Gypsies on the move

Well, we are back home, down in our green valley again.  We had a wonderful first, good-sized trip in the Gypsy Wagon and sure enjoyed ourselves.  On the way north we stopped at the P&H Truck Stop in Wells River for lunch and some of that famous Mile High Lemon Pie. Actually bought a whole one to share with our hosts that night.  It was real good but somehow when imagining how it will taste and longing for some and then finally getting to eat some, it just isn't quite as savory as you dreamed it would be. Could be because I have been trying to eliminate sweets somewhat and finally eating pie, it seemed pretty sweet to me !  Was good anyway!

We had a wonderful time with our grandson and wife and the two little ones.  Met our little gr. granddaughter, Alexandra for the first time and got to hold and rock her for her whole nap time between feedings.  Lauren is a sweet little 'big sister' and didn't mind sharing the new baby with us.  It was nice having dinner with them and we had a nice sleep in the Gypsy Wagon.

We left in the morning to go further north to visit cousin Mick and Donna Mae.  We hadn't been to the new house he has built there and after going up and up and up some more we were atop of Barton Mt. at their place.  Only place up there !  The view is breathtaking from the house, the yard and the deck.  It wasn't a blue sky day but it didn't rain and it wasn't beastly hot...just nice.  I got some pictures of the view and other views in the area.  They took us for a ride to show us what it is like in this corner of the world.  We went up on Hinton Hill where one can see off for almost 360 degrees and who knows how many miles away.  Into Canada in one direction too.  SO many mountains and peaks, hills and valleys from up here on this back road.

It always amazes me how different it seems way up in the Northeast Kingdom compared to down here in our section of Vermont.  It is more open up there and it is UP there too !  The majority of the trees it seems are evergreen, spruce, balsam, pine etc. Especially after we go over Sheffield Heights where we are at an elevation of 1856 feet.

I had my first ride on a four wheeler too!  Donna Mae's young friend, Shawn who is about 10 yrs. old and visiting them for a week, gave me the ride.  He was a good driver and very steady and careful with his old cargo.  We took a walk in the woods on the property, looked over the apple trees Mick has rescued from overgrowth in among the evergreens there.  He has cleared some patches to make nice open areas here and there too.  One wonders who planted these old apple trees and just how many years ago!  After we checked out the woods, the chickens they are raising and the big garden we were treated to a wonderful dinner of cod and scollops !  That Donna Mae is famous for her cooking !

Mick and I got to scratching around in a big tin box of old photographs.  This was such fun.  He would try to fool me as I tried to guess who some of these relatives were.  I did pretty well with that !  Then we told old stories and funny happenings of when we were kids. All this as we watched a gorgeous sunset that sent lovely colors across the valleys and right into the big windows facing this glorious view. And now it was getting late.  Down here in our valley we lose the actual sunshine much earlier as we are nestled in between our mountains.

We had to quit the pictures to make time to get in our game of Double King Pead, the old Vermonter's favorite card game.  Our families grew up with this game as a very necessary part of just being around the big table in Grammie Phillips' kitchen any evening, any season.

After a very quiet and peaceful night with some rain toward dawn, breakfast and some more visiting, we set out for the ride home. Stopped on the way, just a few miles from Mick's to shop at a great place called the Evansville Trading Post.  What a conglomeration of goods they have there !  Food of all kinds, clothing, tools, gifts, dishes, household items galore and you name it, they have it !  I bought a nice pair of moccasins on sale at half price.  By this time it had warmed up, really warmed up !  We took some back roads for awhile then finally got on the interstate and came down from the top of the world and back to the good old Black River valley.  We got ourselves all unloaded and things put away in time to make supper of a nice pasta salad and grill some beefalo burgers our grandson had given us.  They were super delicious!!

We were kind of worn out from our travels and really glad to crawl into the big soft bed just before 10 PM.  A great little excursion.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and to be able to travel so easily these days.  A hundred miles in the 'old times' meant not seeing loved ones who were that far away for long periods of time.  I'm counting my blessings !

Here are some pictures.

Lauren and Alexandra with Mommy and Daddy

"GG" and Alexandra

Part of the view from Barton Mt.

Mick and me skating in a meadow 1955

Mick and me... a few years later !!!

