The Bridge Group

Four couples met one evening many years ago in a private home. We were handed drinks, introduced to each other, and asked to sit at card tables arranged in the living room. We quickly realized that our bridge skills ranged from novice player to card shark. There were a lot of mistakes and laughing. Gradually the focus of the conversations switched from the bridge game and towards families and travel. We discovered we had a lot in common.

At our next “game night” we didn’t even pretend to play bridge. We just ate and drank and talked. Soon we began planning more elaborate outings, to restaurants for example. We tried a pub in Unionville, an Italian restaurant with a band in Weston, and the Sultan’s Tent with belly dancing downtown. If I remember correctly, the last one was the men’s favorite.

Then we went farther afield. We tried some overnight stays at cottages of the couples: in Huntsville, Lakefield, and Minden. It seemed we were as congenial in the morning as at night. We loved having our morning coffee together. Walking in the forest followed by brunch became part of our routine. We hated to say good-bye on Sunday afternoons.

So we planned longer weekends. We seemed to share an interest in slot machines so we organized a long weekend in Las Vegas. We toured the themed hotels: the Luxor with its pyramid entrance, the MGM Grand with the lions, the Venetian where we rode in a gondola along the (indoor) canal. One couple even won some money, enough to buy everyone a drink at the bar.

Then we tried New Orleans. It has lots of slot machines and even some culture. We wandered along Bourbon Street admiring the unique architecture and the colourful beads the young women were wearing. This too was a favourite of the men. At night we visited casinos and at one point we took a horse and buggy down the street. We might have been singing too.

Then I met Peter and we upped the ante even more – Peter suggested Italy. First we hosted everyone at our house for a pasta cook-off. Three of the couples were intrigued so we flew to Rome. With Peter’s nephew driving us in a big van, we saw Peter’s home town, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome. Then we took the train to Verona and spent some time exploring that area too. It was “eccellente!”

After that trip, reality caught up with us. The husband of one of the couples died of cancer and his wife, totally bereft, became depressed. The six of us muddled along for a while. Then we hooked up with another couple who seemed to fit right in – they didn’t want to play bridge either! And by then, we were all older and had different requirements.

Now our get-togethers are different. We meet at one another’s houses for lunch so we can drive home before dark. Sometimes we have a theme like Mexican or Chinese. In the good weather we play bean bag toss in the backyard. At Christmas we exchange goofy gifts. Once in a while we talk about our aches and pains. And, when we long for a casino we play Rumoli, a board game where betting takes place using dimes and quarters. Just our speed.

This group has only played bridge once. What began as a simple invitation, from one mom to another mom on a day-care playground, has grown into lasting friendships that have sustained us in many other ways.

Sue

Disaster!

On Sunday Peter and I had no family visiting and I had no blog post topic so we went to see the Titanic.

Both of us have been intrigued by this terrible disaster since 1985 when the wreck was discovered off the coast of Newfoundland. Then the bolckbuster movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet was released in 1997. And more recently, in June 2023, Ocean Gate’s TItan submersible imploded on the way to the site, killing all 5 persons aboard. Lives upon lives have been lost due to this “unsinkable ship.”

The current exhibition in Toronto walks visitors through Titanic’s history. First we are introduced to Thomas Andrews, the designer of the ship. Workers are captured in photos at their desks working with graph paper and compasses. Pictures of the shipyards of Harland and Wolff in Belfast show the hull actually talking shape The official launch date, May 31, 1911, is followed by the ship’s maiden voyage on April 10, 1012. There are black and white photos documenting the events.

The Titanic in all its glory is recreated in parts: luxurious hallways, a first class cabin, and a replica of the grand staircase where visitors can have their pictures taken. There are many artifacts from the wreckage. We see ropes, an anchor, lights, a toilet, parts of the hull, and other pieces of hardware. Astonishingly, even dishes and some pieces of silver have survived over 100 years underwater.

A toilet and other bathroom fixtures

Then the exhibit moves on to show us a glimpse of that fateful night, April 14, 1912. Icebergs had not been forecast in the area. But soon one appeared out of the darkness, ahead of the ship. A video re-enactment shows how the helmsman turned the wheel sharply to the left but he could not avoid the iceberg entirely. It sliced along the right side of the ship, breaking into 6 watertight compartments. The Titanic was doomed.

