In recent months our community has been offering a once a month community dinner held in the basement of the local church. This is a 'free' dinner with contributions taken. We have 2 main women that are our cooks (Sandy and Heidi, thank you). The dinners are not fancy but well done. Ham, beans, coleslaw & bread or tonight, spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, salad and bread. Good quality, filling food. Dessert is provide by several of the diners. Cookies to cakes every piece sweet and delicious.
The people gathering are as varied in personality as can be. There is one older woman who as a young girl taught school right next door at what use to be the one room school house. It now serves as our town office but back in the day this woman taught 6 grades in one small building. She brings with her one of the oldest town residents her friend of many years, Pearl. A woman whose sisters names were like jewels in the family crown.
Then there were our neighbors John and Treah. We were informed tonight they are putting their house on the market. Selling up to move closer to family. Fortunately their family is only about an hour or so away in MA so they won't be going far. But the realization that they had live next door for 13 years and we didn't really know them hit hard. It's part of the isolation some of us have chosen living on a dirt road. You can know your neighbor on 3 levels. Not at all, barely and friends. We never got beyond barely (thought we had a few more years) and I realize tonight that it is our loss. As we sat there and talked and laughed I realized how much I actually like these people and now they are moving. I guess that is the part about getting older is sometimes you move to either be closer to or get away from you family. We moved to VT because we liked the state but also because we realized we didn't want to live too close to our families. Close enough to visit but not on a daily basis.
So hopefully the summer will show the house off to its full advantage and a buyer will be quickly found. One who likes dirt roads and quiet neighbors.
But during our conversation tonight Treah gave me an idea for a book title, 'My memories of Vermont, I think'. I was telling them stories and she said I should get them down in book form before the dementia set in. Being polite I thanked her. Before it sets in? Some days it does feel like it is visiting. But I think it will be awhile yet before I have to worry about it. Actually I want to be one of those old ladies that people whisper, 'She's as sharp as a tack, but watch out for that cane. She'll trip you.' That will be me over in the corner sticking my cane out to watch people go ass over teakettle to the floor. And I will politely mumble my apologies. I won't need the cane but I will have one.
So maybe the next step in the blog journey is to start another blog with that extraordinary title, 'My memories of Vermont, I think.' Yep, another part of this dirt road to travel on.
Tomorrow is my hubby and my day to celebrate Mother's Day which is Sunday. We plan a full and long day. This tradition came about due to my hubby's involvement in a prison ministry for about 18 yrs. Every year his group ended up giving the service that fell on Mother's Day. So we start ed celebrating it a day early because I would be spending a good portion of that day alone. Face it with kids its a card and a kiss if your lucky and then they are off to their own lives. They may be in the same house as you but a not spending time with you. They have done there duties as children and therefore must find things that amuse them and not you. And now that they are grown and off living their own lives they usually just remember Mom when the need something. And only for Mother's Day if you remind them that it's coming up and a card would be nice.
So tomorrow in annual celebration of Mother's Day (I should explain hubby doesn't do the prison ministry anymore but we liked our tradition too much to give it up) we will start by participating in Green Up Day. We have the brightly colored trash bags in hand and we will police our street east to west or west to east and pick up the trash. Next we will probably go to Walkers on Rte 5 outside of Brattleboro. My favorite nursery. This is the time for quality bonding with plants. Then there is the southern side of Rte. 5 down by Greenfield which contains another of my passions, soft serve ice cream. Townline is the name of the place and it has the Capp Family #1 rating. Finally on the list is something a little more somber. Replacement of the flags on the veterans graves at both our local cemeteries. The job come from my hubby being the chair of the Cemetery Commission. And I think it is a fitting end to my Mother's Day. A mother placing the flags on the graves of the brave children of this country. Some who fought and died for our freedoms and some who were lucky enough to come home and celebrate Mother's Day for many years with their own mothers. I also love these old cemeteries so I don't mind this job at all.
So that is it from the dirt road on this fine spring day. Love your moms, enjoy your neighbors and keep and eye out for my yet unwritten, unpublished new best seller, 'My memories of Vermont, I think.' I do love that title.
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