Ten Great Days

My past ten days have been wonderful. I hope yours have been as well, but since I don't know about yours, I'm going to have to blog about mine. That's the only way to guarantee accuracy. I know you'll understand.

This great stretch began with a much anticipated visit by Josh, Cindy, and the twins, Sam 'n Sara. I hadn't seen this wacky crew since late June at Ada's unveiling. I couldn't wait for these two 10-year-olds to take their first swims in the Gulf.

The sea was angry that day, my friends, and watching Sam and Sara laugh uncontrollably as the surf pounded them was one of those moments I'll file away for a less happy time. This much I have always known to be true: the innocent laughter of children is the strongest medicine there is. It was particularly gratifying to watch Sam play in the surf. He hasn't always been a fan of the water, but, as in so many other areas of his life, he has grown and learned and moved forward. This wonderful boy's "ceiling" gets higher every day. Sara, who doubles as Sam's twin sister and his other Mom, spent her time boogey boarding, shell picking, and herding Sam away from potential danger. The dynamics between these two munchkins are fascinating and I never tire of the interaction.

While Cindy amused herself picking out several amazing shells, Josh achieved a new personal milestone: most time spent in the water since his Aruba honeymoon way back in the last century. He waded out beyond the breakers and began floating. Not to brag, but the Getman males have always been known for their floating prowess. If there were a worldwide floating contest, a Getman male would undoubtedly float to the top of the competition. We are a very buoyant group.

Another highlight of the visit was a lovely breakfast with Kate. I was looking forward to introducing Kate to my family and they were eager to meet her. After some predictable initial shyness, the twins warmed up to Kate. Believe me, she's easy to warm up to. Josh and Cindy enjoyed meeting Kate as well, and all the initial awkwardness one would associate with this type of event dissolved into laughter and smiles, aided by a huge helping of Bananas Foster. This process will continue next month on our trip to New England. I know that Kate will enjoy meeting my wonderful family and friends and they will enjoy meeting her. There are precedents for this sort of thing: Yaz taking over for Himself in left field; Cowens for Bill Russell; Leno for Carson, etc...Your love and reverence for the original doesn't prevent you from loving and appreciating the uniqueness of the newcomer. Friends, it doesn't have to be complicated.

After some hair-raising adventures on a Waverunner, during which Cindy proved to be the only real daredevil in the group, it was time to say goodbye to this wonderful crew and start the next portion of this great stretch: a road trip with Kate to Asheville, NC to see Matt, his wonderful friend Audrey, and to hear Matt play his usual Wednesday night gig at Mo'Daddy's Bar. Kate was a little trepidatious about this jaunt because it involved a side trip through Atlanta to spend the night at her brother Bob's place. Having lived for a time in suburban Atlanta, Kate was somewhat nervous about driving through or even around this city, noted for its crazy drivers and its crazier traffic disasters. I think she was leery of showing me her "traffic side." I told her not to worry. After all, I grew up in Boston, the proud home of the worst, rudest, and craziest drivers this side of the Baja 500. I told her that nothing she could do would shock me or put me off. She said, "Don't be so sure."

All of Kate's fears were unfounded as she behaved admirably through a few ticklish traffic situations and we arrived at Bob's lovely home unscathed and undented. Even Kate's cursing was gentle, and, usually more playful than malicious. A quality driver for sure.

A lovely visit with Bob and his wife, Pam, was followed by a relatively stress-free drive to beautiful Asheville, Matt's home since his departure from Vermont in February. To say that Matt has landed on his feet in Asheville would be a tremendous understatement. In every possible way this relocation has been a positive one for him. Musically, socially, emotionally, whichever way you want to dissect it, Matt's moving to Asheville was a great decision. Think about it: Ada's beautiful battle and her passing last October led both Matt and me to leave all that we "knew" behind to venture out into unknown territories. We have both landed on our feet, have found wonderful companionship, and have carved out new, exciting, fulfilling lives. Ada's example continues to inspire those who love her the most.

We hooked up with Matt and his lovely friend, Audrey, for dinner. This was a double-whammy: Matt wanting us to meet Audrey and me wanting them to meet Kate. It turned out to be a tremendous evening: lots of laughs and good feelings all around. Audrey is a wonderful person and Matt's feelings for her are strong and justified. As usual, everyone loved Kate. Great stuff indeed.

After dinner, we headed down the street to Mo'Daddy's to hear Matt play with his usual Wednesday night jazz group. You can learn all about Matt's musical ventures by going to his cool website: www.ashevillesax.com. Matt was particularly excited to have us there because his group was being augmented this night by Grammy Award winner Kofi Burbridge, an excellent flute and keyboard player. It was quite late, so we only stayed for a set, but I can state unequivocally that Matt is a killer tenor player. After a tremendous amount of practice and dedication, he has advanced to the point where "mastery" is a real possibility. What a joy to watch and listen to. I know his Mom hears and cherishes every note, as do I.

The next day, Kate and I toured the famous Biltmore Estate, a beautiful testimony to what you can build if you are lucky enough to have been born into a ridiculously wealthy family, the Vanderbilts. A wonderful lunch featuring one of the top five hamburgers of my life was followed by a beautiful ride to one of Kate's "holy" places, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in nearby Tennessee. Kate has visited these beautiful mountains, meadows, and streams many times, often with one or more of her sons in tow. She never tires of the simple beauty of the park. The pictures above barely scratch the surface. I felt honored to be allowed "in" to a place that holds so much power for Kate. The Smoky Mountains are both majestic and gentle at the same time; the stories of the hardy settlers are both inspirational and sad; the woods are both inviting and dangerous. As we drove through a portion of Cade's Cove, we stopped to see a mother black bear watch over her two playful cubs as they tried to climb a tree. Beautiful from afar, dangerous up close, a place filled with contradictions. Experiencing it through Kate's eyes was a wonderful, humbling experience. I feel quite sure that we will get back here for more inspiration.

So those were my last ten days.

Ain't life grand?

Much love,
J