Over 1500 people died that night. Many failed to heed the warning bell and refused to climb into the lifeboats because they too believed the ship was unsinkable. Others travelling in steerage down below could not get to the lifeboats because of the crowds blocking the halls. Some managed to jump into the Atlantic, only to die of hypothermia.

Personal stories line the walls of the exhibit. Famous business men like John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim travelling in first class, along with immigrants from as far away as Lebanon, could not escape their fate. Captain Edward Smith, a veteran sea captain who was about to retire, was convinced by his employers at the White Star Line, to take one last voyage as captain of this luxury cruiser. It was supposed to be the honour of his life. Instead it became the coffin of his death.

Peter and I walked out of the exhibit and back into daylight, relieved that we had not been about that doomed ship. But now we had to make our way home. It was a hot day and we had travelled to Downsview Park by GO train, and then taken an Uber to the exhibition site. Going home was a different story. We decided to take the bus instead. After walking about a kilometer to the bus stop, we rode the bus to the subway. There was track work happening on our route so we had to transfer to a shuttle bus, then another subway, and finally a GO train. It took us almost 2 hours to get home.

Now, after studying the Titanic story, I am not saying that our trip was a disaster. But I will suggest that, if you want to see this incredible exhibit, you should drive.

Sue

The World of the Future

Our last weekend was full of surprises. Nothing was as we expected. Peter and I felt so overcome that I had to tell you about it.

We had planned a simple birthday BBQ for 2 of our adult children on Saturday. As the 14 guests arrived, they pleaded to sit outside. After working inside all week, they craved sun and fresh air. We set up the chairs and tables and gathered around. The young kids left for the local pool with their towels and adult supervision. It was a lovely summer day. Everything seemed normal.

As the meat browned, the corn boiled and the salad was ready to toss, the clouds gathered. Then thunder rumbled, and a life guard whistle sent the kids home. The rain pelted down. Everyone grabbed chairs and snacks and hauled it all downstairs to our “banquet hall” aka the basement. During all the rush, not a single person mentioned the climate change we are living through.

After dinner Agnes, age 13, announced that she had something to show us. She quickly walked us through her power point presentation about a new pet she wanted – not a puppy or even a hamster. No, it was a little gecko. It had huge eyes and a friendly personality, according to the research. (Really? There is such detailed research on geckos?) It was also expensive and needed food and a special cage.

Ahaa! this was not a show – it was a family fundraising campaign! And Agnes had incentives! For $5 a donor got 2 homemade cookies in their own special baggie. For $10 donors got a hand-made bracelet. And, for the donor of the night, the relative who made the biggest contribution, there were naming rights. The gecko was already named August, but it (they?) did not have a middle name. The bidding started. Even though she may have to deal with tariffs and other world financial instability, Agnes has a bright financial future ahead.

There was a flurry of activity as people found wallets and signed pledges. This led to the party moving upstairs into the living room where dessert and birthday gifts were the next part of the event. As Daniel was opening some unexpected gifts of hair products, the focus shifted from geckos to Daniel’s hair. What or who had created his new Afro-style look? The question sent people to their phones and an AI app that combined Daniel’s head with that of his brother, his sister, even his father. The new looks were hilarious. This is apparently the party game of the future.

About 10:00 pm people began gathering up their belongings. Peter and I, having missed our afternoon naps, waved god bye and went straight to bed. We had another full day ahead: dishwashing in the morning followed by a Mirvish show in the afternoon.

When we got to the theatre we realized we knew nothing about the show – Beetlejuice. We texted one son who told us that it was 2 hours of comedy and horror in the land of the dead. Why hadn’t we asked before? Did we really need to spend 2 hours thinking about our certain demise? But then the lights went down, the music blared, the special effects took over the stage and there stood Daniel’s doppelganger, Beeetlejuice, in person, hairstyle and all.

Justin Collette playing Daniel, I mean Beatlejuice

Our weekend peek into the future revealed ongoing climate change ( no surprise there), a different slant on employment opportunities for ambitious young people, the invasion of AI into our world, and life in the land of the dead. According to the play, that last part is going to be fun, with lots of singing and dancing. We sure hope so!

Sue

Heat In the City

Last week in Toronto the heat was blanketing us from the sky and frying us on the pavement. It was almost unbearable. But our city does provide ways to cope and Peter and I took advantage of them. We hope you did too!

