We are in LaConner, Washington, to have a weekend of memorializing my husband's mom, who died last summer.

Although I have often felt like a friendly interloper here, none of that seems very important anymore. For the most part. The responsibility for the care of the patriarch does not fall to me, but there is something in the guiding of the next generation that is part of my unspoken expectation. I have two more members of the clan in my personal fold, having brought them, with the help of their dad, to add to this offshoot of the family tree. They carry parts of Kay and Glen and all the rest in the way they smile, the quickness with which they get their feelings hurt, and the sense of belonging to this collection of personalities in the Pacific Northwest.

And here's a bonus: one of my college roommates from 1977 is also here with her family, coincidentally staying in the hotel room across the hall from us! We were able to catch up a little last night at the LaConner Brewpub, and then she came back to our hotel room to play a few songs on my husband's guitar and give our kids pointers on playing. (Use a metronome and learn to tune your guitar well.) So cool. She has a new CD coming out in September called "Water Witch." Maybe I can post a snippet of a song here then.