Last weekend we visited the little house in the city. It was a beautiful drive, as light lingered through the evening.
Attila and I worked on the yard, mowing the lawn, and tending the garden. We lost one tomato plant, and one hot pepper plant, but the rest are maintaining their health. They have not grown very much, but they look healthy.
Attila fixed the lock on the front screen door, and I did the usual shopping for supplies. I did manage to get my hair cut, which was long overdue. Ending up at one of those places that offers cheap cuts, I wasn’t very happy with the result. Never mind, the trick is to avoid mirrors for a while, out of sight, out of mind. In a few weeks my hair will look completely different, and within a few months it will be ready for another cut, and perhaps I can return to the salon that did such a nice job.
Terra worked the weekend we were there, but did manage to drop in before one of her night shifts. We had a nice little visit. My children always look so beautiful to me!
The driveway at the camp is done! We dropped by to see it and were pleased. I called this morning to request the final inspection. After that, all that is left to do is pay the bill. We will be robbing Peter to pay Paul for the rest of the summer, in order to assure that the bill will be paid in a timely manner.
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Last night we attended a local pie social and bake sale. This is our third pie social at the old church/school house near my Granny and Grandpa’s house. It was wonderful to hear again the story of my Granny, and her ingenious way of keeping the ice cream frozen, during pie socials, many decades ago. We bumped into several of my Mom’s cousins, and chatted with neighbours, who will now be our “new” neighbours at the camp. Attila had cherry pie, I could not partake due to my allergy. I did buy two loaves of homemade bread, which will be lovely for Attila’s lunches.
The old building where the social is held is full of memories for me. My Great Aunts not only attended primary school there, but also taught there. My Mom attended school there. My Grandmother attended church there. One of my fondest memories was a Christmas Concert, organized when the building was a school, and my Great Aunt R was the teacher. It was a magical evening, with poetry recitals, and a little choir, and I think a little nativity play. The scraggly tree was decorated with ornaments made by the students. The one room school house was small, and packed with parents, family members, and people from the community. The human warmth that was created there still warms me, almost 60 years after the event.
I think that this, and a few other experiences, were why I became a teacher myself. The reality of the modern urban school was quite a shock, when I entered my own classrooms to teach! My teaching experiences bore little resemblance to the one room schools that inspired my career.
I had a lovely chat with Harriet yesterday evening. She and Hogan had been at their cottage for the weekend, and enjoyed the lovely weather. They had a lot of company over the weekend, by her account, which she enjoys very much. She also cut the grass again at Granny and Grandpa’s house. Attila and I will be out to visit the camp, and Granny and Grandpa’s house over the next few days. I hope to work a bit more on Granny’s garden, and perhaps assess with Attila what can be done with the broken support beam on the store porch.
I have been corresponding with my distant cousin Chadwick over the last few days. He shared a link to a book about my half GG Aunt Nana’s love affair and marriage, The Nana Letters. It was an interesting little book, and really brought home to me the havoc that tuberculosis played in people’s lives; the author compares it to the disease of cancer today.
I had a last minute call in to work today, so in I went for a short shift nearby. Golly, I fall out of shape quickly! I was stiff and sore, and exhausted at the end of three hours of bending, stretching, and lifting!
And so another day draws towards closing, and the last lazy rays of the sun fall softly in the green.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
13°C
Date: 8:00 AM EDT Friday 4 July 2014
Condition: Sunny
Pressure: 102.3 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: 13.2°C
Dewpoint: 11.6°C
Humidity: 90%
Wind: NW 11 km/h
Quote
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
Lewis Carroll
1832 – 1898
Wonderful to see the pics!
We have two container tomatoes out on our deck. They’ve grown well over the last month and we have several dozen grape tomatoes between the two plants but the tomatoes aren’t ripening at all. I would have thought that since they’re so small they’d ripen more quickly, since they get to their full size rather quickly, but I guess not.
I love the idea of the pie social! Those old traditions seem so wonderfully friendly.
I too have lovely, warm family memories from Christmas: 4 generations making Christmas cookies, the scents of cinnamon and baking in the air. Singing Christmas songs in church as you looked around at all the lovely lights and Christmas tree. They were such wonderful times!
Hi Maggie!
I’ve been drifting in and out of the blogosphere lately, trying to keep my nose away from computers for the summer. Sounds like the camp is really getting spiffed up!
Regards,
Tom
Briefly got into reading The Nana Letters, Maggie. Looks so interesting! I always would rather have the physical book to read than read things on a screen/monitor.. but I shall go back to this and read some more here… then see about buying a copy of the book. I love books like this, true insights into the lives of those gone ahead of us. I wish something like this had been written about my own ancestors down Maine! Thank you for sharing it! Back I go!
Oh shucks, you can’t buy a physical book, just a Kindle version. Drat. I don’t enjoy reading an online book, but I may save this anyway because it looks very good!
Kate, it helps when I take my camera along! LOL
The Pie Social is such a time honoured event, TopsyTurvey! My Grandmother baked for and attended Pie Socials in the very same one room school house where we attended the Pie Social this past week! People chatted, caught up with news, enjoyed their pie… NO politics, NO head games, NO competition of any kind, NO dress code, or any other kind of code other than mutual respect. It was pure enjoyment.
I also think it is a shame that Card Parties aren’t a part of everyday community life anymore. Not the kind of Card Parties where there is competition and hard feelings going around the room in circles… card parties where people socialized a bit, had a some great snacks, and had a good time. You don’t see that anymore in everyday life.
The thing about the Pie Social, and the Card Party, is that they don’t cost anything. Like going for a walk, they are good for you, and accessible to all, well almost all, there are exceptions of course.
Tom, we are enjoying the camp immensely! I think, at least in part, it is because there is no real maintenance, or pressure to get anything in particular done. No building to worry about, no lawn to cut, we just play!
Card parties, another part of my childhood. I remember sitting beside the card table watching my grandparents playing a card game called Smear with various extended family members. I have no idea what the rules were but the game started after supper at the host’s home. There were snacks or desserts shared and everyone had a great time.
People were so much more social back then. We go and visit with the kids periodically, since they don’t have their own car yet, but seems like we don’t see each other nearly as much as my own family use to. Maybe that’s a matter of people living further apart, now a days.
By all accounts it appears as though the perfect summer has unfurled for you. Love the photos! The driveway looks quite impressive – how long is it? I’m putting off as long as possible to grade and freshen my driveway. Though most services are a bargain on the mountain in comparison to most regions, it’s still pricey. I’ll be feeling your wallet *pain* in a year or two. 🙂 My driveway is quite long per my standards. In portions grass grows down the middle, which is a look I like, but per others, I think it’s indicative of lazy management. 🙂 Vegetation and greenery always seem to take center-stage – as they should. On the side of the brick steps entering my home, just about every single person swoons when approaching.
Omigoodness. how did I end up yakking about moss? I blame it on oxygen deprivation!
I look forward to your next entry and your adventures.
I see that too, TopsyTurvey, many families live great distances apart, and cannot easily share their day-to-day lives. Simple social events are not as common either.
Irene, our driveway is about just under 12 meters across, spanning a very deep, wide ditch. The driveway extends one car-length onto the property, so two vehicles can comfortably part there, as things are now. After our final inspection, Attila and I will be over there with shovels and rakes, levelling and expanding the area so that we can turn the car around on the camp lot. The road is a very busy one, so it is best if we can exit onto it nose first!
Personally I love green growing down the middle of the driveway! It looks so lush, so healthy! And I am sure it is better for the environment than paved or concrete drives!