Quail eggs and good music

Getting excited here !  Tomorrow we go to meet our new great granddaughter, Alexandra !  And see her big sister, Lauren who is 1 1/2 years old.  Have my suitcase packed and a bag of presents for the babies.  Hoping for a nice sunny day and it looks like it will be a cool morning and maybe a not too hot day.  Perfect 'end of June' weather.  

I am looking forward for a nice ride and a stop for lunch before we get there at a diner type place just off the highway where they serve what is their famous "Mile High Lemon Pie".  I've been hankering for a piece of that for awhile!

Speaking of food, our nice neighbors brought us a dozen quail eggs the other day.  I had never had a quail egg so was curious as to how they would taste.  They are really delicious !  Like fresh eggs from your own hens...much more tasty than the store bought ones from caged up tight birds.  The eggs are really small, a lightish color with brown spots and when I cracked the first one open, to my surprise...a
double yoke!  And so it is with each one I have opened so far.  My friend and neighbor, Alison was down with some of her homemade muffins this morning and we had them with some homemade strawberry jam and a couple quail eggs, sunny side up.   I broke two eggs into this little dessert dish.

I've been listening to a CD I got the other day at a fundraising event to benefit the Susan Koman race for the cure for cancer.  It was an afternoon of music by local talented musicians.  We brought our lawn chairs and sat for awhile listening to their singing.  One fellow, Brenden Thomas was really good.  Played his guitar and sang good soulful songs that he has written himself.  I really liked the one he called "Fiona Grace" after his little cousin.  He wrote it when she was about three he said and as she was there, and now about 6 yrs old, he asked her to come sing it with him.  Such a great little voice !  And she was so pleased to be up there singing with him.  Sorry this one wasn't on the CD but the ones that are are good too.

Guess it is time to be off to bed.  Weary after a busy day.  And Miss Lizzie is roaming around first to talk to me and then in the other room to get after Den.  She is telling us it is time to turn out the lights and tuck in the cat!    Night all.

Just a bit of this and that...

Seems the heat wave has passed.  That's just fine with me.  We have had some much needed rain and my garden is showing its thankfulness.  The rather hard rain on Sat. afternoon was a bit too heavy and too much too soon for my hydrangeas and they just laid down in the back yard.  We were away at the time, about an hour away and there was no rain there at all.

It was a great 50th anniversary party on Sat. for cousin Natalie and hubby Jerry.  We all had a great time and enjoyed a nice buffet lunch and really good tasting cake... should say cakes as Natalie's niece Abby made a birthday cake as well as the anniversary cake because Sunday was Natalie's birthday !   Niece Amy made great punch and everyone raved about the meatballs made by Natalie's sister, Janice.  The rest of the party was catered and everything very tasty.  Chris, the couple's son, provided us with background music from the 50's.  Some were brave enough to get out and dance a bit too! I met some very nice ladies from Natalie's hometown who helped with the decorations and helped serve and keep the party running smoothly.

Today I made a couple batches of strawberry rhubarb jam.  The berries are very sweet this year it seems and our rhubarb plentiful.  I also took time to sit on the porch and finish the book I was reading. "The Help".  They tell me it is a movie now too.  It was really a good story. If you aren't familiar with it, it is about the black ladies who worked for the wealthy southern women in the 1960's.  I recently got a Kindle and found that one can borrow books from your local library wirelessly.  I had a short waiting time for it to become available but only a couple days.  Then I have two weeks to read it and it is taken off my Kindle. Isn't this modern technology something!

Hope you all have a happy week.   A quote for you...
"What we see of God's provision teaches us to trust Him for what we cannot see of His purposes."

A Whirlwind Weekend

We're back home again...busy weekend behind us and I've declared the day, or at least half the day "Be Still and Smell the Posies Day".  Even though it was a busy weekend, it was a fun time. We saw a number of old friends at the Alumni Parade and at Den's class dinner Sat. night. People we don't get to see very often and cherish the time with.

On Sunday morning we traveled north to the Vermont History Expo 2012,  History's Country Fair held on the fairgrounds in Tunbridge where  150 + Historical Societies around the state participate in this event every two years.  This year's theme was the Civil War. We were scheduled to 'sit' with the Weathersfield Historical Society's display in the afternoon from 1-5 pm so we arrived early in order to take in the sights before our time to man the booth.

