Hello from “just over the hilltop” where the deer and the antelope (well, we don’t have antelope here) play and eat flowers. That’s right. It seems the deer repellent is not working, wearing off too quickly, or the deer are desperate. This morning many of my beautiful geraniums had been snipped off and eaten and it appears the deer had attacked the day lilies, too. Well, they were beautiful while it lasted.
Why are the deer so cute yet they can make you so frustrated at them? Last week I had to stop for a young doe with her twin spotted fawns so they could cross the road safely. Very cute and adorable. But eating my flowers: not so cute or adorable. This is the downside of living with the animals in the lovely North Country.
Family Time
We took a trip to Vermont last weekend for an Elliott family picnic at the Townshend Dam. There were about 50 of us that gathered for a wonderful time and Matthew, our grandson, rode down with us. He then went to stay with his second cousin to help with haying for a couple of weeks. He’ll have a special and exhausting time on the farm. It’s sad that the swimming area at the dam as not been able to be restored since Hurricane Irene and so the beach, which used to be filled with families, was empty. We still had a great time in the picnic area and seeing so many relatives.
those little creatures can make one smile on the outside and ease the pain on the inside
Dick and I stayed down to visit with our oldest son, Eliot and his family, my Mom, and my sister and husband, Cece and Tom, who were visiting from Pennsylvania. The gathering was also a “send off – see you later” party for my brother and wife, Don and Linda, who are moving to Florida at the end of the month. All are doing well and all are wished, God speed.
While in Vermont, we usually try to stop at the cemetery where my Grandpa and Grandma Bills, along with my namesake, Sharon, is buried. This year we actually went early one morning with a little breakfast to just sit and be still for a while. Sharon was a crib death baby at a few months and though she wasn’t talked about in the family, I was named for her. I’d like to think that she may have had similar character traits and dreams as I have and that she’d be happy with my representation of her. She is one more person in eternity that I’ll meet one day in heaven. What a wonderful reunion that will be. Oh, and while we were there a chipmunk ran back and forth on the top of the beautiful stone wall which sits behind my grandparents’ bench marker (see featured photo). Sometimes those little creatures can make one smile on the outside and ease the sadness felt on the inside. Thank you, Lord, for tender smiles.
Dear Friends
There have been several former guests from the diner who stopped by the bookstore to visit and chat awhile. I love it and hope it continues. The relationships developed at the diner are certainly special and cherished. That is probably what I miss most about Mom’s Schoolhouse. The special people who frequented us. One of those special people just passed into eternity, as Mrs. Seymour’s obituary said, and we attended her funeral yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour were regulars and brought joy and laughter to all around them. My staff adored them, we loved them. They would dance around the tables while I played some of their favorite songs on the piano or sing around the piano with other guests. Those precious memories are worth more than silver or gold.
the street is starting to perk up and the neighbors seem to like and appreciate it
Dick has been painting on the “good news” building, which we started calling it, where the new church will be and the colors are coming together nicely. The owner liked the deep cranberry so well that he asked Dick to paint the top of the “News Block” building as well as the news block letters. Amazing. The whole street is starting to perk up and the neighbors seem to like and appreciate to work getting done there. We are excited about it and like it, too.
I won’t complain but I will mention that the high humidity along with the extreme (to me) temperatures into the nineties don’t give me much energy. I feel as though I slacked off after getting home from Vermont and didn’t get as much accomplished as I’d like. I’m trying to catch up now as we are expecting bed and breakfast guests for the weekend and both rooms need to be ready. They are coming in for a funeral and I needed to just touch up a few things.
Enjoy these hot, humid days of summer and keep an eye out for the young deer. May your week be blessed beyond measure. Love, Sharon