Bookmarks Evoke Memories of Past Adventures

An old beer stein with a weathered wooden handle sits on the built-in bookshelf behind my desk. Grammy Bourque, my maternal grandmother, gave it to me more than 30 years ago when I traveled to New Hampshire to visit. I have no idea of that stein’s age, but I would guess it is nearly as old as I am. She and my grandfather, who died at 67 of a heart attack in 1972 while shoveling snow off the roof, kept a set in their basement bar, which also featured a pool table, and a small woodshop. I imagine my grandfather — a quiet, talented man who built their small house in the country outside Hopkinton...

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