Saying Good-bye to Family



Scott Fountain on Belle Isle

My nephew & niece-in-law, Kevin and Jen came to Detroit for a weekend visit to see me off to France. We ate much, talked much and enjoyed each other's company.

 

  

something cheesy good at Lucy and the Wolf restaurant in Northville and my hamburger and salad dinner

ffmy hamburger and salad   

   famous complimentary doughnuts of the house

Drinks at Granite City Food and Brewery in Northville with Denise and John and a visit from Vishu, Kevin's University of Michigan classmate.

 


Sunday breakfast of chicken & waffles at Kuzzo's in Detroit--a must-do treat

 

Some  more quality time at the new and improved Belle Isle, now a designated state park. Here is the bridge to Belle Isle with the Detroit skyline in the background                                                                            

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some interesting people we saw in the park

 

                             

some nice portraits to keep

As my days at home wound down, Denise and I had some time to spend together walking down Memory Lane starting with our neighborhood in Melvindale and with our parents' graves.




 

our home on Flint Street where we grew up




Mom and Dad's graves

graveyard at the Field, located at the end of our street;
it served as our playground
 







Bobby and Michael's house and my best friend, Charlene's house

Best friend, Patty's house

 

Aunt Frances & Uncle Marcel's house where we spent many good times

 

 

 



Our grandparents' house, a block away from ours

Melvindale High School

We saw the former site of Dasher Junior High with the football field in background

 

 We visited our high school band leader's grave, Mr. Naumoff

 

 

 

 We saw the movie Paris Can Wait, a perfect preparation formy new life there. It was at my favorite theatre, the Phoenix

We had lunch at our favorite Chines restaurant, Dale Yee's

 
We visited the site of our old parish, St. Conrad's

We visited our old Church, Dearborn Woods United Presbyterian Church

 






house of Mrs. Williams, 6th grade teacher who inspired my interest in the United Nations and things international




neighborhood view of the ever-present Ford Rouge Plant, the source of middle class jobs

 

 

Dinner with Uncle Mario with cousins Paul and Mary and husband, Dan



Joyce and Minnie, long-time Flint neighborhood friends with steak dinner

We went to Mass together one last time.

John and Denise lit a candle for me. This was VERY touching and I was not only moved but overwhelmed by their gesture of love and support.

We sipped cappucino at Cantoro's one last time.

We had dinner together one last time....and it turned out to be a Christmas-in-July dinner with traditional family servings of spedini, sausage and broccoli.

My plan was to take a suitcase, duffle bag and purse--and I did it!

 

Final good-byes were happy but tearful.

Denise is a teacher and she knows how to plan activities and events. She went all out for me during these last days at home. She made them fun and memorable. I love her for that; but more importantly, I love her for who she is and the fact that she is my sister forever!