Birthday Cake in the Hudson Valley

Very good and beautiful cake from Pesce's Bakery in Hudson, NY.

H. picked wild roses.

Dan F. grilled chicken, salmon, burgers and portabello mushrooms.

H. and I drove to Craryville--Wikipedia calls it a hamlet in Columbia County, New York. Our friends from New York City call it their weekend & summer home in the Hudson Valley. It took around 2 hours to get there, and we were so pleased to go. It was Mimi's 80th bday.

Mimi is the mother of H.'s dear friend Dan Feigelson, the best man at our wedding. He and H. met in Teaneck when my Dan was 4 and Dan F. was 3 and couldn't find his way back home. The famous line my Dan said is, "Hey kid, do you want to be friends?" And here we are nearly 52 years later.

I've always found Mimi [Mimi Chesslin] remarkable, from the first time I met her. She was an attorney in 1970s suburbia--and the mother of three boys. Emily, the young nanny from Scotland, was at her birthday party, too. The boys--and H.--adored Emily. She was with the family for three pivotal years. More recently, Mimi worked for the Justice Department in D.C. for 18+ years. I've always loved her intelligence, warmth, sophistication, kindness--and am forever grateful that she and her husband, Charlie, took young H. under their wing.

Mimi retired just over two years ago, had a bout with cancer, lives in a senior residence now. That's rough--she loved her work. But how lovely it was to see her, talk to her, clink Champagne cups with her and enjoy a slice of her birthday cake.

Happy Birthday, dear Mimi. You are an inspiration. And thank you for paving the path for so many women who followed your brave steps.

TCOY

1. Support group. Doin' my best; still hard.
2. Ate some vegs: 1 ear Mexican street corn from Whole Foods, grilled portabello, healthy coleslaw and beautiful country tomato at party.
3. Rested/snoozed while H. drove today. Liked old-time names on signs: Jackson Corners Road, Rip Van Winkle Drive, Hay Press Road.