On the first hot day we went to an air-conditioned public building. There are many of them in Toronto: theatres, libraries, museums, arcades, galleries and more. We chose the Rogers Centre. To be honest, we didn’t know it had AC and we took sunscreen, hats and big water bottles in preparation for a hot afternoon with the Blue Jays.

When we arrived, the roof was closed. We thought that at least we could avoid the direct sun and we’d just have to suffer through recirculating stuffy air and human odors. Not pleasant but maybe OK for a few innings. But when we walked in, the entire place was cool! Who knew? We spent a lovely afternoon cheering for the Jays even though they were losing, and enjoying the perfect temperature. We stayed for the entire game.

On the second hot day, we voted for Lake Ontario. We took a cruise along the harbour and through the islands. A buffet lunch was served inside, with all the windows open to let in the cool breeze. The decks provided scenic views and a wind that was actually chilly. It was such a relief.

Torontonians are very lucky to have this natural cooling feature so close by. Even if there is no cruise available, there are beaches with lots of shade trees and places to walk along the shore cooling your feet. You might even find an ice cream shack if you look closely. And swimming is an option for the brave-hearted.

On the last day of the big heat wave, we were running out of supplies. So we went to an air-conditioned bank. Then we went to our local Canadian No Frills which is so cold I usually take a sweater. Next we visited a drug store, also air-conditioned. Finally we went to the comfortably cool LCBO and bought some Bud Zero, delicious on a hot summer day.

I was all set to go home but Peter had one more stop in mind – Sunnyland. Now I know that Sunnyland, a small fruit and veggie store, is not air-conditioned. But it is Peter’s happy place. How could I say no? We walked the extra blocks and stepped inside. While Peter was shopping I looked for a cool place to wait. First I tried climbing into the fridge holding the dairy products. But it was a tight fit. Then I had a better idea. I rushed over to the vegetable stands and leaned under the water pipes that were misting the produce. Ah – heaven! By the time Peter was ready to leave, I was drenched. It was perfect.

Today, Canada Day, is not supposed to be so hot. Enjoy the day as we celebrate our great country of many climates.

Sue

Stayin’ Alive!

These words, never more potent than with Donald Trump in office, were written by the Brothers Gibb in 1977. Peter and I went to hear that song, and many others by the Bee Gee’s, last week at Roy Thompson Hall.

We had received a gift certificate at Christmas and wondered what to spend it on. We have quite different tastes in music. I enjoy pop, rock and even classical, whereas Peter is into “Oh Sole Mio!” and other Italian favourites. He stared at me blank-eyed when I mentioned the Bee Gees. But when I started singing out loud and dancing like John Travolta, he recognized the music right away. (No photo, sorry.)

Barry, Robin and Maurice were some very talented brothers. They started singing and playing together as kids working for pocket money. They recorded such unknown albums as Life In a Tin Can and Cucumber Castle. They even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. But it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that they came up with the disco sound which suited Robin’s vibrato voice and Barry’s trademark falsetto, with Maurice adding harmony in the middle range.

Their big break came with the movie Saturday Night Fever. They wrote and recorded most of the songs for that movie, including More than A Woman, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever and everyone’s favourite: Stayin’ Alive. And they won 5 Grammys. They also wrote songs which were recorded for other singers. You might remember Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers harmonizing to Islands In the Stream, or Dionne Warwick’s beseeching version of “Why did you have to be a Heartbreaker?”

Unfortunately 2 of the 3 Gibb brothers are now deceased and the third one is retired. We spent the afternoon at Roy Thompson Hall listening to a Finnish vocal ensemble called “Rajaton” (“boundless” in Finnish) composed of 3 male and 3 female singers. They were backed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and its popular conductor Steven Reineke. The TSO performed their own number, Seven Seas Symphony, also written by the Bee Gees, and the strings, brass and percussion sections added much musical depth to Rajaton’s singing.

As you might expect on a Wednesday afternoon of 1970’s music, most of the audience members were our age. Guests made it to their seats on foot, with canes and walkers, and in wheelchairs. But we were smiling. And then clapping. And, when the lead singer asked us to sing along, we did. Finally one last request during the closing number: “Stand up and dance to the music!”

