Sadly, we lost Robin’s father this week. He had been suffering for quite some time with a variety of afflictions. So our sorrow was tempered with some relief that his suffering was finally at an end. With all that’s happened (in addition to Robin being pregnant), we’re satisfied with a simple meal tonight.

We had hoped to make pizzas tonight (maybe even on the grill), but we just didn’t have the energy. Instead, we used the frozen chopped meat tomato sauce meant for the pizza as a topping for pasta. We didn’t have much sauce, so we stretched it as best we could. At the farmer’s market Sunday (which seems so long ago now), we picked up some heirloom tomatoes, which we use as a side with some sliced mozzarella.

Robin’s grandparents (Nanny & Gramps) have now survived both of their children. Uncle Donny passed away just before our daughter was born in 1998. Although Nanny’s & Gramp’s health is tremendous, they’re both in their late 80s, making travel difficult. Nanny couldn’t bear the trip so Chris took the kids up to Brooklyn to stay with her while Robin travelled with Gramps to the services in Florida.

Our son is much too young to understand what happened, but our daughter was very distressed (“You mean I didn’t even get to say goodbye?”). Still, they loved visiting Brooklyn and their Nanny. The visit helped both the kids and Nanny to forget their loss, if only for a little while.

The kids also bore witness to a seemingly never-ending queue of friends and family stopping by to lend sympathy to Robin’s grandparents. Having over 170 years between them, over 20 brothers and sisters and all of the extended family that entails, there were either visitors or callers nearly every hour of every day of the visit.

We miss Grandpa Bobby very much and are thankful for the time we did get to spend with him. Of course, we wish we could have just one more day…

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