How do you measure a year?

It has been just a little over a year (12 days to be exact) since I first tried my hand at blogging and I must say it has been a busy busy year. I have learned much and enjoyed all the comments (o.k. not as many as Tracy gets but they are fun just the same) and I do feel as if this has provided me what I was looking for... the opportunity to share what is going on with all my friends and family even when the time differences between us make it a little difficult to actually talk with each other.

We has so many wonderful things happen this year that I guess it would have been wrong of me to think I could get away without any pain.... but with the good come the sad and I did have to say goodbye to some very dear people. At first I though I would only have to say goodbye to my dear friend Jane but I was not going to get off that easy July 2007 will go down as my month at Hillside Cemetery.

On July 2, 2007 we said good-bye to my cousin Mark

and at some time in the future I will give him a proper eulogy. But for the time being I will say that although we did not see Mark as much as I wish we would have I will always remember Mark as someone who was warm, caring and unbelievably talented. Mark was always wonderful with the girls and each has a special nick name that he gave them so there was always something special that only the two of them would have.


The next goodbye was to Norman Nusbaum, on Tuesday July 10th. Now many of you have not heard us speak about Norman however everyone has heard us speak fondly of Ashleigh's "Little Old Peoples Club" well Norman was one of it charter members. Norman became part of the family in December of 2004 and has been at many of our celebrations. Norman will definitely be missed.


The last Good Bye came today. My girlfriend Debbie called this morning to let me know that her dad had passed away last night and the funeral would be Friday at Hillside. Our families go back many years we had many many celebrations and vacations together. So Friday at 11 I will find myself once again Hillside Cemetery contemplating life as I say good bye to a friend.

I seem to be getting quite nostalgic right now remembering back over the past year and back to the 1970's when Debbie and I first met...but I can't look only at the good-byes of the past year I have to look at it all ... sending Sam to Israel and having her come home, Going to Portland to see Celia and Sean, Going to Israel to see Sam, pictures of Ashleigh and Morgan at their first dances, watching Bubbie get ready for her Bat Mitzvah and then the party afterwards. On the whole it has been a great year so many good things (I posted as many as possible) and those loved ones who are now committed to memory... will always be with us as I start my second year of the blog... hopefully improving with age.