since i've been gone

View of Manhattan from tanker Mary A. Whalen

 It looks like I've been going all over the place. But really, what I've been doing is to get out of bed, go on an excusrion, pretend to bustle around, and then crawl back into bed. Only now am I feeling more the thing.
   So when Jamie and Peter were here for non-Christmas, we went to Brooklyn to Ed's favorite restaurant for Jamie's birthday lunch. Yes, everyone I know practically is a Capricorn. And afterwards we went to the decommissioned oil tanker Mary A Whalen at her berth in Red Hook before taking the ferry back to Wall St. It is now a waterways outreach project, which you can read about here.

Carolina Salguero is the captain of the ship and lives aboard with the ship's cat.

 Then, the day Jamie and Peter left, I rented a car and went to Brewster, NY, for Roberta's 80th birthday party. Yes. Many people I know are Capricorns.

The Big Oak in Bedford, on the road to Alan and Roberta's old house.

Not showing this pic to Roberta, who wouldn't care for it! Still, looking good for 80!

 And then on the first of January, we held Hannah's birthday party. It seems like so many people close to me are Capricorns! About 25 people dropped in, not including Hannah and family, who stayed home in Providence.

Innocence and experience. Transwoman Isabella has done about everything, perforce.

Ellen brought bagels and salmon. Debby brought brownies, with and without walnuts. Donna (with Ryan) brought the pasta master to make ravioli. Hannah, in absentia, brought the occasion.