Greetings to all near and far:
Well, summer came and summer went. Went from 91 hot degrees last weekend to 35 at night this weekend. Last night it was 42 and we were huddled in front of our electric fireplace with blankets on watching “Outlander”, when we saw a notice that it was 86 degrees right then in Delaware, Ohio….such is life in the mountains.
THE Gust Room project– is wrapped up- see the photos. four weeks of stripping wallpaper, mudding, painting and new bathroom accoutrements. Jenn disappeared for most of four weeks up there and is now on the hunt for all new bedding and related items…see the pix.
Syrup Breaks– in Vermont, we often stop what we are doing to find some way to ingest Maple syrup…so I had to leave for a few to make some pancakes, which is an excuse to eat more maple syrup.
Speaking of bedding……..we acquired a new Duvet (at least I think that’s what it is) from this monster moving sale in Mendon, up the mountain by Killington. These really rich people were selling one of their many homes (it has sauna, a whirlpool and a tanning bed!)- so we took a drive over on a rainy Saturday morning and made quite a catch. Did not really intend to buy anything, but they gave us wine (before noon) as soon as we walked in….so we shopped. Came away with the requisite bedding, a magnificent set of five Ansel Adams framed photos and the elusive 24 foot ladder (40 bucks and a wine filled adventure getting it on top of the car). Good day’s plunder.
And on Saturday…we almost always make a stop during our weekly shopping expedition to Rutland for a few slices of Ramunto’s NY Pizza (2 slices and drink for $4.25!) – which also provides us our weekly access to the Burlington alternative paper, Seven Days, a wonderfully hip rag, that gives us the skinny on true Vermont life. They are famous for their “Bernie Beat”- which gives us all things Bern, and their searing exposes on small town life. Right now, we are in the middle of a heated local controversy over the exuberant Mayor of Rutland moving to take in 100 Syrian refugees. Needless to say, the Trumpists are not happy about this and want to kick him out on his butt.
so…THE POND…has now been skimmed for scum three times , but the Scum is stronger than we, and returns with a vengeance. After a week of mail related fiascos (none of the mails services can find our house apparently), we got a shiny new ½ HP pump, with the general notion that moving water around will inhibit the frogs from laying a billion eggs and the algae from moving cross country to settle on our pond. Keep tuned on this one.
Wednesday night out…is usually when we head for some new Vermonty experience. This week we had planned on going to the Bellows Falls Opera House (really!) to see a showing of Prince’s Purple Rain…but it was cold and wet and Jenn was buried in upstairs mudding, so we bagged it, watched the CAVS win one measly game. We instead went to Rutland on Thursday night for a mega-shop (I have to drag Jenn out kicking and screaming from the Walmart bedding section), and then to a new find for dinner, the Countrymen’s Pleasure on the outskirts of town. Quaint German -Austrian place with schnitzels and Wurst and all that Aryan stuff. Not only were we intrigued by the out of the way nature of the place, but our benefactress and previous home owner, Karen, worked there for many years, so we felt obligated to follow her trail again.
AIRBNB– we had our first guests of the season this week- an unobtrusive couple from southern Mass. who were the first test for the fabulously re-done bedroom. They were here for about 12 hours- eight of them sleeping…but we spent about ten hours cleaning the house. Need to slip Jenn some valium prior to guests coming it seems.
Music in the air– its’ time of the year for the weekly music on the greens all over the state, so we have weekly listings pinned up of all the small town offerings nearby, with the usual local band suspects. The quality of the music is actually quite impressive and the settings are typically magnificent. Our Mt. Holly series does not start until July, with the arrival of the summer hoards, but we went this week to Jackson Gore at Okemo Mountain to hear a local guitar legend channel Jerry and Jorma…quite entertaining and a gathering of many of our mountain friends. A love Fest as well for little Lucy, who wanders around being oohed and ahhed at……”what is she”?
the last month has continued my adventure in family finding- an expedition to trace the Paul family of NYC and beyond, through their arrival at Ellis Island in 1908 to the current manifestation. This is my mothers’ family, which is very small these days, and for which I have long been the patriarch. But my investigations have led me to my 81 year old cousin Howard and his sister Sally, in Westchester County, NY. Not only has this allowed me to fill in many gaps in the “Family Tree”…. but we are going down there to visit both of their families in a few weeks with cousins Sherry and Joel…this is like ghosts rising form the ashes. I’m hoping to vastly expand our notion of the Paul family .
We’re off to Chicago next weekend to see the Moon family and help out with a benefit concert (along with Max, Tess and the Nave and dad Ray, who is magnificently turning 91), so may be a bit before my next missive. Until that time…..
May the sun shine on your crystal clear Pond (or its equivalent)
Love and joy,
Stu
