Our young Roberts’ cousins wanted to see us again before Teresa returns to Boston. They had suggested a walk in Muir Woods, but Miklos thought that even the drive would be too much for him. Teresa found a park close to us, and, a week later, I strongly encouraged a reluctant Miklos to get up and join us.

Of course, because of his reluctance to get up, get dressed and come with me, we were more than an hour late. On the way to the park, Miklos said several times that it had been so very long since we had seen Teresa. He obviously had no memory of our chili supper a month previously.

It’s a beautiful park, full of oak and fragrant black locust trees. We found a bench in a shaded spot near the playground, thinking our grandson, who was also joining us, might enjoy the climbing structures. Miklos held court from the bench while the others stood or sat on the ground around him. Of course, most of the stories he told were exactly the ones that he had told the month before.

There was a family near us having an Easter egg hunt and a cook-out. At one point, Miklos got up and walked toward them. Teresa was a little concerned, but I reassured her that he just really liked greeting people, commenting on their families, always giving compliments. It is a habit that he has developed in the last couple of years. I have never seen anyone irritated by his visits.

We stopped for pizza on the way home. Our usual pizza place was closed for Easter, and the one we went to had lots of non-traditional flavors, (heirloom potato pizza?) which pleased our vegan cousins, but not Miklos. He kept looking over the list of special pizzas that they made, and over-looking the “build your own pizza” option. We finally convinced him to check the list of possible ingredients, and he was able to order a pepperoni pizza.

It was a tiring day for him, but a very good one. Fresh air, beautiful scenery, wonderful company, satisfying food. What more does anyone need?