R Family Reunion

On Saturday June 25, 2011, Lynn's side of the family had a reunion at the Polish-American Hall in Newington, CT (even though they are Lithuanian). Her grandfather was the second of 14 kids! Lynn's great aunt, Sr. Pat was there as well as Lynn's sister Dar, and Richard, Lynn, and me. We are in the back of the photo above, so you can't see us but see our "family" photo below.

They had great food: stuffed cabbage, sausage and sauerkraut, rigatoni, porgies(cheese, potato & cheese), egg plant parmigiani, salads, chips, soda, coffee, and cake and ice cream. They also had a deejay and we saw that several family members enjoy dancing (and are pretty good). The colored balloons on the wall are the colors of the Lithuanian flag: 

There were 52 family members in attendence including some from Florida, Oregon, and lots from Connecticut.

Mark and Harriet

Last Saturday (6/25/11), Richard and I stopped in at the Mark Twain House which is a bit down the street from Lynn's apartment (it would be a long walk). Although we didn't tour the house or museum, I wanted to get a first day issue of the new stamp (see picture above). However, they did not have enough and had sold out within minutes. After browsing around the gift shop, we walked around the grounds and circled the house and museum.

Right next store is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. Although I had visited Twain's house when I first moved to Hartford years ago, I had never paid much attention to Harriet Beecher Stow because I never read Uncle Tom's Cabin. So we popped in to their gift shop and browsed around. They had a nice little exhibit about the famous book because this is the 200th anniversary of her birth (June 14, 1811).  Uncle Tom's Cabin was originally published in serial form in an anti-slavery newspaper. You can read it on-line in that format here or here. Or borrow the book from the library. I'm putting it on my list to read.

War is Over



In January I started the third volume of Richard J. Evan's trilogy on the Third Reich: The Third Reich At War. On Friday (July 1st) I finished the book: 926 pages plus a preface. Reading a little bit each day (after my morning Bible study), it took me about 5.5 months to finish this volume.  My experience with the second volume is detailed in my January 16th post. I started volume one of the trilogy on May 6, 2010!

Excerpts from the Preface:
"This book tells the story of the Third Reich...from the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939 to its end in Europe on 8 May 1945."
"...the subject matter of which was sometimes shocking and depressing almost beyond belief."
The front flap of the dust jacket:
 "...Evans traces the rise and demise of German military might, as well as the mobilization of an entire"people's community" in the service of a war of conquest, racial subjugation and genocide."

"Adroitly blending narrative, description and analysis, Richard J. Evans portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destruction and taking much of Europe with it. The Third Reich at War is an absorbing, revelatory and definitive account of one of the greatest tragedies in human history."



An ironic confluence occurred during my reading as I was also reading a book of essays on William Golding's Lord of the Flies and I started to read/study the Book of Job (in the Bible). I realized that evil is unfortunately still with us and the associated issues have not diminished. We must be vigilant and proactive; but depressingly, we seem to be oblivious to the path we as a society are taking. Reading this trilogy was like climbing a mountain. I am glad to have reached the top but the view is troubling.

Wipeout!

After.

In my June 8th post, I mentioned the miracle of the Surfing Madonna. Unfortunately (for the moment, at least), the gorgeous mosaic has been removed (see picture above) because the city classified it as graffiti because it was unauthorized.  Fortunately, the artist came forward and admitted his work and responsibility. He paid over $2,000 plus fines to have the piece taken down. Reportedly he is trying to find another public place within the same city to reinstall it legally. I hope so.

Before.