Back to Family Home Page
Chuck And Denise Visit 04/25/19

Thursday |  Friday |  Saturday |  Sunday |  Monday

My son Chuck and his wife Denise arrived late Thursday afternoon 04/25/19 for what would be a wonderful 4 day visit.

Current Picture

Denise, Sue, me, and Chuck.

The day before, a beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived. Sue cleared off a spot under one of the living room windows to display it, and the sun shining through onto them was so pretty.

Current Picture

They had caught a late morning flight out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport into Boston Logan to miss all of the craziness of commuter traffic.

It was good timing as they missed all of the rush hour madness. Before heading over to the house, they stopped off and checked in at a local hotel. They had decided not to stay at the house as Chuck was concerned about his alergies to dog hair.

Current Picture

Sue and I had been sitting outside with Beau as the sun was out, and it was just a really beautiful day. But because it started to cool off, we retreated back into the house a little before they pulled into the driveway.

Of course, The Beau Dog, Protector of The Realm, Guardian of The Wood, and Associate Director of Guest Greeting, went totally berserk. It was so nice to meet Chuck for the first time, vying for hugs between holding back "The Dog", and trying to say hello over all of Beau's barking. Terrific. Just terrific.

But we had warned them that it would be several minutes of chaos until he had satisfied himself that aliens had not, in fact, come to take him away, and that he would then, like a chameleon, just sort of blend quietly back into the fabric of the ether around us. And he did. We got some nice pictures in the back yard before heading inside.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


A little after 5:00 pm, I opened a bottle of Valpolicella for us to share. I had picked this wine for tonight as it was one of my brother Alan's favorites, and tonight would not only be a celebration of Chuck and I, but also of Alan's life.

With our glasses raised high, we toasted Alan's life as I played the video of his life that Mary Liz had created for the gathering after his funeral celebration at Pappas. It was a lovely evening getting to know each other, and just being together. But I soon realized that not only did I need to open another bottle of Valpolicella, but Sue and I had to get moving with dinner prep work.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture

While Sue prepared the sage butter sauce, and got several handfuls of Black Trumpet mushrooms ready that she had picked last Fall, I got the water going for the butternut squash ravioli that she'd be mixing with the sauce and mushrooms. She served it all up with some garlic bread I toasted on the stove.

Current Picture

Don't know why I look so grim because I was having just the best time. Maybe I was about to speak....

After dinner, we just sat in the living room, talking and experiencing the connection that Chuck and I had as the fire in the wood stove warmed the room. For desert, Sue had made a spectacular cherry crisp that she served with vanilla bean ice cream. It was just after midnight when we called it a night. Fortunately, Chuck and Denise only had about a 12 minute drive to a local hotel where they had decided to stay. Chuck was concerned about a possible allergy to dog hair and didn't want to be sneezing, and coughing during his visit.



04/26/19 Friday
Thursday |  Friday |  Saturday |  Sunday |  Monday

Friday morning 04/26/19 Chuck and Denise were back to the house, lulled inside by the short, but thrilling, cacophony of sounds of excitement from The Beau Dog.

Sue had fresh baked maple syrup muffins, with yogurt and mixed fruit onto the table in no time, and we had a lovely chat as we ate and sipped coffee. And then we cleared the table and spent a couple of hours going through several of the picture albums that I had pulled out for Chuck to see. He took dozens of shots of them from his camera phone.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture

Sue had made up a batch of cannelloni bean, baby spinach, and sweet Italian chicken sausage soup with bakery rolls for lunch that we all throughly enjoyed, again lounging around the table and having a wonderful time just talking. Mid afternoon, we all bundled up for the chill, and light drizzle and headed off to take Beau for a walk in the woods.

Current Picture

Sue and Beau getting ready to head out.


Current Picture

Father and son.


Current Picture

Tromping through the woods. I introduced Chuck to Janis, my custom Cane Masters International cane made for me by Grandmaster Mark Shuey. Janis goes everywhere with me....


Current Picture

And here's Sue doing her Superwoman leap across a stream that runs along the trail.


