Looking Backward and Looking Forward

Looking back from the grand old age of 60, it becomes clear that life is about stages through which we make our way. I remember being in college and about to graduate. Lying in bed, alone with my thoughts, I was sometimes filled with a very heavy dread. Where was I going? What was I going to do with my life? I was leaving the very carefree stage of childhood and entering adulthood which would bring new responsibilities that would rest on my shoulders. Then came marriage, then parenthood, then the death of my parents and so on. Each new stage brings new insights and a different perspective. Young people don't realize what older folks have been through nor the experience that life imparts and so, must discover it for themselves. On occasion they listen and appreciate, other times, not. No matter. Life will teach.

So the little girl that Stacey and I brought into the world now has a little boy of her own. And suddenly she has entered a new stage of life. And so have we: we're grandparents! Danielle turned 29 on the 18th. That was reason enough to visit.So we packed up the car and headed north to celebrate. But birthday or not, we wanted to see our little grandson again. He lives so far that we don't get that pleasure often enough and pleasure it is. There are always 2, 3 or 4 weeks in between visits. The change each time is remarkable. He's bigger, plumper, more alert, more active and more agile -- he's turning over!

Lee and Alexis came with us - a bonus of retirement is that we can travel together. Having been partners in the store, travel was an impossibility in that other stage of life -- work. We booked a couple of rooms in a nearby motel and visited with the new family, celebrated the birthday with a dinner out and a Stacey's famous chocolate cake, toured Saratoga Springs and had a grand three days. We even got to see some of that white stuff that used to be common upstate -- snow!

My 29-year old daughter with her 3-month old son.

My grandson, Ethan, at 3 months (sigh).

Dani opening her birthday present.

Whoa! You're my grandpa??!!

You are getting sleepy. You're eyelids are getting heavy. You are drifiting off to sleep...

You are now fast asleep!

Our first evening, Stacey made a special dinner for all of us, including one of Dani's favorite dishes: chicken cacciatore (one of my favorites too). Later in the week Dani asked me an interesting question: When I think of "family" do I think of my original family, i.e. my mom, dad, sister and brother or do I think of my family: Stacey, Mike, Dani and me? I couldn't answer immediately because it seemed almost semantical to me; i.e. the word "family" and its meaning. But the concept of family has to do, once again, with the stage of life you're in. You leave your old family behind, but not completely, and you find a new family with your spouse and children. Interesting.

The next day we vistied Dani for bagels and breakfast. Then Lee and Lex and Stacey and I drove to Saratoga for a few hours of touring. We started with a tour of the local history society's museum. It's housed in the old Canfield casino, built in 1870 by prizefighter, street tough and politician, John Morrisey. It attracted the high and mighty of the day who had no cares about tossing away dollars on 100,000 dollar bets. No women or locals were allowed to partake. Morrisey contributed heavily to the local ecclesiastical establishment who were very anti-gambling. In return for his cash contributions they looked the other way as long as the casino catered only to the rich and famous from outside of town.

The casino is located in beautiful Congress Park which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same guy who designed Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Manhattan's famous Central Park. It's filled with lawns and ponds and gazebos containing fountains from which gushes the famous springs that gave the town its name and claim to fame as a health and recreational spa.

The old Canfield Casino in Saratoga.

Walking down Saratoga Springs' Broadway, filled with lovely shops, restaurants and beautiful, old buildings.

The beautiful old Adelphi Hotel (left) catches the last glimmer of a winter sun. The hotel attracted the hoity-toity in its heyday who would sit on the porches and watch the gentry parade back and forth on Broadway below. It's still run as a hotel today if you want to savor the grandeur of yesteryear and it serves as a wonderful base to explore this marvelous, old town.

The Adelphi Hotel across Broadway.

Broadway is lined with beautiful old buildings and wonderful shops.

Lee and Alexis pose with a symbol of the town's claim to fame: its racetrack -- that attracted the gamblers and the wealthy who then made the town into their exclusive watering hole.

In my next post -- more Ethan pictures and a birthday celebration. Stay tuned.