Guest post from Maddie!!!
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This past weekend with Grandma & Grandpa at Twin Lakes was such a blast! Our first time at the lake in exactly a year, and our first time inside their house in two years! This trip certainly felt like a comforting step toward normalcy, especially as the Delta variant threatens a return to social distancing in the near future.
I, unfortunately, spent the first three hours of my stay in class learning Chinese and speaking with my "host family." Still, I was greeted in the dining room with warm square pizza, followed by a serenade for dad (the Birthday Boy) and a classic Vaneiro's chocolate cake. The rest of the night for Nate and me was filled with foosball matches, conversations with Grandma about the origins of a few of her more antique collections from around the world, and a comparatively early night.
Saturday was ABSOLUTELY. BEAUTIFUL. I ate a breakfast of NYC bagels and meticulously-chopped fruit while watching the hummingbirds feed directly outside the window. Nate and I spent a majority of the morning reading outside while enjoying the surprisingly cool weather, with an occasional rock-throwing-contest interlude. Dad gave a briefing about the state of climate change to Grandma and Grandpa's book club; while I paid little attention to the content of his speech, I couldn't help but sit and enjoy the beautiful backdrop accompanying his delivery. Dad, Nate, and I also kayaked and paddle-boarded on the lake while watching the sailboat race, and after the bookclub debrief, Dad SWAM ACROSS THE LAKE AND BACK while I kayaked next to him to make sure he didn't die. His performance was very impressive! After showering and some down time, the five of us enjoyed a yummy dinner consisting of hamburgers, corn, vegetables, and organic juices. I also can't forget the s'mores that followed, which of course feature jumbo marshmallows.
Though I promised Dad we would wake up at sunrise to kayak to the other lake together, I accidentally stayed up extremely late finishing a book, and I awoke around 10:30 to find that Dad had already left for a run. After a breakfast of french toast and more fruit, the three of us began to pack up. Of course, no visit is complete without a game of modified bocce or chess — or both! — which a combination of Feldmans enjoyed playing. The torrential rain that endured three hours of our ride home was certainly not preferable, but at least it contrasted the pleasant weather of our entire stay in Shohola. Overall, such a relaxing, filling visit!
Dad's birthday cake:
Three generations of Feldman Men (TM):
Hummingbird breakfast view:
Nate enjoying the weather and reading (?):
Grandma introduces Dad to her bookclub group:
Dad finishing his lake swim:
A game of chess between Nate and Grandpa:
A few other photos:
