Quist World Tour

This morning we woke up near Pittsburgh, where the prediction was rainy and 70. After this winter,  a rainy 70 sounded fabulous! I don’t think we got anywhere near 70, but the mid-50s were pleasant enough. And the rain held off while we visited Fallingwater. Fallingwater is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, and it was designed as a summer home for a wealthy family from that city. They originally envisioned a cottage with a view of the lovely waterfall on the property they owned, but ended up with something very different. Wright designed a home in harmony with the environment, cantilevering the house built on/around huge boulders. The colors, lines and materials of the home reflect the natural surroundings, and that was the guiding principle. The wishes of the homeowners were a distant second. Their adult son was an architect who studied Wright’s work, and he talked them into going along with Wright’s plans. It’s an amazing work...

Last night my whole neighborhood was lined with carrier-topped minivans and SUVs, while people loaded them with golf clubs and beach chairs. Must be the beginning of spring break in Grand Rapids. Most of those people looked to be heading south, to Gulf Shores or sunny Florida. But not the Quists, no. We took a different path, to a place that is likely to be almost as wet and cold as home! We are driving to New York. At least I (Kristy) and my three offspring are. Brian will be joining us later via air. Still, though it’s not any sunnier so far than home, we can already tell we’ve left the Midwest behind—we’ve been driving through the hilly east side of Ohio and southwest Pennsylvania. I might be the only one who has noticed the hills, actually, since we long ago made a swap, giving up group sightseeing in exchange for quieter, happier family members. Our kids spend their time in the car gaming together. This may be a breach of the sentimental version of singing travelling son...