Red Bank & Family Time

Wednesday, Day 2, was mainly running around doing random things in prep for Dad's memorial service on Saturday. I made a brochure for the service and Adele and I made a display of pictures of dad on a foam board. Both came out nicely.

Thursday was a fun day. Adele and I went down to Red Bank to meet up with Uncle Jim and Nancy. Red Bank is pretty much as I remember it, just with newer store fronts and restaurants. If I were going to live in New Jersey, Red Bank would be a good place to settle. My father's maternal family have been in NJ for a long time, pre-revolutionary, and in Monmouth County for a good portion of that time, though, of course, family scatters and imports new members. I grew up visiting Red Bank. I remember my grandmother taking me shopping on Broad Street, pictured below, and afterwards we'd go for a treat to an ice cream parlor down one of the side streets. I get very nostalgic when I'm in this part of NJ. We even stopped to take pictures of my grandmother's tiny little house on Newman Springs Road. Looks pretty much the same as it did when I was 10. I wish I could step in through the side door and find my grandmother at the kitchen table, reading the New York Times and puffing on her cigarillo. She was an exceptional woman.

Memories aside, we picked up Nancy and Jim and headed downtown for lunch and to get copies made of the memorial brochure.

Broad Street, Red Bank

More Broad Street

Nancy, Jim and Adele, downtown Red Bank

I was tickled pink when I unexpectedly found myself in front of Kevin Smith's comic book shop, Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash. Totally neat-o! My luggage limitations prevented me from making any desired purchases, but none of that mattered when I found myself face to face with Buddy Jesus!

Woot!

Buddy Jesus!

After lunch we decided to take a drive out to the Holmes-Hendrickson House, a historical site and former home of a long-ago ancestor. All we could do was lurk outside as the house was closed for the winter.

Nice little red house.

Close-up of the front facade.

Woods next to the house.

Had to let Madge loose.

The four of us. Madge got down in the grass for the shot.

After leaving the Holmes-Hendrickson house we went back to my cousin's place and socialized for a while before Adele and I decided we should get on the road home. It was a happy and joyful day.

End of Day 3.