b'92 ememberingDianneRThemomentImetDianne,soonaftershebecameapartofRussslife,Iknewatoncethatwewouldbegoodfriends.Ourfriendshipgrew,andwehadbecomecloserinthelastfewyears.DiannewasthereformeduringtheyearsIwasdivorcedandsingle,andshewelcomedManuelwithopenarmswhenwemarried.Shewasunderstanding,andremainedatruefriend,evenduringaperiodinmylifewhenworktookmuchofmytime.Diannewaseasytobewith,neverjudgmental.Shewasagoodlistenerandofferedhelpfulresponsesifyouaskedforherinput.ItrustedherimplicitlywhenIsharedthingsinconfidence.Diannehadacalmpresence,andIcannotrememberhereverraisinghervoice.She,alongwithRuss,weretheconnectivethreadsbetweenourfamilieswhilethekidsweregrowingup.IthinkbacktooursharedvacationsatRedwingFarminVermont,andskiingtogether,downhillandcrosscountry.Diannesability,especiallyasacross-countryskier,flooredme.Shemadecrosscountrylookeffortless,whileIoftenfell.Iaskedherhowshecouldbalancesowellandavoidfalling.Shedidnttakeanyspecialcredit,sayingsimply,Justtryingtobecareful,Ididntwanttofalleither.DianneandRusshaveinvitedManuelandItotheircampinOldForgeforthelastseveralyears,anditsbeenspecialeachtime.Itsalovely,unpretentiousspotbyThirdLake,aplacetounwind,enjoyeachother,andjustbe,innatureinthewoods.IalwaysfeltincludedtherewhenDiannewaswithherrelatives.Iremembercookingmealstogether,andespeciallythefruitpiesshelikedtomake.IrememberwhenDiannelearnedthatManuelhadneverplayedminiaturegolf.Shetookustoaminiaturegolfcourseintown,wherewehadaridiculouslygoodtime,laughingandmissingshots.Iwasspellboundbytheexpanseofstarsbythelakeatnight.Ononeparticularlyclearnight,DianneexcitedlypointedouttheInternationalSpaceStation,whichappearedtobemovingratherfastagainstthebackdropofstars.DianneandIwouldgoforwalkstogetheronthepathfromthecamptotheroad,fillingeachotherinonfamilynews,andmusingaboutourlivesinthepresentandinthepast.SometimeswelookedfornaturalobjectsthatIcouldbringbackfordrawingclassesIwasteaching,andothertimesforvariouskindsofmossthatIlaterplantedinmygarden.IwasintriguedbycoloniesofwhatIthoughtwereyoung,orminiatureferns,andwhichDianne'