We did that too, dancing near our seats and belting out Stayin’ Alive with fierce determination.

Sue

The Dress

I was going to entertain you with more stories about using one arm to navigate my daily life after my recent fall. But today I managed to put on my socks by myself, so I have moved on to greater challenges. Such as online shopping.

Peter and I ventured into this new world, along with many other people, during the Pandemic. One day in 2020, after we had watched about 8 movies in a row, I looked down to see that we had no coffee table. We were using a footstool instead, and there was no safe place to set down my coffee. Since flyers had been outlawed as germ carriers, I scrolled through several websites for a new coffee table. I found the perfect one: shiny black shelves separated with silver tubing.

The table arrive a couple of weeks later. We wiped down the box and all the parts with sanitizer. Then we spent a few busy hours trying to assemble it. Of course the silver tubing pieces were not all the same length; a feature not obvious to the naked eye. Finally we figured it all out and gave each other a big high five. It had been a fun afternoon and the time had flown by. What else could we order that would give us some pleasure?

I wasn’t as adventurous during the next few years. I ordered some books from Indigo that came as described, and a few joke stocking stuffers for kids who have everything. Mostly I just began shopping at stores again. We have a lot of them in our neighbourhood, from bargain basement to high end, and everything in between.

Then one time last year we visited our son and his family in New York for a few days. On the first evening as we were coming in from a restaurant, our grandson Ben asked if we wanted to see the parcel room. We hesitated – what could be so great about a parcel room? But it was Ben asking and we said yes.

The parcel room attendant welcomed Ben with a big “How ya doin, Ben? I got lots a stuff for ya tonight.” He loaded Ben up with packages and we carried the leftovers. In the apartment, Ben began unwrapping. “This one’s makeup stuff for Mommy. This other package is electronic. It must be for Dad. This little box is poop bags. I guess it’s for Toby (giggle giggle). And this last one must be for me. What – underwear? Dang!”

The same process went on every evening we were there. It got me thinking. If New Yorkers could do all their shopping online, why couldn’t we? So, when I found myself with one arm and no suitable clothes, I headed back into the wild web.

I was looking in particular for a dress that I could step into. I wanted one with big pocket for carrying things around the house. I needed mid-length sleeves to cover up my bruises. And I was searching for a colour to match a large shawl that could serve as a jacket. I found the perfect dress and ordered it on the spot. A short time later a package was delivered. The moment had arrived.

The first problem I noticed was that the dress was not the colour I had imagined, and the fabric was wrinkly. Then I checked the pockets and discovered that they were sewn in backwards. When I tried to step into the dress, I couldn’t pull it up over my mid-section. Then I tried to pull it over my head and I got stuck part-way. I began to hyperventilate and had to call for back-up, ie Peter. He rescued me and I calmed down.

So much for online shopping. I am going to spend the rest of my recovery wearing my pajamas. If anyone with 2 functioning arms wants a bluish dress with backward pockets, let me know.

Sue

Life With One Arm

It’s been an interesting week with lots of challenges; big and small. I have heard from so many dear readers who have learned to cope with a similar situation. For example, who knew that so many women, living in first-world countries, have discovered so many unique ways to do up bras with one arm?

Since tripping on Queen St a week ago and watching my left arm turn green and yellow, I have realized that my wardrobe is entirely insufficient for life is a single-arm person. I have only one dress that buttons up the front. My pants all have zippers. My socks are too tight for one-hand pulling. As for putting on earrings – forgedabboudit. Make-up goes to the bottom of the list too, and my hair gets only half-brushed. In this state I really can’t leave the house because who wants to see a wrinkly old lady in a wrinkly old nighty wandering the streets barefoot?

The kitchen is like a war zone – every knife out to stab me, every mug set to tip over and spill hot coffee, every package of rice overflowing from the measuring cup onto the floor where I step. Anything requiring 2 arms, like pulling a tray of wings out of the oven or retrieving heavy bowls from a top shelf, is out of the question. For added inconvenience, the dishwasher, loaded to the brim with dirty dishes, joined in the battle and shut down completely on Friday.

In the meantime, I have Peter. Peter is quite familiar with tossing salads, cooking eggs, making pasta dishes, and cleaning up. He is good on the BBQ too, and he knows where to find the cooked chickens at COSTCO. He has no issue with using paper plates. He even has restaurant coupons stockpiled! I am so grateful.

