John played trumpet in a small group as well as playing with the band during the Flag Day celebration.

This past weekend, we made our first trip to Nantucket since my accident. Last year, I arranged with our neighbor Andy Bennett to redo the porch and deck on the house to include a ramp that would allow me to access the front door. This is our first opportunity to give it a try and it worked out very well. Not only could I access the house but the ramp and deck are very sturdy and I can get around in the house as well.

The service for Lora was a success I think. There were a few tears but mostly, it was uplifting which is what Lora would’ve wanted. I think we are all still shaken by the loss. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that it seems magnified. The service was led by her childhood friend and Paul. Their kids, Perry, Dan, and Diana also spoke and read poems. Something interesting was that, a few years ago, Lora had gone through a workshop in which she wrote her own obituary and indicated what she would like said at a service for her. The product of that workshop and the notes that she left behind guided Paul in creating the program for her service. The service was followed by a reception at Bartlett’s farm. As Ariele put it, it was “the sad bright side of these types of occasions” as we got to see many relatives that we don’t get to see often and catch up. It was wonderful to see Frankie and Nat Stevens interacting in such a wonderful way. Nat was one of my favorites growing up as was Paul and great uncle Tom.

Perry also told me that Arielle is pregnant with a boy who is due in July. This was really exciting news. Since she is so far into her pregnancy, she was unable to make the trip to Nantucket and attend. Their daughter, Millie, also stayed home with her. Perry’s brother Dan and his wife Jennifer were there with their two kids, Avery and Colby. On Sunday, the day after the service, Philomena, John and Frankie got a chance to get to know Avery and Colby at Jetties Beach, where we went with Diana, Dan, Jen, Paul and Lora’s sister Mary. We went at low tide so that the water was warm and shallow and Dan brought nets and fishing poles to try to catch some critters. I couldn’t get to the beach so I sat at the sandbar and had a beer and watched the band while you all played and hung out. I was really glad that you got a chance to get to know your cousins like that. I have always been close with the Stewarts and I am glad that you guys had a chance to get to know their next generation.

We had a pretty cool experience at the ferry on the ride home. Not only did Frankie get many of the truck drivers honk their horns, we saw something that had a little bit of significance. At the end of last year, a drunk driver toppled the fountain at the bottom of Main Street. It’s not the first time it has happened, but it needed to be repaired. As we were waiting to board the ferry, a truck drove off the ferry with the repaired fountain loaded in its bed. We also discovered that there was a statue dedicated to Mr. Rogers in front of the Dreamland Theater. Of course I made you stop and take a picture!