FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 15, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 69
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As I kayaked on the calm
waters of Lakeville Lake
in Connecticut, under
the sun fi lled sky fi lled with
puff y white clouds, I thought
about how proud my late husband
Stu would be as his children,
grandchildren, nieces and
nephews gathered together for a
long weekend.
It was a perfect time together,
thanks to his daughter Mimi’s
warm hospitality at her home.
Each year Mimi throws a threeday
reunion bringing together
our family from Seattle; Houston;
Coral Gables, Florida; Toronto;
Sarasota, Florida; Chicago;
Douglas Manor, Queens;
Manhattan; and Long Island.
I stayed across the road at the
charming Lakeville Inn, as did
other members of the family.
Mimi and Jim’s lakeside home
has room for about 15 people,
and every inch was fi lled with
family.
Fortunately, the Broners’ large
property, perched lakeside, has
been set up like a fabulous camp
with a basketball court, ping-pong
table, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards
and a “bike” on the water.
Th en there are the meals —
feasts orchestrated by our hostess.
On Saturday, we were
“ordered” to be at the main
house at 2 p.m., and when Mimi
speaks, we all listen. As we
turned our eyes to the parking
lot, there stood a Mister Soft ee
ice cream truck! With glee and
broad smiles, we all descended
on the friendly-looking ice
cream man and lined up for our
custom made drinks and sundaes.
What a treat!
I held myself back from seconds,
but many of the kids fearlessly
doubled and tripled their
orders. Mimi met the minimum
for the truck without any problem.
We all pigged out on our
favorite treats!
Th e next day, we were given a
seafood feast of oysters, bacontopped
stuff ed clams, and lobsters
just out of the pot, and
caught in Maine only hours earlier
. As I said at Stu’s funeral, his
successful life as a doctor was
superseded by his legacy of
super kids.
Stu’s sons are Jon, a doctor;
Harvey, a distinguished professor
of the classics; and his
daughters are Mimi, a principal
at a premiere preschool in
Manhattan; and Eve, a talented
artist specializing in designing
gardens.
Stu did a great job making
them always feel the importance
of family and staying
connected.
To celebrate him, we each
drank his favorite drink, a martini,
saluting him and hoping
he’s having a great meal and
fi ne wine and his martini up
in Heaven. A somber but soul
warming moment.
My daughter Samantha is
like Mimi. Th ey both can host
dozens of people with effi ciency
and smiles, making seamless
meals and walking everyone
feel special. I think it’s a gift
to be unfazed while orchestrating
meals, entertainment, logistics
and even laundry!
With just a week separating
the angst of the senseless murders
of so many innocent people
in Ohio and Texas, I was grateful
Sam
Broner
and I
to recharge my batteries at
the reunion. But our conversations
around the lake, and at
dinners and lunches, were unifi
ed in the belief that there is no
place in our country for assault
weapons–pure weapons of war!
Even as I felt the warmth and
love of my family this weekend,
my heart still goes out to those
who lost family members due
to gun violence. All of us must
call the White House at 202-
456-1414 and push for an end
to the sale of assault weapons,
and spare more families needless
heartbreak.
Let your voice be heard — and
hug your child!
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
A tranquil family reunion weekend
Sam overlooking the dock where I used the kayak.
Jillian and
Hillary at the
nearby town’s
farmer’s
market
The gathering of the Yunis-Broner-Easton clan.
Zach watching the Mets game
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