We also had Venus the dog staying with us until 2 days ago. She was pretty stressed when her Nana was missing in action for 11 hours on the day I fell. She rushed to greet me at the door, did a few sniffs, and began frantically licking my face and knee where there were some scrapes. She seemed to sense that I was in pain. Our walks became slower and she did not pull on the leash, even when she did her morning dump. My job was a little more complicated; step on the leash, climb into the ditch, grab the turds with the bag in my good hand, climb out of the ditch and continue.

Here is the latest news; yesterday I had my appointment with the fracture clinic for an update. I am moving along …slowly, and my sling will be part of my life for a few more weeks. I found another dress that I can put on by myself. Venus has gone home and I miss her. Peter is still hanging around, thank heavens. But the best is that today the dishwasher repairman cometh!

Sue

Outside in my nightie covered by my raincoat, while Venus sits on guard

Walking For Brain Health

On the last 2 weekends, Peter and I signed up to go with our doctor daughter on 2 fundraising walks; one for Alzheimers’ disease, and one for University Health Network which does a lot of research on brain health. They were both fun – getting new tee-shirts, doing warm-ups with the adults and children, admiring the many different breeds of dogs, adding lots of steps to our fitbits, and holding up traffic as we crossed major intersections.

The routes varied; the Alzheimers walk started at Fort York and went south along the waterfront, and back to the starting point, about 3 kilometers in total. Although it was cool, Lake Ontario was enticing as always. Boats were already sailing and people were sitting on benches with their coffee, enjoying the view. The finishing line greeters went wild with flags and balloons, welcoming about 500 of us back home to burgers and drinks.

This past weekend, the walk was quite different. Approximately ten times as many participants, about 5000 people, of all ages, gathered at Toronto General Hospital’s parking lot, walked to Toronto Western Hospital, and back. It was more fast-paced and crowded, and the walk through Chinatown was like being in another country.

As we got close to the finish line, Peter suggested we take a Spadina Street detour down to see the construction on the Ontario subway line which runs not far from his investment condo. This was probably ill-advised because, as we rushed back to catch up with the other walkers, I tripped and went splat onto Queen St. My shoulder really hurt and I had broken my glasses. Doctor Andrea said we should probably go to emerg. to see what else had broken. Yikes. Like magic, an ambulance appeared and whisked me off to the finish line -Toronto General Hospital.

Now readers, you may be thinking that I was trying to cheat and arrive at the finish line early, but that is definitely not so. I waited with Andrea for about 7 hours, well past the end of the event. Since I am old I needed to have, not only xrays on my shoulder, but also blood tests and a CT scan to check for brain injury. The irony of the walk to get to the hospital was not lost on us.

Looking on the bright side; I picked a good place to fall – with Andrea there, and the hospital nearby. I have a small non-displacement fracture on my shoulder which is likely to heal without issue, a few scrapes on my face and one knee, and glasses broken on only one side. The bad thing is that I am finding out how many things you can’t do with only one arm!

Stay upright everyone and keep all 4 limbs going if you can.

Sue

Stuffies On Parade

One day, not too long ago, our grand daughter Agnes, almost 14, told us she was going to give up her stuffed animal collection. We were shocked.

Agnes has loved stuffies from the time she was born, or at least pretty close to then. The first stuffie I remember was a whitish bunny with a pink nose who is now grey with age. That bunny went everywhere with her. I lost track of which stuffies came next. But Agnes didn’t. She gave them all names and cared for them with a mother’s love.

Agnes’s favourite game with the stuffies was playing school. We would go down to her basement playroom, aka classroom, and she would line up all the “students” and take attendance. Then she would call on me, the classroom assistant, to organize the activity centres. We’d divide the stuffies; Racoon, Tiger, Sarah, Chicken, Chef, Seal, Parrot and the others, and let them all play together. Then a fight would break out and Sarah would get sent to the office, (thrown unceremoniously into a closet), meaning that the teacher wanted to play a different game, so school was dismissed for the day.

These stuffies grew in number and took on various roles in Agnes’s young life: passengers in her little stroller, characters in dramatic scenes that she made up, sleeping companions in her bed at night. As time went on, they moved to places on her dresser or on bookshelves, and finally in bags in a storage cupboard. The special ones went with her to New Zealand on a family trip while those left behind were shrink-wrapped for safe-keeping.

