Max and Esme

As per request; here is an overview of my first month at college!  I've rewatched the Barbie movie (he's just Ken,)  and learned how to communicate with another teenager-- one: casually look over, two: smile, three: find a common interest, "I see you have a cell phone... I like your phone cover...I used to have one like that but it broke." Thanks, St. Lawrence, couldn't do it without you.  The campus is as pretty as I remembered and geology fieldwork has provided an excellent excuse to see more of the county. I've now been to a Walmart-- which has its own private "Walmart radio" station. And not yet killed a single plant.  And finally, I've built up an army of plastic ducks and have been hiding this bunch in my friend's rooms. Long live the duck army. ^^ My dorm room,  ^^ ODY library tree room 

On the morning of Esme's departure to college I came downstairs to find a little duck on the bannister, and a set of instructions on the dining room table. She left 100 ducks for us to find while she's away, each with a note. The notes are sweet and funny, a perfect reminder of my perfect daughter. 

This week we hosted a Girard family reunion of sorts in our neighborhood. On Wednesday evening Peter took Sissy and Tom out on the boat to sprinkle some of Brian's ashes in Long Island Sound. Brian and Sissy spent many years boating from Huguenot Yacht Club in New Rochelle. We had calm seas and blue skies to send him off.