May 13-27, 2024, Marblehead, MA

We drove to Marblehead, MA, and set up WAWA in front of Sandy’s cousin’s home in town. Sandy’s cousin is in a skilled care facility with no prospect of returning to her home. Our mission was to provide support for her cousin and to prepare her home for sale.

The next two weeks were spent visiting Sandy’s cousin, meeting with her lawyer and interviewing realtors and cleanout services. But the majority of our time was spent emptying her home of her possessions. Although we’ll use a service to empty and clean the house after we’re done, we went through all her stuff variously shredding things that revealed personal information, donating clothes, furniture and whatever else we could to various organizations. We even managed to dispose of a few of the major items via Facebook Marketplace, either for free or for cash.

Sandy’s cousin has an impressive history as a sportswoman, traveler and a nursing and teaching professional. She was a significant figure at Salem State College having been instrumental in establishing their school of nursing. As such she attended and presented at many conferences, received a multitude of awards and wrote papers, mainly in the area of stroke victim rehabilitation. And she saved EVERYTHING! It was all well organized but it was a LOT!

May 27, 2024, Marblehead, MA

Near the end of this stay we enjoyed a dreary Memorial Day service in town. Beginning with a couple of stirring speeches, a reenactor delivered 21 gun salute and written for the occasion folk music duet, a parade of participants and classic cars left the memorial park to conclude the rest of the service at a bayside cemetery.

Memorial Day Crowd Gathers at Memorial Park in Marblehead

Memorial Day Crowd Gathers at Memorial Park in Marblehead

Reenactors Deliver 21 Gun Salute

Reenactors Deliver 21 Gun Salute

Memorial Day Parade Begins

Memorial Day Parade Begins

Marblehead High School Hockey Team Won 2024 State Division III Tournament

Marblehead High School Hockey Team Won 2024 State Division III Tournament

Model of USS Thresher Reminds Us of Tragic Sinking

Model of USS Thresher Reminds Us of Tragic Sinking

Reenactors Join Parade

Reenactors Join Parade

Lead Car of Parade

Lead Car of Parade

Turns Out Classic Cars were Main Part of Parade

Turns Out Classic Cars were Main Part of Parade

An Excaliper in All Its Glory

An Excaliper in All Its Glory

Ford Pickups have a Long History

Ford Pickups have a Long History

Pretty Cozy in this Cab

Pretty Cozy in this Cab

Don’t Know What It is but It’s Cool

Don’t Know What It is but It’s Cool