My, how the days and weeks slip by so rapidly as the year winds down. It’s been three weeks since last writing to you from “just over the hilltop” though I did start while working at the election on the 5th. I worked in Madrid at the Hepburn library and had a lovely day with fellow workers.
We were steady most of the day and I thought had a great turnout for being an off year for voting. It makes for a long day and by around 6:00, with still three hours to go, I thought we looked and began to act like Norman Rockwell’s picture of the family vacation. Our morning started with such enthusiasm and anticipation though it ended with an exhausted crew ready to fall asleep in the car on the way home. I love Rockwell’s paintings and working an election.
they declare there is definitely a beginning to winter and then a definite end
Our weather has been unseasonably cold with high winds, much rain, many overcast days, and then early snow. The wind took almost all of our fallen leaves and swirled them around by our neighbor Mary’s back porch. Dick took time off from the store to rake them from her lawn and take them down to the edge of the road for village pick-up. They are still there along with our leaves and the trimmed tree branches because the eight inches of snow covered the piles before the village crew had collected everyone’s debris. Each year I look for the woolly bear caterpillars but can’t predict what they are supposedly telling us about winter. I have concluded that, for me, they declare that there is definitely a beginning to winter and then a definite end. How long and how much is God’s doing.
Dick and I have been busy with hymn sings (both at church and at the bookstore), starting a Bible study, having guests over after church, hosting the writers’ group, and hosting many bed and breakfast guests. I attended the West Potsdam Retired Ladies luncheon at Bev’s this month and am becoming the host next month. This year I am preparing a waffle breakfast for lunch then we’ll play Yankee Swap and maybe sing Christmas Carols. I love spending these few hours each month with the wonderful neighbor ladies from West Potsdam.
Thoughts
I’ve been thinking …………. about losing. When I was a senior in high school I ran a small campaign to become the class president. My competitor was a handsome young man, Denny, who during our freshman year I had had a crush on. But we proposed our skills and ideas before the class and when the vote came to a close, I had lost. Of course I was somewhat saddened, but it never occurred to me that I should call him names, make up things about him, and call for another vote. That would reveal my character more than his. So, I congratulated him, we shook hands, and started to work together with the rest of the class to make our senior year the best it could be. He did an excellent job while I went on the become MVP in basketball, earn a letter in Algebra 2, started a school paper called “The Rebel”, and worked on the yearbook. I guess you realize that I’m quite disappointed in the ongoing response to the 2016 election. And as I had a choice in 1967-68, so do we in 2019. What our response is to losing or winning will reveal to all our own personal character.
Time is rushing toward the year’s big holidays and I want to wish you, my friends and family, a most blessed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. I include all the holidays today in case I get behind again in writing again. It is a wonderful life and so full of beautiful activities to focus on and things to accomplish. May none of us waste our days with regrets like I could have done in high school. Love, Sharon