Mother's Day and a Walk Down East Avenue

 It's days behind us now, but I do want to say that I has a very lovely Mother's Day this year. It started out a bit different from other years, but that was intentional on my part. This year I decided to be proactive. 

On Mother's Day I often find myself desperately afraid of my own expectations, and terribly afraid of transferring them onto my children. I didn't want to sit at home waiting for something to happen and then be overly emotional by the end of the day should things not turn out as expected, so I made some plans.

My friend Chris and I decided to meet for breakfast at a little bakery on Park Avenue in Rochester, NY. I've wanted to go for a long time, but didn't want to venture there alone. Chris suggested, since the weather was forecast to be nice, that we go for a walk afterward, so I sent each of my local kids a text letting them know I was going to be busy during the early part of the day, but would be home after 3 pm. I think they were perhaps a little surprised, but it was really an effort to eliminate the pressures we often feel on both sides.

Chris and I both ordered fancy waffles and enjoyed chatting while we waited for our breakfasts. When we were done eating, we walked a block over to East Avenue and took a self-guided tour of the gardens outside the George Eastman House before walking several block farther into the city. It was a lovely afternoon and I took pictures along the way.

My kids came over in time for pizza later in the day. I received hugs, cards, and a variety of gifts. Gifts and cards are fun, but the best part was the hugs from kids and grandchildren. I also got a phone call from my Minnesota son and that was pretty special too.

I think sometimes moms are more afraid of Mother's Day than anything. Afraid of disappointing, and afraid of being disappointed. There have been many years when I was more than a little relieved when it was over, but this year was just right.

Photographs from our walk.

Afternoon Tea

My friend Deborah and I went on a little excursion yesterday afternoon. I learned months ago about this tea party in a park in downtown Rochester, NY so we set off to join in the fun.

We found Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass engaged in deep conver- sation, teapot, cups, and books on the table. The park seemed unusually quiet for being situated just a few blocks west of downtown. A few people meandered by, the houses were neat and well kept.

I don't know if Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony ever actually sat down and had tea together, but since they were very good friends, it is altogether very likely. I found this written in an article concerning his death, "Miss Anthony and Mr. Douglass formed an intimate friendship when both resided in Rochester, N.Y., and that friendship had continued for many decades." History comes alive when one looks for it outside of dry and dusty textbooks.

I'm pretty sure Mr. Douglass would be heartbroken that with all of the work that he and others did to "banish the color line" that it still exists to this day. What an incredible scene this statue depicts! It's too bad, in many ways, that it is in such an out of the way location.

We didn't spend an incredible amount of time at Susan B. Anthony Square, but continued on and found ourselves at the Highland Bowl between South Avenue and Mount Hope Boulevard, and there he was again, an elder Frederick Douglass standing high atop a pedestal, hands outstretched.

I'm certain this statue gets many more visitors, simply due to it's location. We pretty much stumbled upon it by accident when deciding to visit Highland Park (home of the Lilac Festival) and it has given me even more cause to learn about this notable Rochestarian who, along with Susan B is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery not far from where this monument stands.

Adventures in Mount Hope Cemetery

Today was an adventure. My friend Deborah and I plotted and made our escape. Since it was our first joint venture, we didn't wander especially far, but instead made our way to the city of Rochester, NY and the old Mount Hope Cemetery.

Mount Hope is one of Rochester's oldest cemeteries and is situated in an area of rolling hills and mature trees. It's almost like being in a sprawling park. In days past, families would often picnic there on warm summer afternoons. The roads through the park twist, turn, and tumble over hills and soon I was feeling just a little disoriented, although not entirely lost.



Somewhere in the maze of roads and headstones are markers belonging to my grandmother and her parents, but we didn't chance to happen upon them today. We did pass by the simple white marble headstone of Susan B Anthony. It had been decorated with flowers and stickers claiming "I voted today." I had to smile and realize that our photos of her gravestone are a bit more unique than the many others I found online.


This afternoon city workers were busy blowing fallen leaves into piles which lined the sides of several roads. We resisted the urge to scuff our feet though the wonderfully crunchy heaps when the workers were within eye-shot...

... but when rounding a bend at the backside of the  cemetery and feeling quite solitary, I couldn't resist a good old fashioned plop backward into the pile.

(This is getting long, isn't it? I'll finish it up quick.)

We found the marker for the Bausch and Lomb family...
(Think contacts lenses and eye glasses.)

Towering obelisks reached skyward as leaves tumbled to the earth...

"The Weary Pilgrim," an incredibly beautiful sculpture by Nicola Cantalamessa-Papotti, rested at the grave of Aaron Erikson.

 A river (or perhaps it was a sea) of leaves blankets the hills and valleys.

We walked a good portion of the cemetery, took a bazillion photos and wore ourselves out before finding some lunch at The Distillery across Mount Hope Avenue. It was, a wonderful day!