Current Picture

Not to be out done, Denise edges her way across in pursuit.


Current Picture

And off they go. I, on the other hand, took a less adventurous route across.

After coming back from our hike, we relaxed in the living room, just chatting and having a wonderful visit. Sue gave us all a special treat by reading the little children's book that she has written for Mia for her upcoming 4th birthday, and is having a friend do some drawings for.

Current Picture

Sue reading her short story for Mia

We headed out for Marissa and Gary's house around 5:30 pm. She had invited everyone over for pizza and beer, and Colin had said he could make it by 6:30. And Mia was more than cute. The first thing she did was grab "Uncle Chuck's" hand, and drag him up to see her room. Fortunately, Chuck and Denise took their car over as they ended up staying until after midnight. Sue and I left around 9:00 pm so that they could all just relax and get to know each other.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture




04/27/19 Saturday
Thursday |  Friday |  Saturday |  Sunday |  Monday

Saturday morning 04/27/19, Chuck and Denise arrived at the house around 9:30 am to the soothing sounds of Beau doing his Linda Blair interpretation. Sue was just finishing up making a terrific breakfast of farm fresh eggs cooked over a bed of Swiss Chard as they arrived, and so it was again chaos on the mountain....

Current Picture

Sue fixing breakfast Saturday morning.

After finishing breakfast, and lounging over a cup of coffee around the table while looking at a few more historical pictures, Sue and Denise then headed out to take Beau for a walk in the woods.

Current Picture

Going over a few more of the pictures.


Current Picture

There were a lot of pictures....


Current Picture

Great day for a walk in the woods behind the house! You can see where the brook has overflowed from the recent heavy rains onto the grass.


Current Picture

Denise with Sue giving us a wave as they head off for the woods with Beau already up ahead of them.


While the girls were out walking Beau, Chuck and I hung out, and just chatted in the library over coffee.

Current Picture


We all jumped into my car just after noon, and drove up to Wolfeboro, NH. After grabbing lunch at the Wolfe's Tavern, we walked around the public dock area, and along North Main Street where all the shops are. Chuck and Denise got their kids some gifts at Black's, and then we headed over to our favorite book store, The Country Bookseller. As time was getting on to mid afternoon, we did a quick, but really fun, stop at Orazio’s Gourmet Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars. We had just used up a bottle of their rosemary infused oil, and wanted to try another flavor, as did Denise.

Current Picture

The wind was really blowing, and it was pretty chilly.


Current Picture

Here we're in the parking lot by the docks in Wolfeboro.


Current Picture


Current Picture


When we got back home, the air was actually getting cold, and so Chuck and I got a fire going in the wood stove. And then, we all settled into the living room to chat over a bottle of the evening's wine selection, Edna Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Current Picture

The guys get a fire going in the wood stove.


I also regaled Chuck and Denise with an idea of what backgammon is all about as Sue and I had frequently mentioned our game battles to them. While we sat chatting in the living room before dinner, Sue brought out some great cottage cheese and shrimp sauce dip she had made that she served with some wonderful blue corn tortilla chips.

Current Picture

Explaining some of the general principals of backgammon.


Current Picture

Working through an example game.


I had chosen a Sauvignon Blanc because it would pair nicely with the dinner I was fixing: Sesame Garlic Shrimp served over a bed of herb infused brown rice with a side of butter sautéed baby asparagus, scallions, and roasted red peppers in a sage and thyme sherry reduction.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


The fire in the wood stove took the chill out of the air, and cast of warm glow throughout the living and dining rooms.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


I think the Sesame Garlic Shrimp came out the best I've done; lots of nice, distinguishable spices came right through. And Sue really followed those flavor profiles through with her desert of lemon ricotta with mixed berries. Just a great, soothing taste to follow the spice flavors of the shrimp.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


To finish out the evening, we all had a small glass of Limoncello, which neither Chuck or Denise had before, so that was a real treat. Though still so much to talk about, Chuck and Denise headed off to their hotel after midnight with the goal to try to get back to the house around 9:30 am the next morning.