After looking at the many interesting displays and seeing the reenactors in their encampments and many folks in period clothing, which got them in at half price, and good visits with participants we took our lunch break feasting on Wood Fired Pizza.  The aroma was just too good, wafting on a hearty breeze that cooled our otherwise really warm day.  Actually a picture perfect, mid June day.  (The pizza was as tasty as it's aroma promised.)  We skipped the homemade fudge!

At noon The White River Players of Rochester, VT presented highlights from "Ransom" an original play and music inspired by the Civil War letters of Lieut. Ransom W. Towle of West Rochester, VT which he sent home to his family from Virginia where he fought with the Union army and boys from the 4th  Vermont Regiment. The play writer,  Dick Robson was there as one of the actors. His wife Dorothy wrote original music, arranged traditional music of the Civil War and was the pianist. Every actor, and there were many, did an excellent job portraying the part of their 1860's character.  If you ever get the chance to go to the play, "Ransom" and see the whole play, DO !  The 50 min. version on Sun. was very well done and very moving.  In April 2013, the Lost Nation Theater production will be opening in Montpelier VT .

After a long day we stopped by the booth where the Vermont Cracker folks were offering free dishes of a traditional Civil War era supper.... Cheddar Ale on broken up VT Crackers...or the other choice was Civil War Stew, a concoction of crisped up salt pork and forage findings like greens, chives or whatever a soldier could find to add to his stew.  I chose the Cheddar ale which was much like the sauce one would make for macaroni and cheese only with non alcoholic ale added.  This sauce of a medium thickness poured over the crackers was absolutely delicious !  I took it along to have  with a sandwich we made foraging in our little fridge in the Gypsy Wagon.  Then we headed over the hill to Vershire where we parked the Gypsy for the night and had a good visit with friends on the Hill for the rest of the evening.  It doesn't get really dark until about 9:15-9:30 there high on the open-to-the-sky hilltop.   We don't have electricity away up there where we settle, so after getting ready for bed, reading wasn't on top of the list as to see to read we would need to light up the gas lantern...too tired for that so we hit the hay early and watch the darkness descend and listen to the night sounds, including the "who, who, who, to who" of an owl in the trees nearby.  All cozy in our big bed we are soon off to sleep.

We wake early to the songs of many early birds.  It's Monday and after our breakfast we pack up and decide to head home.  Our friends get off to work and we leave for home.  It was surely a  nice first trip for our Gypsy Wagon... now we need to think about all our chores around here.  But not until tomorrow.  I remember it's "Be Still And Smell the Posies Day"for me anyway, Den is mowing the lawns.   So I will just write my blog, sew a label on the new great granddaughter's quilt..Oh yes!  she now has a name...Alexandra Paige... a very beautiful name for a very beautiful baby girl!  And I picked some rhubarb to make us a rhubarb crisp...that doesn't count as work. Until next time... Be well and enjoy each day for the gift it is.

Some highlight scenes from the play, "Ransom"

Civil War Soldiers of the 4th Vermont Regiment

A family life back home scene, early in the war

Blessings To Share With You

I am keeping way too busy these days.  BUT today I must take time to sit and tell all of you of how we are so blessed today.

This morning our grandson and his wife were blessed with a new, beautiful baby girl !  She hasn't been named yet but they will choose a name for her soon, probably after getting to know her today.  She has a sweet little sister waiting for her at home.

It was a great day all around.  I finished up with my root canal therapy and am all thawed out and not hurting.  The sunshine has helped the garden and things are all up now.  I sat on the front porch this afternoon and watched a couple of woodpeckers on the crab apple tree.  They were being so nice to one another !  One would find a fat juicy bug and feed it to the other who would return the favor when he found one to share.  They were so busy and keeping up a chatter all the while. Our little 'Jenny Wren' has a nest in our birdhouse in the front yard and a pair has a nest in the backyard too.  They are pretty loud singers and a joy to listen to.   I will stop now and finish up this post a bit later.  Need to feed my hubby some supper.

Supper's over and dishes done.  More busy days coming up.  Missed my class breakfast this morning but hope to see some of my old classmates at alumni weekend tomorrow.  At night we will see old friends at Den's class dinner.  On Sunday we will travel to Tunbridge to sit with the Weathersfield Historical Society display at Vermont Expo for the afternoon.  This is always a fun time.  We take turns manning the booth and going around looking at other displays.  Hope to get some nice pictures while we are there too.  It will be our first trip out with our Gypsy Wagon which is getting more completed every day. We will stay Sunday night with our friends 'on the Hill' in Vershire Lord willing.

