Photoessay #1066 - Ezra Cornell

Still, still transition time. Late afternoon and I still don't have an idea. But, somehow, on my messy desk, I see this snapshot.

My father, somewhere in 1997. Ah, the statue...Ezra Cornell. My parent made a trip for my father's 50th college reunion. From Rockford, Illinois to Ithaca New York. They drove. 13 years ago. They enjoyed that trip a lot, maybe one of their last big driving trips. My father's long period of severe health problems started in the spring of 2001. He passed away in the spring of 2007. My mother, at one point, asked me 'Haven't we been at this for at least 10 years?'

I have quite a few nice furniture pieces, pictures and china in my living room. Pointed out by the wood refinishing people who came out (for a price) and looked for gaffe of putting a tea pot (and not all that hot) on my new to me (from my mother's 1964 'interior decorated' French Provincial (or something) set of furniture) table and then leaving it there for a long time. Do not do this. Left a nasty white spot. "You've got quite a few nice pieces here" they commented. Yes, I think to myself, all's it means is that our parents are dead (grandma Ann and all that group excepted).

But my father continued to have interest in his colleges (Cornell BS and Harvard MS). I don't remember him going to any other reunions though. My parents brought a big Hebrew bible and donated it to the Cornell library. This thing was HUGE and old and falling apart. In Hebrew with lots of lithographed illustrations. At least a foot thick, maybe 18 inches. I don't have a picture of it. Definitely some sort of antique.

So now, I'm involved with the transfer of my parent's assets. It's not a huge mess just kind of a mess. Mostly complicated (and isn't it always?) by the FDIC taking over my parents' bank about six weeks ago in the middle of a major part of the distribution. This did NOT help. As Dennis pointed out, if my father had known about this, he would have been ANGRY (always his favorite emotion).

It will all happen, it's all more stressful than I thought. But bob's your uncle.