Dianne Lee Russell Schmitt April 2, 1964 - August 7, 2017

 In April of 1986 I went to New York City to visit my cousin Dianne.  While in New York, Dianne took me to her favorite places.   We went to dive bars, museums and Dianne's favorite Sushi place.  When we entered the Sushi restaurant, they loudly greeted the two of us.  "They know you here?" I asked.   "Oh sure, they love me here!"  We sat at the counter and ordered Sushi; Dianne recommending her old favorites to me.   We drank hot saki, ate sushi, told stories, she laughed, I laughed.  Slowly but surely I noticed they greeted EVERYONE who came through the door, with the same enthusiasm.  It dawned on me she had never been there before. For that matter, it might of been her first time having Sushi.  But, they did love her there.

Here she is dancing away in the sculpture garden of the Museum of Modern Art.  

Her smile, her laugh, were BIG.

 Dianne looking serious in Central Park.   She had dyed the dress she's wearing red.  She told me she had been in a  car wreck and her nose had bled, staining the dress.  She couldn't get the blood out so she dyed the dress.  "Looks good doesn't it" she said.

We had planned to go the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We got there late, near closing time.  Dianne said we should go in anyway.  We came up with a plan to run to the whatever was the farthest corner of the Museum.  That is what we did, laughing all the way.  That farthest corner turned out to be the Temple of Dendur.  When we got there Dianne dug a coin out of her backpack and tossed it into the water to making a wish.   As each gallery in the museum closed, the guards herded us out.

 I don't remember much about the museum, but I remember laughing, I remember just being happy in that moment.  It was a great lesson, never let closing time end your adventure.   I don't know what Dianne wished for that day, but I believe it came true.