I am happy to say that my favorite gifts this year were from local sources. The first is a beautiful blanket given to us by our next door neighbors, Larry & Jeanne Foley. Larry told me it took Jeanne more than four months to make, and I believe it. I can't imagine ever having the patience to create something this.
I just love the detail she put into her work. We've got to keep the dogs away from this treasure
...Right now it lives on the back of mary's chair. Perfect for those winter evenings reading in the living room.
Here are Larry & Jeanne, the nicest neighbors anyone could ask for. They put up with all of the roosters this summer, and the turkeys jumping up on their car.
After the ice storm I spent the next seven days moving my generator back and forth between my house, the little cottage across our property that we rent out, and Larry & Jeanne's place. I'd run my freezers for a few hours, and then run the heat at the cottage for a while. Then I'd wheel the generator over to the Foley's and run their boiler and water pump. Another retired couple was camping out with them, as we were the only houses in the neighborhood with heat & water. We all had clean kitchens and warm beds, who could ask for more?
My next favorite gift is a little book titled 'A Book Of Country Things'. It is a collection of Walter Needham's reminiscences about his Grandpa L.L. Bond, born in 1833. Aside from his service in the Civil War, he spent his entire life in the Southeastern corner of Vermont. Published in Brattleboro, Vermont in 1965, this book is a window into life and the way things were done on the farm in the 1800's. From sugaring and planting, to haying and dealing with the local indians, this is a fun read... and the way things are going, I may be using this as a valuable reference to aid in our survival... or at least our future comfort. Heck, I'm already making my syrup in the same type of old cast iron cauldron that Grandpa describes using!
Well, that's it for now from the side of Mount Monadnock. Here's to a prosperous new year, or at least a good run of sap in the spring! I'll leave off with one more shot from the ice storm. Now where did I put those seed catalogs?
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One of my daughters-in-law makes afghans and comforts like that one, and I can't get over the patience it takes either. Your blanket is beautiful, so intricate. That's an heirloom, but I hope you also use it because I'd bet it's incredibly warm.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for hauling around the generator! I bet you're on your neighbors' favorite person list!
I hope it's warmed up some by now and that the ice has melted.
Hi Granny Sue,
ReplyDeleteYou're right, that blanket IS warm. Mary will get good use of it. I'm a little tougher on blankets, as I've usually got a big dog lounging with me.
When you've got good neighbors, you gotta take care of them... and it's even better when it's reciprocated.
The ice is gone, but it left a lot of busted trees in it's wake. Next year's fire wood.
I love your blog, that blind pig and acorn site is a fun one. Mary and I drove through the Shenandoah Valley last Summer and I'm a little jealous this time of the year. It's sure beautiful down there.
Hi Dan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a long explanation so bear with me. The reason I'm posting this comment will be revealed at the end of the explanation. Here goes:
I had a hard time finding this blog. My mother gave me the address as yankeeburner.blogspot.com but typing in that address gave a "blog not found" error message. I tried a bunch of different versions of that address without any luck. When I tried www.yankeeburner.com, I did get your website so I knew I was on the right track, but there wasn't a link to your blog on your website, which I had been hoping.I wasn't about to let that stymie me though. So I did a Google search on yankeeburner.blogspot.com and it came up as the first hit, but when I tried to link to it I got the same error message saying "blog not found." And yet I KNEW there had to be a blog somewhere because the text below the link was about the blog and obviously came from the blog itself. So I tried clicking on the link to Google's cache of the yankeeburner.blogspot.com and a snapshot of the blog page came up, but even on that snapshot the link to yankeeburner.blogspot.com did not get me to your blog. So I tried clicking on various links for a while without any luck, and finally I decided to click on your profile to see if there was an email address listed for you so I could contact you about the problem. I didn't find an email address for you there, but there was a place that said "My Blogs" and below it a link to The Myshrall Homestead so I clicked on it and, low and behold, I actually got into your blog and found out that the URL to your blog is themyshrallhomestead.blogspot.com, not yankeeburner.blogspot.com. I'm glad my persistence paid off!
So the reason I'm posting this comment is twofold. One, I wanted to let you know there's a technical problem with blog address yankeeburner.blogspot.com. If it was supposed to link behind the scenes to themyshrallhomestead.blogspot.com blog it isn't and people looking for your blog, like my mother, will never find it. I believe when you gave that blog address to my mother you thought it would direct her to blog. I kind of doubt you would've given her a completely different and invalid blog address. So if it is a technical problem you're going to have to contact the tech support staff at blogspot.com in order to straighten it out so people can find your blog!
Two, your blog is great--great stories, pictures, and links to other great blogs. I will definitely bookmark the page so I can return. I will also email my mother the correct link so she can visit the blog too. I know she'll be thrilled.
You're probably wondering who on earth she is just about now. Well, my parents were the retired couple who were camping out with the Foleys after the ice storm. Not only are the Foleys the nicest neighbors anyone could ask for but they're the nicest people and you couldn't ask for better friends. In fact, we (the kids) all think they're angels! And we think pretty highly of you too. When my parents told us at Christmas what you had been doing for the Foleys with your generator to enable them to run their boiler and water pump we were in absolute awe. You have restored my faith in neighbors and in people in general. I'm so grateful that there are people like you still left in the world.
Sorry I had to post this publicly but since I couldn't find an email address for you this was the next best thing.
April Gregg
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I had just created the blog the day before I spoke with your Mom, and a few days later, decided to change names. Originally I used the name of my old business, but folks didn't get the connection... and so, that's the story on that.
I appreciate the praise also, but that's just the way I was raised. My family has always had some old timers living nearby and tried to help out whenever we could. I wouldn't let that restore your faith in humanity, though. Every day I see more proof that mankind is a self extinguishing species... bankers, politicians, religous zealots... everyone seems to be willing to step on someone else to get ahead. I try and make my home a sanctuary from that kind of karma. That's why it's really no problem dragging a generator back and forth for a week.
Thanks again for the kind thoughts, we can never have enough of those!
Dan