Change of plans

Closing on the house is set for 10:00 Wednesday morning. That may be changing, however. My uncle in Maryland just died.

He was a big, ruddy-faced man with a booming voice. He did not resemble the rest of my grandparents' children, who were all of medium height and somewhat willowy. He actually resembled me in some ways.

He had a powerful grip, like my grandfather, and would crush our hands as a joke when we would see him at the holidays. He would always pick me up when he saw me, at least up to age 10 or so, which was a bit of a trick as I got older and bigger.

He's gone now. Another ghost to haunt my house, another echo of the past to resound as I move around the place. May he rest in peace. And may his memory live on.