a fraction of the courage that she showed right through that last hot dog.

Patricia Tudor

1939 - 2014

Our Memeorial Day celebration

     This year Memorial Day was a little bittersweet. While many of our family from last year joined us again, we've lost a integral part of our family and we anticipate this being the last holiday we spend with another. The Memorial Day parade was fun and watching it from your front porch kinda' doubles the pleasure.

     This year's parade brought a heavy dose of electioneering. Candidates for most of the local offices or their surrogates made an appearance. They were shaking hands, passing out fliers, and tossing candy to the kids. Along with the candidates we saw pageant winners, fire trucks, miniture horses, a marching band ( yes, Noah was part of that and he studiously avoideded looking at us, even though we did our best to attract his attention ). We will admit to being disappointed becasue the cowboy riding a steer did not end the parade, or for that matter, even make an appearance.

     After the parade passed, we settled into the back yard and lit the grill and had a veritable feast of summertime favorites. Hamburgers and hot dogs, of course, along with sausages, corn on the cob, and baked beans. These were followed by cake, browmies, cup cakes, beverages ( adult and otherwise). Much talking and laughter filled and rounded out the day.