#292

We are home but Michael isn't. I picked up Meg though, which always puts a little more air in my lungs. Michael is in a favorite place, Minnesota. When he returns, I'm afraid I'll be looking up at him. Meg is rather like bamboo, also (the fastest growing plant on the planet), and a very thin stalk; she eats, I've seen her, but one could wonder. Meg's softball team won the championship. There were several good teams and great players, but the 'Bulldogs' were the only ones standing at the end. Meg was easily the most improved player and a massive difference-maker for the team. She pitched two scoreless innings in the final – the max allowable per player – and played perfect 1B – another super-critical position at her level. And she batted clean-up, just like her brother! (She adores Michael – her rock, her consistency,  throughout the divorce and life, in general, for her so far – so to mimic him in some efforts and accomplishments is motivational; did I mention she starts the cello this year, too?). I'm so happy for Megan; she worked hard – accepting nearly all of my offers for additional practice during the season – and earned her softball success.

Our trip was extraordinary. Every place stunned us in one way or another. Jeanette and I fought off tears in Venice – Jeanette lost; I only misted – we were so moved by its stark singularity and beauty. Its style, spirit, charm are momentously unlike anything we'd seen. And the history, of course, of the Venetians and simply everyone and everything in Italy is, well – and this was the symbolic intent I'm sure – like its basilicas; gigantic, pharaonic, seemingly never-ending. Florence blew us away, also. The abundance of things there – the Duomo, David, Piazzale Michelangelo, the architecture, galleries, masterpieces – is effin' crazy. Then the Italian Riviera. For me, something like Cinque Terre has to be seen to be believed. I don't write well enough yet to describe it, but it must be some of God's finest work here. In Stockholm, the Vasa left us speechless. An unrivaled piece of history. The coastline and Gamla Stan, the 'Old Town,' were unforgettable. The meals in Sweden were as good as the pasta in Italy, in my opinion (but I have Swedish ancestry). I had meatballs in Stockholm three times, along with reindeer, elk, and herring. We loved our last night in Zurich, where we stumbled upon the largest Swiss festival, Züri Fäscht, which attracts millions of people, literally, over three days. By the way, it's a party they only throw every three years. We were shocked again; we had no idea we'd be there for an incredible event; we were still hungover – not from alcohol – and awestruck by our Alpine train ride through northern Italy and Switzerland. And our first stop, a layover in Edinburgh, put us in the UK on the day of the Brexit vote. Talk about history, and another coincidence. The weather was flawless the entire time. That's the trip in a nutshell. Jeanette and I are grateful. I hope and pray M 'n' m have similar experiences. On the trip my quick mantra-prayer (when I was moved to goosebumps and/or muttering gratitude) was, "God, thank you for my children, and my loved ones... and my travels."  

Happy 4th. The country we live in is still the best ever.