So hope you have a good weekend. Will leave you with a quote and some pictures.  Blessings to you all.

             "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it !
                                                                                                                William Arthur Ward

Early morning ritual... picking a few blades of grass for her highness, our Lizzie love, 

who has her subjects very well trained !  Makes no difference what the weather !

Quilt I just finished for new great grand baby girl.

The sweet and beautiful brand new baby girl !

Posies from the back yard.

I'm Still Here !!

Wow, How the time flies!  I have been SO busy lately that I just don't get to sit and THINK !  Finally tonight I have taken time to check out my emails and look at what my friends on face book are up to.

It is that time of year when I have paperwork to do as I am the Village Clerk here and although it is not a big job, it is time consuming for a week just before and after our Annual Meeting.

The garden is all planted and some of my pole beans are already up.  They would like a bit more sunshine I'm sure.  We sure have made up for the lack of snowfall this winter with a lot of rain these past months.  It is so lush and green everywhere.

Many, many red squirrels and chipmunks about this year.  Hubby still hasn't won a bout with the red squirrel at the bird feeder!  But he has finished checking for nooks and crannies where they might invade our house. He's done lots of little cementing and foaming up these places.  We are in the village here and don't have a problem with the bears coming to the feeder so that is why we leave it up.  We have many pretty birds stop by to sing to us and thank us for keeping some seed in the feeder.

Dennis has been pining for his motorhome, the one we sold a few years ago thinking we would save on insurance and registration and gas by just having a little pop-up camper that went into the back of the truck.  This worked for awhile but the truck gets really bad gas milage.  Another plan, take the camper out of the truck and build it onto a car dolly and drag it along behind the truck.  This he did and we liked that for awhile.  UNTIL he got to missing the motorhome.  SO  he got a good deal on a Toyota truck with duel wheels and no body on it.  Ah ha... now he has made a sort-of- motorhome, putting the camper onto the little truck body permanently.  Quite a job but he really likes doing stuff like this.  Now, or soon, when he gets all the bugs out and it spiffied up a bit more, we can just pack up, hop in the cab and be off for a day or two without hauling anything and have somewhat decent gas milage.  We have some visiting and traveling around VT to do this summer so I hope it will work out well. Will post a picture or two now and when he gets the project done.

I'll call the new creation ' The Gypsy Wagon'.  I had a fascination with all things gypsy when I was a girl.  I loved to read about them.  I remember a book called "Gypsy Goes To College".  It was such a great story about a Gypsy girl way out of her element and coping as best as she could while striving to keep some of her heritage evident in her life.  Wish I could find it again !  I am sure it is out of print by now.  It was a book for young people maybe in 8th grade or so. Just maybe I could run into it again at a yard sale or a school book sale somewhere, someday.  This sounds like a far fetched occurrence but I once was looking for a book our teacher, Mrs. Hammond,  in 5th grade read to us as we settled down from a rowdy recess time outside.  It was "Dan's Boy" by Cobb.  I sort of remembered the story but for sure remembered how much I liked the story at the time.  While traveling north in VT one summer, we saw a sign at a big old house with a great front piazza that said Book Sale.  We stopped.  I went onto the piazza and looked around.  In a pile marked 'FREE please take', I found Dan's Boy !  Nobody was around and I let out a loud whoop for joy at my find.  There was a box there for donations or to pay for the books that weren't in the free pile.  I put $5. in that box I was so thrilled! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again!  Maybe it could happen again??  Anyway, I am sure we will have a good time traveling around, Lord willing, in the new Gypsy Wagon.

The Gypsy Wagon in the making and...

All registered and rolling.  Waiting for the finishing of a few new

cubbies on the sides, fender things and some other finishing touches.

When popped up, it makes a nice little weekender. It has a gas stove,

gas heater and a fridge that runs on gas or 12 volt, and a comfy, roomy bed

even though it is a bear to make!

I found a quote to share with you today.   I'd better remember this one!

" While you were busy judging others,

You left your closet open and your skeletons fell out!!"

Take care and Blessings!