Happy New Year 2021!
Well, 2020 is finally behind us, thank goodness. We hope everyone who is reading this is healthy and safe. We are all fine in the Cohen household and had a quiet year like everyone else. 2020 started off with Rebecca going to spend the semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. For those who don’t know Rebecca is a very organized person (like her dad) and is prepared with all her lists of things and activities to do, and was packed days ahead of time. Brian and I drove her to JFK on a cold and wintery evening in January of 2020. We got there early so we could have dinner at the airport before she goes. She goes to check in and they ask for her passport. She opened up her new passport holder to….NOTHING!
Yes, that is right there is no passport inside her passport holder. Frantically,
she realizes she left it in the computer making a copy at home. OMG, what
to do?!?! Brian being Brian calmly thinks, while I am in a state of panic - not
yelling but just walking around the airport, pacing. Brian comes up with a
solution and calls our good friends and neighbors Phyllis and Ron. Ron
jumps into action, goes into the house, gets the passport and drives it all the
way to JFK airport in the rain/sleet during NY rush hour. We only had a
limited amount of time because of the long flight they wouldn't allow Rebecca
to check in after a certain time, and the next flight isn’t until the next day.
She then would miss the orientation, which was especially crucial in starting
to build relationships as she didn’t know anyone there. The pressure is on!!
Will Ron make it?? It was a very tense time but finally, Ron made it with about
10 minutes to spare. Picture the scene:
Brian running holding the passport in his hand, yelling I got it, running as
fast as his little legs could carry him. It was like something out of a
movie. We can laugh and chuckle about it now, though it wasn’t so funny
then. Off she went to Scotland.
In February Brian, my Mom, and I headed over to Edinburgh to visit
Rebecca. We had a fun filled adventure as always. We did lots of
walking tours in Edinburgh, visited Glasgow and a wonderful road trip up into
the Highlands. The weather was windy, cold, damp and rainy, however, we still
had a good time. After a week's visit we left Rebecca. During this time
the COVID virus was making its way through Italy and Spain, but frankly it was
something that was not on our radar screen then. Rebecca was planning to
continue her travels throughout Europe. Needless to say within three
weeks we had to get her home. She was about to head to Brussels and told us “If
I get stuck in Brussels I will just stay in a hotel and eat Belgian
chocolate.” As news alerted to the seriousness of the pandemic, she came
to her senses, and within three days she was home, it was not easy to get her
flights, but she managed it, and she stayed with us until she returned to UConn
in September. Luckily for Rebecca, she got to see lots of places in Europe
every weekend, and she made great friends and really enjoyed her time there.
She also had great plans to travel during the rest of the semester and after,
but as we all know thanks to the pandemic, that all changed.
The only truly exciting thing that happened this past year was our new backyard. Back in November 2019 we hired a landscape designer to redo our small backyard. His plans were amazing and in March we started with putting in an additional patio, then in May and June came the plants and the electrical work. I am so glad we did this, as the timing could not have been more perfect. We were able to entertain outside while keeping socially distant and have friends and family over during the summer and into the late fall.
In August, Brian and I were able to get away for a few days and went to Princeton, NJ to go to an outdoor sculpture garden. It was nice to get away for a few days, even though not much was going on anywhere.
In September, I went back to work, and am seeing children in person every day. I do have some remote students who I work with on-line. It is a very different way of doing therapy. However, I would much rather work with them in person any day of the week. Brian continues to go into the office every day, so our lives are back to normal. Rebecca went back to school and lives in an apartment with three other women at UConn, is graduating this May, and is still seeing her boyfriend Aaron. Amanda moved out of our house and is renting Grandpa Malcolm and Grandma Susan’s condo in Manorville (further out on the island). She and her boyfriend Justin are in their beautiful two-bedroom condo that is right next to a golf course. Not too shabby for your first time living on their own. Brian and I are loving being empty nesters. We don’t know how long this will last, so we enjoy every minute we can get. Life is calmer and it is nice not to get attitude from our kids...😀
P.S. - Last year Brian started to lose weight because of his wake-up call with his stent in November 2019. As a proud wife/friend I need to share. To date he has lost over 75 pounds. He looks terrific and I am so proud of him!
P.P.S. (from the editor) – Deb has lost some weight as well (not nearly as much as I did, but then she did not have much to lose), and as for looking terrific, well, she always has!
Wishing all of you a Happy New Year, be safe and healthy!!
All our love,
Debbie, Brian, Amanda, Rebecca, and Buddy
