Nothing But Words

Summer Beach Pics From Newport

Topic: Kai and Eidan
Tags: Eidan, Kai, Newport, Relatives

In honor of yesterday’s unexpected early winter snowfall here in Philly, I decided it’s finally time to post pictures from our trip to Newport this summer. The first couple of pictures below are from a performance of the Navy Show Band at the Newport Art Museum. The Museum hosts a summer evening picnic series of musical performances. The tourists come for the Jazz and Folk Festivals, and the locals go to the Art Museum shows. The rest of the pictures are from Hazard’s Beach, where the boys spent most of their days during our week and half stay in August. My sister was visiting at the same time, so her kids - Matthew and Alex - are in some of the pictures. They live in Texas, so it’s nice for the kids to have a chance to get together in Newport. I spent my childhood summers at Hazard’s, so I think it’s great the boys get to spend some time there too.

Folks settling in for a performance at the Newport Art Muesum	The Navy Show Band performing at the Newport Art Museum	Hazard’s Beach in Newport, RI
Kai and his cousin Alexandra	Kai, with his cousins Matthew and Alex	Alex, Matthew, and Kai
Kai on the beach with charcoal on his nose	Alex and Kai	Eidan at Hazard’s Beach
Paul pulling Kai and Eidan across the sand	Kai (with charcoal on his face) and Alex enjoying s’mores

Lew’s Wedding

Topic: Family and Friends
Tags: Me, Newport, Relatives

My trip to Newport last weekend was a feverish whirlwind. Feverish because I had a cold, and a whirlwind because I covered a lot of ground in the 36 hours I was there. I arrived Saturday evening, just in time for a night-before-the-wedding party. It was at the Newport Yacht Club - I hadn’t been in there in almost 25 years, and was amazed to see that it had hardly changed at all. And they still have their bizarre ritual of shooting off a miniature - but extraordinarily loud - cannon when they lower the flag at sunset. My step-brother Lew has been living in LA for at least 10 years now, and we’ve seen each other only a handful of times since he moved there. So the party was my first opportunity to get to know some of his friends and bride to be. I had a cold and wasn’t feeling well, but I looked good, which is all that really matters (Maria had a nice suit made for me when she was in Vietnam).

On Sunday I still wasn’t feeling great, but I drove up to Boston with my nephew Alexander, brother John, and his girlfriend Miss to visit my grandfather. He’ll turn 94 next month. His health is not good these days, so I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to see him. It was a good visit, but unfortunately the trip there took almost 3 hours in each direction because of horrific traffic (it usually takes less than 2). So I made it back to Newport feeling worn out, and just in time for the start of the wedding at 6pm.

The wedding ceremony was held in the sand at 1st beach (aka Easton’s Beach). It was nicely done, with a great mix of traditions - Lew and Cheryl had a Scottish bagpiper, a friend read an Irish poem, and Lew broke a glass underfoot after the ceremony was complete, which is a Jewish tradition. My step-nephew (if there is such a term) was the ringbearer, and I had one piece of advise for him: don’t drop the ring in the sand!

The reception was also at the beach, in the Rotunda. We also had use of the carousel, which my sister was excited about - I think she rode it half a dozen times.

Then I was back on a plane early Monday morning, and after arriving in Philly, took the train straight to work, to start my first full-time day since I came back from Japan (I had been working part-time while I had the boys and Maria was still in Japan). I enjoyed seeing everyone and was very glad to be there for the wedding - I just wish I had been feeling better.

Lew and Mike, just before Lew got married, at 1st beach in Newport	Lew and Cheryl, getting married on a piece of plywood in the sand
Mike and E’loise on the carousel at 1st beach, Newport	My sisters E’loise and Nichole on the carousel