Settling In
The Lynch family was up from Pittsburgh last weekend and stayed in a very pleasant Air BnB in Fly Creek, just five minutes from here. It had a spectacular view, not quite as long a view as from Sunnyhill, but stunning. Holly (Sean’s Mom) and her sister Carole were here for the weekend too, so lots of family. Asher’s voice has dropped, and he’s a tall, slender 12. Rowan, at 8, is still a boy – not showing signs of the teenager within yet. It was lovely to see them, to catch up with their growth, to see what has changed and what has not yet changed. And it was such fun to have everyone here to see our new home.
We are spread out now, from California to Pennsylvania to New York. We were lucky to have the years of being a short enough drive apart for burger nights in Palo Alto and parties at Holly’s where this blended family took shape. Liz and Sean and the boys were so lucky to live close enough to Holly for the boys to spend nearly every Friday night with her. That time was a gift to all of them – a break for Liz and Sean, a joy for Holly, and life shaping for the boys. There are certainly great advantages to rootedness, and every change has its gains and its losses. I’m grateful for the depth of relationship we were able to form when we all lived close together. It makes us resilient for the longer times between visits now. For Liz and Sean and the boys the move to Pittsburgh is full of advantages, and it seems to be a great choice. Cooperstown, especially where we are, is a great choice for Jay and me. But we’ve all lost something precious in spreading the family across the country. The visit reminded me of what we’ve lost, but walking Charlie through the early fall evenings reminds me what we’ve gained.
The demolition is all but done upstairs and the new walls are framed in. We can see the expanse that will be the living room, kitchen, and dining room. We can see the size of the mud room/utility room that will open onto a breezeway to what will eventually be a two car garage. I love watching the place take shape, going upstairs after the crew is gone for the day to see the changes, and just to look out the windows. When I remodeled the house on Thomas Drive I didn’t live close enough for daily visits. But I remember a similar excitement when the old interior was mostly gone and the new walls were framed. There’s a lot of infrastructure to do now – plumbing, electrical, insulation. The changes will be important, but not as dramatic as seeing the new walls. I’m not impatient. I think being right here makes it easier, already living on our street, already settling into our new routes and routines.
We are reconnecting with life here in large and small ways. Last week, heading to Oneonta to shop for doors, we passed Peter and Aviva walking along Chestnut. And Aviva called out to me the other day in the grocery store. Thursday night the four of us went to Sharon Springs for the opening dinner of the Poetry Festival. And Tamar and Ryder, who were here for my birthday at the end of August, will be up again for the Film Festival in November. We’re regulars at our amazing gym, and I can feel the improvements in my strength and balance coming back after the long recovery from foot surgery and the distractions of moving. We’re regulars at the Saturday Farmers’ Market too. And this past Friday we went to services in Oneonta for the first time since just after Rabbi Karp left, pre-pandemic. We miss Molly, but it was nice to be back and see old friends in that beautiful space.
I’ve connected back up with the League of Women Voters and plunged into election season. I’m glad to be getting my feet on the ground in an off year with much lower stakes than 2024. Jay was appointed to be an alternate on the Village’s Historic Preservation Architectural Review Board, and is going to zoning meetings and meetings of the Roads and Streets committee. Aside from being interesting and useful, those meetings will have a big impact on the development that will house Bassett Hospital employees on our street. It’s the biggest development in Cooperstown in quite some time. We know it will be done well, but there are a lot of issues with the site preparation and road work that Jay understands better than just about anyone in the Village. He’s also connected with the local Democrats in a place where you can really see the impact of your vote and your donations.
So it’s social, physical, civic, cultural and spiritual reentry for us, and it feels great. We’re watching the leaves fall and the days shorten. We’ve got our winter clothes unpacked and we’re getting ready for the quiet days when the population of the Village drops along with the temperature. Our bedroom has windows on two walls and three huge skylights, so it’s like a little greenhouse on these colder days – the best place in the house to hang out. Charlie and Hazel are napping on the bed in the sun. All is well in our world.