Niece Chrissie came bounding out when we drove in. Nephew Chris joined us as he finished his snowboard run down the mountain. They love their mountain retreat in the Berkshires, and we enjoyed seeing it. One of the first photos I took shows Chrissie and grandson David with the ski trails behind them. A few days ago I went snowboarding down one of those trails via cell phone with Chrissie. That’s the safest dangerous thing I’ve ever done.

Chrissie has a stand-up desk in their condo for work, but when she wants to be in a larger space, she goes to the lobby or sits on the porch. I wanted photos of her unusual work spaces.

They served us a lovely lunch, after which they swam with David. The fellows chatted in the hot tub, and I took a picture of Chrissie and David in the heated pool with snow on the ground behind them.

We had a quick photo session before we left, souvenirs for us to keep.

I found this a most satisfying visit, catching up with this special couple and seeing how they live. I was looking out the window as we drove toward New York. We passed some very expensive homes in exclusive areas, and we saw glittering Manhattan from the Whitestone Bridge. I thought how blessed they and we are to live in the mountains of our choice. We don’t need the trappings of success to be very happy with our lives.