Mature Life Features

. . . since our last talk.

I was away on a family visit highlighted by my brother’s birthday, clan picnic, return to old stomping grounds, fabulous food and muchmuchmuch cooler weather. Air Canada flights to and from Toronto were not as tedious as anticipated although both were delayed.

Memories slammed back into mind immediately because I lived in Canada’s largest city and my reporting duties required sessions there on and off for several years after moving away.

Major impetus for the trip was to attend brother Lou’s 84th. It was preceded by the annual Scaglione picnic, which has been organized by cousins I’ve never met. It was a blast because most of them had heard of me — “You’re father and my aunt were first cousins, which makes you . . .” It was a fun day out in a grassy park near Niagara Falls and everyone brought food that was shared and sumptuous.

An added fillip was the slice of raspberry pie I had each morning. Lou’s long-time friend has a bumper crop of raspberries from his backyard bushes and his wife has made dozens of pies and given them to friends. My timing made me a beneficiary. Raspberries and mangos are my top-level favorite fruit. Strawberries and apricots are pretty good, too.

Son Michael from San Diego joined us for the visit. Daughter Cris got detoured by Covid. Like all visits, it ended too soon, but it was good to get back home. The A/C is beating the THE HEAT, so life is good. Altho I still miss all the things I missed about back home before I went back home.

MTC