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Like putting on an old sport coat

When we moved back to Appleton, we moved rather quickly into some old activities that were familiar and more or less traditional. Maria hosted a brunch for the family, celebrating a visit by a contingent of our left coast family.
We began to stop at Frank's Pizza on Tuesday evening to see which Toads showed up. Maria and I shop at our neighborhood markets. We have our places. Kwik Trip,  Copps, Target and we added Costco. Soon we will join a gym.
We are gathering up our old friends. We joined the Nagler's, Slama's, and Olson's for a monthly dinner meeting of The Royal Order of the Toads (ROT).
The lure of Any Movie, Any Time for $5, on Tuesday at the local Marcus theater has us in its grip.
We didn't forget our friends to the South. This last weekend we made a quick trip to the City on the Fresh Coast of the Inland Sea (Milwaukee). While we didn't get to see everyone, we did a good job for the short amount of time we had.
I wish I could report that Maria has found a job, but it hasn't happened yet, and it is sure not from a lack of effort.
So as I settle into somewhat of a routine, I find comfort.

 I Can't Help It
I have always had skill at adapting to new environments. One of the reasons I'm so successful is I tend to go native quickly. One of the facets of this conversion is my unconscious, but apparently noticeable, tendency to start talking like my new neighbors. So I didn't live near New Oar' Leons. I used to live across Lake Ponchartrain from NawR'lins. By the way, there have to be ten different ways to pronounce the name of that city. It might depend on which Bayou you were raised.

RM is gone from our lives.
We lost a member of our family this week. For those of you who met my Mother-in-law, Rose Marie Costello, you are aware that she was a formable woman. She tended to appreciate the attention of men rather than women. Her posture, clothing and attitude displayed more of a cultured past than actually existed, but she did live a life of accomplishment. She buried three husbands, raised four children, put herself through college, became an Italianesta, an opera lover and a conversationalist second to few.
Unfortunately, we had little contact with her for the last few years. I used to coffee with her once a week and while her wall of veils diminished in density over time, she did not  allow completely into her confidence. It was the way she was with everyone. Rose Marie was part myth, part reality and one facet converging neatly with the other so which was which became a slippery concept. She died unexpectedly and quickly as the result of a stroke on April 12, 2016, at 10pm. It ended a life well lived and left her children with the loss.

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