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Happy to share with you such as we've got

leaks in the roof and the soup in the pot.

 

hopefully that's 2024— we used to have a pot to share every Sunday it was called the Sunday Stew where basically I would start some chicken and some chicken stock  over a wood fire in the “T” tent....and after that it was anybody's guess ------people would add things like potatoes and carrots and stuff and long about two or 3:00 in the afternoon we'd have Stew and it was good ----I think I often used for a flavor a full bottle of honey mustard salad dressing... it was fun... and on occasion things did get done because there were more people here and the people were having a good time helping out where they could.... this is the way it ought to be and hopefully we'll be again by later this spring.   The woman from Essex Who always came. with the big bowl of hand whipped cream is still around .. she appeared a month or so ago with that same big bowl....

 

That bit about sharing the soup in the pot.. is from a needlepoint done by my aunt Mildred...

 

let me tell you about my aunt  Mildred.. she was a retired school teacher who had been in the Manhattan school system. She was unmarried and somewhere along the line had slipped and fallen on an oiled floor in an old school building.. and walked with a decided limp from broken hip...... but she continued teaching...she  was a very bright thoughtful woman she used to come to visit once a year at my home in Newburgh.... and though I can't remember any other specific one liners like---- less is more than you realize.... --- she was constantly alert and very interesting to talk with... She was very friendly with a couple who were just getting into their 80s, when the wife became ill and passed away.. he had a lovely home in New Canaan CT ---a very nice community--- he was retired from. A big  job / career something to do with elevators..   ... since my aunt Mildred knew the family she offered to come help the husband figure out what possessions should go where with what person-- which she did --- after a week or two it became obvious that it did not make any sense for her to go back to her miniscule apartment when she and he we're enjoying each other 's company in New Canaan CT.. so he said he wanted to make an honest woman of her and offered to marry her..at 81. 

Knowing the family might have some feeling about that,  she very quickly made-up her own I don't want anything or whatever it's called. Statement.. and the two were married at the tender age of 81.

One thing she had always wanted to do--- being from Manhattan--- was to go to Times Square for New Year's Eve.. but being severely handicapped she did not dare to attempt it on her own... so he as a surprise present to her,  rented a sizeable area for them to be part of the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square... and the rest of the family got a huge kick out of these two old geezers ---by then 82 ---both of them bobbling around Times Square on New Year's Eve...

 

This  story may explain to some of you why I would end up with some extremely expensive absolutely beautiful artwork because when he died and then she died I was told I could have whatever I wanted and the rest was going to go to Goodwill Industries... of course having a horse trailer I  immediately left for New Canaan and ended up with an amazing collection of very fine items that basically nobody in his family wanted... furniture--- pots and pans and that beautiful limoges China which Gwen now has... { I bet there are times when Gwen will wonder why she's got it and  why it needs its special glass front of the closet---- when actually a Sierra cup would work very nicely to  do the same thing......

 

There is one more slightly snarkey related story.... When I first moved to Ipswich I can't imagine why I had a relatively fancy party here one night and I used that lemoges China.  One extremely well dressed woman... Came up to me and said what pretty China I was using it almost looked like limoge...  so I quickly turned it over and said “by God it is” as I showed her the mark... The implications all around that conversation where earth shattering. 

 

So welcome to 24---- let’s have at it !!