East

the Wharf in Newport, Rhode Island where son John took Erin and Donaleo to catch up with a bit of family history.   

A bit of Fall color showing on the trees there

One of the pleasure boats

John and Erin standing in front of 704 Thames Street where Auntie Eileen lived. I see where the front of the house has been changed.   This house was home to the Sullivan clan, the door always open to a family member, a haven, a launching pad all its own.

One of the mansions on Bellevue Avenue.   

A closer look at the doorway leading into Auntie's home.

The orchid for the day, a dark plum of the dendrobium family.  Sure does brighten the day.

I was just on Skype talking with Erin who is awake at four a.m. and excited about getting closer to home.  She arrived in New York and visited a friend and is waiting for her time to get on the plane and head for San Francisco and then here to Brookings where we are waiting patiently.   It seems forever since she started her journey and what a journey it was.   

She loved having the chance to visit Rhode Island and Connecticut with her Uncle John.    He introduced her to some family history, and then they went on to stop in Branford, Connecticut where we lived for a year before going on to Virginia.     They would still be on the road if John had taken her to all of the spots we laid claim to in our day.     I wish I had the where-with-all to take her to Massachusetts and show her where I was born and brought up.    Maybe one day she will get to visit there too.   

I enjoyed the pictures and the memories that come to mind.  Rhode Island was always one of my most favorite places to live and if I had been able to put roots down, I think Newport would have been the place.    We started off in Providence, then went on to Apponaugh and Cranston before taking off for the west coast.    We lived in Spokane, Washington, on to Sacramento, California, back to Rhode Island for a very short visit, on to Branford, Connecticut, then to Springfield, Virginia ,   On one trip we made it through Carson City, Nevada where I made the remark that it would be a lovely little town to retire to. . . I did, eventually and then on to Brookings, Oregon so Erin has a lot of visiting to do to catch up with the history of her family.  

Time was of the essence so they didn't have time to stop and look up relatives who still live back in Rhode Island.     Maybe one day they can all make the trip together and enjoy the search for cousins they never met. 

Meanwhile we wait patiently for Erin to arrive home to regale us with pictures and stories of her adventures.  It cannot be soon enough.

I hope you have a chance to plot and plan and visit your roots.     Be sure you have your camera packed and ready.    Write the stories and share as I'd love to know more about each and every one of you.   Each of you has a story to tell and I am ready to listen.     Get busy and start today.   Hum a lot as it helps to shake the memories.   Hugs to all.