June 15, 2006

He is still sleeping but in just a few hours His Holiness and I will be on the plane to New York. Last night he fell asleep in front of the television, something he very rarely does, but last night was special. Like most of Germany we were riveted to the screen for the 90 minutes of the World Cup match between Germany and Poland. It was an exciting match and neither Mama nor I could tear ourselves away from the action to put him to sleep, not that he would have gone willingly. HH sensed the excitement in our living room and in the air. Outside the windows of our apartment you could hear the cheers of crowds gathered in the local squares to watch the match on large-screen televisions. As World Cup fever builds, it is with decidedly mixed emotions that we are leaving today.

That said, we are very excited to be returning to Smallwood for the summer. Nestled in the southern Catskill Mountains of New York, Smallwood is a Hamlet in the town of Bethel, known across the universe for one thing: Woodstock. In August of 1968 a few hundred thousand people gathered here on the rolling green hillsides and literally rocked the world. This summer the site of that event will be rededicated with a multi-million dollar music center built primarily with local funds and toward the goal of revitalizing the economy of the area which has been in steady decline since the end of WWII. I wish them well.

So off we go, HH is packing very lightly, just “baby and blanky.” Yesterday we reviewed all of the creatures that inhabit his room, one by one, but the small blue and brown bear he calls “baby” will be his the one and only companion on the journey (Papa notwithstanding.) He is very excited about the trip and has been telling anyone who will listen about his impending adventure. This morning as I write rain is falling and a thunderstorm is passing across the Rhine valley. I hope it clears soon.

More anon …