Little Renee's funeral was yesterday. We were really hoping that either my wife or my wife and I could attend (in AZ) but we just couldn't swing it time-wise on short notice.
One thing we (in the online Ds community) started doing a few years ago, was find local florist who was willing to make available individual tulip vases to honor either friends or their children at their funeral (tulips are a symbolic in the Ds community thanks to the poem
Welcome To Holland by Emily Perl Kinsley).
Fortunately we haven't had to come together in that way very often, but when we have we're always amazed by the comments by other family members and friends of the deceased about how powerful these simple displays can be.
Each vase is from one family and the framed tulip picture has the poem on it.
Tomorrow is our CT Down Syndrome Congress Buddy Walk on the boardwalk at Hammonasset State Park, which is our main fundraising event for the year that covers our yearly Conference and several all-expense paid outings throughout the year. It looks like the weather is going to clear up in the nick of time for us! I'm hoping to strong-arm some more fathers into joining our D.A.D.S. (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome) group.
There is also a local carnival right up the street from us tonight-Sun so we'll probably not see our oldest two for the majority of the weekend. I'll take the youngest two over on Sunday since our marina is having a big Rocktoberfest party with a couple live bands, bonfire, grilled meats and kegged beers available throughout the day and evening on Saturday so we can head over after the Buddy Walk. The best part is that the club is right next to the carnival.
I'm also in negotiations with a couple diesel Suburban owners, one a near-mint '86 6.2 w/96K miles from TX and the other a very well maintained '98 6.5L w/150K. I really like the '86 (the nicest 3rd generation C/K I've seen in these parts) but he's asking more than the '98 so we'll see if either are willing to play.
Other than that?...
