November 2024

The drought continued here in the northeast most of this month, but we did fially get some rain and even some snow. Here are all photos and videos from November, and what we've been up to below.

Goodbye to Our Neighbor Jack

Rob: For the past few years, we have enjoyed getting to know Jack and Mary, a wonderful couple who we rent from that also live next door. Sadly, Jack passed away earlier this month. We haven't seen as much of him lately as various health issues made it difficult for him to get out. And then he had to go on dialysis, then he got COVID, and the combination of all that was too much at the age of 84. We always enjoyed visiting with him and appreciated his stories and kind interest in Alex. One of my favorite stories he told me was about how when he was a kid growing up in Queens, him and his friends had a baseball signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers (I don't recall which year, but there were famous people on the team). And they that they played with in the streets because back then you didn't think about how much it might be worth. He still loved to talk about baseball, his kids, and anything related to the local area we might want to know about.  Here is his obituary. It's a tough time for Mary now, but fortunately she has a son who is here to help out and the support of many kind friends and neighbors, as the two of them have lived here for decades and raised their kids here too.

Alex Turns 8

Rob: Our little guy turned 8 years old this month, and as usual he was spoiled with many gifts from family this month, along with a very thoughtful Halloween basket full of goodies and toys from our kind neighbors. We didn't have a big birthday party or anything, just opening gifts and singing happy birthday with cinnamon rolls in place of cake (as per his preference). Gifts included stackable foam blocks to play with in the tub, a mini golf putting green to practice mini golf skills with,  a shirt, a toy safe with an entry code (he loves all kinds of boxes),  some Christmas books, a light up top/spinner, and a fancy V-tech marble run kit that we built later that day. At the age of 8, Alex is now just shy of 48 inches tall and just shy of 48 pounds. He has only grown 2-3" since last year so he's still on the small side for his age. He continues to be very energetic, and some of his favorite activities are walking along logs and big rocks, running around in the yard and other big open spaces, being piggybacked or transported in any other way, and going on outings to some of the usual places we go, especially the malls, libraries, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart. His least favorite things are the vacuum cleaner and the blender. He loves to laugh and smile, and most of the things that make him laugh never get old. Although he is not conversational, he is often repeating things in response to shows or iPad games he likes, and sometimes singing or talking to himself in his own ways that we usually don't understand. We love to hear his chatter and giggles around the house throughout the day. He has also gotten much better at listening to and following directions for various routine activities, and is learning to recognize words and understand what they mean. We are just as smitten by his adorable nature and unique personality as ever.

Ribsgiving Weekend

Rob: The 4-day Thanksgiving weekend was a nice restful break for us. We didn't have any big plans, and had lots of time to relax and go on local outings. On Thanksgiving, Kathy, a friend from church, came and joined us for dinner. For the main course, we decided to make ribs this year in addition to sides of sweet potatoes, collard greens, rolls, mac & cheese, and pies. We ate and watched Holiday Inn. On Black Friday we drove to Long Dock Park in Beacon, bundled up, and took a walk along the Hudson shore where there are plenty of big rocks and logs that Alex can't resist climbing on. We went into the town and got gourmet donuts at a little shop and checked out the library nearby as well. Saturday we drove out to the Paramus/Hackensack area of NJ and went to the mall there, which is way too fancy to be overrun with Christmas shoppers and is also a nice indoor place to walk around. We also stopped by Target, which was quite the opposite, and an Italian deli that is famous for its sandwiches. Sunday was normal, except for getting out Christmas decorations and ringing in the season.

Other Outings Shown In the Photos

Rob: This month did start to feel like winter on most days, so we stayed inside more. We even got a couple inches of snow a few days before Thanksgiving, which Alex was excited about because that means getting pulled around the yard on his sled. On one Saturday, we did the Walkway Over the Hudson and took the elevator down below and walked over to the Children's Museum in Poughkeepsie, which Alex really enjoyed. He's been there before, but now that he's become a bit more familiar with it he seems to really be liking it. So we'll probably go there more this winter. We also visited the annual farm toy auction in town, which is full of tractor paraphernalia and such. Some toys from the 1970s on display still in the original boxes and other collectibles. Sadly though, Alex isn't nearly as excited about that kind of stuff as he used to be. We also had nice Fall outings to Circleville Park and Algonquin Park too, and enjoyed walking around those places.

What Else Is New

Rob: After 20+ years of being out of the hobby, I am getting an aquarium again (for Christmas, you could say). This will just be a 15-gallon tank with lots of plants and a few small fish that will fit in a spot on my desk next to where I work all day. I just started purchasing supplies and setting things up this month, which has rekindled a lot of nostalgic excitement.  I could go on forever in great detail about it, but I won't for now. More updates next month.

Alex: Ever since Alex was an infant it seems, he has resisted wearing beanies, or other hats, and he's never tolerated gloves very well either. But this year he's been ok with it, and this is great because we can spend more time outside without worrying about his ears and fingers freezing. You'll see him wearing his full winter gear in some pictures this month.

Becky:  This year we've enjoyed being settled enough that we could buy new furniture and really start to decorate.  Now that it's the holidays, it's fun to put up Christmas decorations in a bit fancier living room and eventually do some holiday entertaining.  (We have a couple of holiday parties coming up, so more about that in next month's blog.)  I also look forward to watching more classic Christmas movies amidst the new, improved ambience.