November 1-3

The weekend after Halloween we all went to visit my grandparents in White Stone, VA. I always love coming here. They have a huge yard with fig trees, a garden, and a beautiful view: their house is on a bluff that overlooks the Rappahonnock River entering the Chesapeake Bay.

Grandma Genevieve

Grandpa Rolf

They live outside of White Stone, VA - a tiny, 1 stop-light town on the central coast of Virginia. Once you get off I-95 in Fredricksburg, VA, south of Washington, it a beautiful country drive. This is one of my favorite parts of the trip - it seems like anywhere you go near a beach in this country everything is so touristy, over developed, and often tacky - it feels like a different world here. It's nice to know there are still places like this. It is very much out in the country. It feels like a country drive anywhere in rural America: farm land, old guys selling fresh corn and tomatoes along side the road in the summer, open spaces . . . And of course, being Virginia, there is so much history. It is everywhere - you can almost feel it. Just on the drive down you pass the birthplaces of multiple founding fathers, other historic figures, and their relatives - George Washington, Washington's mother Mary Ball, James Madison, Robert E. Lee, etc., etc., etc., It really is amazing.

Things haven't changed much in the area since we first started coming here ~13 years ago, although the pace of the change has started to increase. Since I was last here 2 years ago, a new Super Wal-Mart opened in the adjacent town, and numerous local mom-and-pop businesses have gone out of business are are in the process. I admit that I enjoy the convenience of Wal-Mart, but there is no denying the terrible effect it has on small communities. So much of a town's character is in its uniqueness, which is destroyed by big chains. if you drive through nearly any town in this country now, you'll find a major street that is nothing but Wal-Mart, Applebee's, Wendy's, etc. This street looks exactly the same no matter what town you're in. It's very sad.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time with my Grandmother Genevieve, and grandfather Rolf. They are doing very well, even better than the last time I saw them. They are getting along in years, but you would hardly know it talking to them. They are as sharp and funny as ever.

We arrived in mid afternoon on Saturday. They loved meeting their new great grandson Jackson, and grandmother held him a few times. Not for very long though - he's gaining on her very quickly in both height and weight (she'd only 4'10" with heals). It wasn't long before it was time for cocktails, a nightly ritual. My aunt Laurie joined us for the evening. We also had crackers, nuts, little squares of rye bread, and Sarah's favorite: raw oysters with grandmother's wonderful lemon-caper sauce. Delicious! For dinner we had a wonderful rock fish, couscous, and green beens, following a carrot salad that I liked much more than when I remember having it years before, and ending of course with a selection of amazing cheeses. As always, it was a wonderful dinner. Although she doesn't cook nearly as much as she used to, she still is an amazing cook and dinner are one of the things that I look forward to the most.

Jackson with Aunt Laurie

The next day after breakfast, Sarah, Jackson, Lincoln, and I walked down to the beach. The beach is small, but again, it is wonderful because it is only accessible to the few people that live in this culdasac, which are almost all retired folks, so there is almost never anyone on the beach. I've never seen more than 1 family on it. One of the coolest part of the beach is that there is a fossil oyster reef at the base of the bluff on which their house is perched.

Lincoln absolutely loves this place. Obviously, that mostly because he doesn't' have to be on a leash and he can explore. His favorite thing, though, is to chase rabbits. I brought him here only 1 time before, 2 years ago, so I though he wouldn't remember it. He obviously did. We were all disappointed because the rabbits had all gone into hibernation, so he couldn't chase them, but he searched endlessly. it is so funny to tease him. If you say "Lincoln, look, bunny!" He takes off running, head, ears, and tail high, sometimes he hopes like a fox, searching frantically for a rabbit. It really is hilarious.

We went into town on this afternoon to get some groceries and to make copies of some pictures that grandma has. We also went to a really good B-B-Q place there - there are no b-b-q places up here. That's what I miss most: b-b-q and sweet tea.

We had another wonderful cocktail and hors d'oerve hour, followed by a more subdued but wonderful dinner of veal.

The next morning was sad, as the last day always is. I love it here so much and never want to leave to go back to busy, crowded, polluted rat race and "civilization". We had a nice breakfast, packed up our stuff, and said our goodbyes. It was so nice to see Jackson with his great grandparents. Hopefully they will be around long enough for him to remember them, but if not, we have lots of pictures, movies, and memories.