04/28/19 Sunday
Thursday |  Friday |  Saturday |  Sunday |  Monday

Sunday morning broke clear and sunny, and so Chuck and Denise had a wonderful view of the mountains as they came up across the ridge to the house.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Sue fixed up a batch of some kind of corn batter pancakes that we had with original New Hampshire Maple Syrup, quite different than anything Chuck or Denise had experienced. They were great, really hitting the spot. Then, while Sue and Denise took Beau for a walk through the woods, Chuck and I had some really good discussions in the living room while sipping our coffee.

For lunch, Sue made grilled cheese and more of the soup. I brought over several more albums of pictures that we all went though, telling stories about many of them as we paged through the books. And then Marissa, Gary, and Mia came over to spend some time with us.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture

We piled into Chuck's car at 6:00 pm and drove up to The Lodge At Smith Point in West Alton, NH for dinner. What a beautiful drive that is, up along the southwest shore of the Lake Winnipesaukee Alton Bay area.

Current Picture

View from the top of the ridge that Chuck took.


Current Picture

Denise and Sue having the best time.


Current Picture

The Lodge At Smith Point.


Sue and I had gone to dinner at The Lodge At Smith Point on 03/28/19 celebrating learning about Chuck on 03/24/19. Amazingly, today was 04/28/19, exactly 1 month later!

Current Picture

Sue and me at dinner at The Lodge At Smith Point on 03/28/19 celebrating learning about Chuck.

To commemorate our current visit, our server, David, was nice enough to take the following picture of the 4 of us.

Current Picture

The 4 of us at dinner at The Lodge At Smith Point on 04/28/19.

The crew at The Lodge At Smith Point is so great. When we walked in the door, Jason, who had been so nice to us when we had been there before, came right up to us and thanked me for my review on Yelp! It was so great of him to have recognized us, and to have greeted us so warmly. We felt like family!

For dinner, I just had to have the Pan Seared Scallops again, and it was as good as it was the first time I had it. Sue tried the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, and I snatched a couple of bites of it. I have to go back just to order that as it was just fantastic.

We just had a wonderful time sitting around the table for a couple of hours enjoying a couple of bottles of Edmeades Zinfandel, the food, and most of all the conversations that continued on after we got back to the house.

After dinner, I invited Jason over to the table to tell him the whole story, and to introduce him to Chuck. It was nice to see his really happy reaction to my sharing this with him.

Current Picture

Me telling Jason the story of Chuck and me.


Current Picture

Chuck and Denise listening as I talk with Jason.


Current Picture

Chuck holding my hand after listening to me tell his story.


And on the way out, we had a nice chat with the owner, Mark Poirier. He's done such a wonderful restoration throughout the building. We enjoyed hearing some of the stories about his efforts and vision for the business.

Current Picture

Chatting with Mark Poirier.



04/29/19 Monday
Thursday |  Friday |  Saturday |  Sunday |  Monday

For breakfast Monday morning Sue made a really tasty quiche, and then she and Denise headed off to take Beau for a hike up Pine Mountain in Alton, NH.

Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Current Picture


Chuck and I tried to cover as much final discussions as we could as they would be heading for the airport around 2:00 pm.

Current Picture


Current Picture


After the crew got back with Beau, Sue made up some great sandwiches of turkey, sliced cheese, lettuce, fresh garden tomato, and avocado. And then, all too soon, it was time for Chuck and Denise to head out.

Current Picture


We were already missing them as they pulled out of the driveway. But we have wonderful memories of their visit, and will see them again soon, for sure!

Current Picture

Since Colin wasn't able to make it over for our Sunday visit, Chuck and Denise stopped in at his work for a final hug.


Current Picture

They just had to go to the famous Cheers in Boston.


Current Picture

In the concourse at Logan ready to board.


Current Picture

Boston harbor on the flight out.


Current Picture

Coming into the Chicago area.


Current Picture

Not ready to get up Tuesday morning....





Back to Family Home Page