Today was the main event that we all came to Lake Placid for: the family reunion party at Uncle Favor's. I slept in all the way to 8 a.m.
I had some crazy dreams last night. One dream was about this blog. In the dream, I was sitting around a table talking to some people about the blog. Someone at the table told me that I should never use the words "fun" or "do" in the blog. If anyone has any idea what that means, let me know. I'll do my best to avoid those words for the remainder of the blog.
The two other parts of the dream were me descending a rope ladder - avoiding poisonous green snakes;
and buying sports tickets from a scalper.
While everyone slept in I had the pleasure of sitting at the breakfast table with Uncle Favor for about two hours listening to his stories about life in Lake Placid and the history of Pine Brook Farm (this picture below is not the real farm but the story is better with a picture - Beth and all of her sisters have a picture of the real farm up on the wall at home and etched in their memory - The rest of us can use our imagination)
Uncle Favor's dad Grandpa Favor lived at Pine Brook Farm with Grandma Mabel. They raised the family there (Peggy, Adrian, Sally and Favor). Grandpa Favor worked for Henry Uihlein
Both of them ended up in the Lake Placid Hall of Fame
Beth has fond memories of her Grandpa Favor going to work every day in a white shirt and tie. Grandpa favor ran the farm and in particular bred Uihlein's prized award winning Jersey Cows. They had to weigh the milk and fat daily. The cows with the fattiest milk were the prize winners. Favor's hard work and devotion led to many prizes for the boss man.
Uncle Favor told me about his first job on the farm at age 14. He had to shovel frozen cow manure (not an easy task) for 85 cents an hour.
Beth's mom Peggy did her Freshman year in College at Drexel in Philadelphia. While there, she starred in the Ice Capades at the Ben Franklin Hotel. After that year, she hung up her skates.
Favor told me so many stories. I am only telling a few.
We ran into Favor's sister, Aunt Sally, on our way into town to get a bite for lunch. She told us to go tour the U.S. Olympic Hockey Rink. Thank you Aunt Sally!
We (Beth, Peg, Meyer, cousin Spencer and I) saw the rink where the 1980 U.S.Hockey Team pulled off the miracle on ice. There was actually a game going on. An old man hockey tournament game.
We saw many goals. But, no fights :(
Everybody showed up for the big Family Reunion Party at Uncle Favor's. Thank you Favor and Diane for putting on the party.
We got together for a big group shot.
Cousin Alison, Favor's daughter, put together a fantastic dinner. The highlight was salmon caught by cousin Phil in Canada at his Legacy Lodge - Cooked expertly by Phil and his sous chef Emily Gran.
Alison and cousin Kathy found a bunch of old family heirlooms and photos that had been salvaged from a trunk in Grandma Mabel's attic. They put them all out on the pool table in the man cave for the family to peruse and take home. It felt like something right out of an episode of Antique Roadshow.
Somebody found some photos of the Sinnott girls
Sarah, Gail, Carol
Beth, Kate, Meg
We all said our long goodbyes. I guess they were a little too long because Uncle Favor started turning the lights on and off. Beth cried to see everyone go. Especially Kathy and Tom.
Tomorrow we leave for Montreal for two days. Then we start our journey westward.
Love,
bear, Beth, Peg, Meyer and the rest of the family
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