Then Agnes began to grow up and develop other interests, and the stuffies retired to the background of her life. One day, when the family was packing up for a move to a new residence, Agnes was confronted with the size of her collection. That white-grey bunny now had almost 70 companions. But the enormity of her collection was nothing compared to the enormity of the decision she had to make. What to do with all those small souls who had been part of her life for 13 years?

The answer came as welcome relief. Our local community center, Stonegate Ministry, was co-hosting a BBQ with a local church. The Summer Sizzler was to be held on a Saturday in May. There would be a lot of kids attending with their parents and, while the parents socialized together, what were the kids going to do to amuse themselves?

Agnes is familiar with this church. She donated her books when she was younger and, a few times, she joined me on a Saturday to help kids pick out a book to take home. So, when I mentioned the BBQ, she was more than happy to donate her stuffies – the whole collection.

On Summer Sizzler Saturday morning, the stuffies were set up on a table near the entrance – the best spot in the event. The kids quickly gathered around the table. Soon Parrot was flying around the grounds on somebody’s shoulder, Racoon was being hugged to death, Chicken was squawking on the head of an energetic boy, and Elephant was joining a rabbit sibling.

In the end all the stuffies found new homes. And Agnes can move on with her life, knowing that her childhood companions are well taken care of.

Sue

The Swing Rises

Readers may remember one of my first posts, back in 2019, called My Life As a Swinger. Peter and I had recently bought a new back yard swing in bright red. We invited an unsuspecting son and his family to have dinner and, by the way, help us assemble the swing. It took 4 university-educated adults an entire day to figure it out.

For years the swing was my summer happy place, where I devoured novels, figured out new blog topics, and snoozed through lazy afternoons. Grandchildren spent many hours rocking back and forth, and telling each other stories. Party guests rushed past the bar and straight to the back yard to get the prime seats – on the swing.

So it was pretty sad when, late last summer, the fabric holding the seat cushions gave way to old age, and dumped two guests on the patio. Nobody was hurt but, without the piece holding the cushions, the swing was useless. I checked on Amazon and it seemed that the part would be pretty easy to replace. So we packed away the cushions and gave up on the seat for the winter.

A couple of weeks ago, when it stopped snowing, I decided it was time to research a replacement part for the swing. Lowe’s, the hardware store where we had purchased the original, had gone out of business. So I looked for the company that made it; Garden Treasures. I was directed online to another website called Sun Swings, operating out of Nevada, USA.

Yes the part was available. It was called a “sling,” and it came in 5 models and 18 sizes, with a warning: “Be absolutely sure to order the correct size, as replacement slings must fit exactly, including cutouts for bolts and various other hardware.” There was even an installation video with a woman wearing a gas mask as she wielded a blow torch. Furthermore the cost for this apparatus was $262.00 US dollars and it had to be delivered to a US address. We almost gave up.

Maybe we could manage with just some extra chairs and footstools. But our back yard wouldn’t be the same without the beloved swing. We thought again. Lowe’s had been sold to Rona. Would Rona know anything about our swing and how to fix it? As if by magic, the mailman arrived, (these days that IS magic) and delivered a Rona sales brochure. And there, on page 7 was Our Swing – the exact one!! And it was on sale for only $400 Canadian dollars!

We tore off our pajamas and rushed to Rona. We found our swing, set up as a floor model. As we stared in amazement, a salesman offered to search through the warehouse to see if he could find a boxed one. We sat contentedly on the floor model, swinging and cheering while he looked. It seemed that Lowe’s had sold off their excess inventory to Rona and, hidden in the very back of the warehouse, there it was.

For only $400 Canadian we bought a whole new swing. The correct sling was already attached to the seat part, along with an extra frame and set of cushions for whatever next disaster we had. This seemed like a very good deal to me. Peter may not have agreed, as he spent a long couple of hours organizing the hardware, figuring out which screws and bolts we needed, finding the right tools and assembling it on his aging knees. But he did it all by himself and we didn’t have to call in the family.

Finally it was assembled. We celebrated with a few swings back and forth, thinking that summer has arrived in our back yard!

So dear readers, the swing is now available for use. Send in your reservation early.

Sue