Cooler by the lake

Earlier this month I went to Chicago for a family gathering that included some folks from the West Coast whom I do not get to see often. The occasion was to mark the birthdays of a couple cousins of mine, including one who was one of the first people to tell me that life gets better after divorce, but also the retirement of one of them and his husband.

Lots of eating and chatting plus some pinochle which was not cutthroat. It's nice to spend time with family and, with some getting up there in age, I try to savor these moments since I know that some of these folks won't be around all that much longer.

Before going to the soiree, my mother and I took a little walk along the lake by that park area between the Foster and Montrose Beaches. It was a temperate fall day and there was a cool breeze blowing along the path. Lots of people were out enjoying the sun before it cools down and becomes all rainy.