We're in Vermont now, at a super-charming, peaceful place called Four-Legged Farm, and it seems like just the kind of place we all need about now. David and I seem to hear daily of new struggles and challenges facing so many of our friends and family, not to mention the world. I hope this post can be for you a tiny respite of serenity and beauty. Know that you are never far from our thoughts and prayers. So imagine yourself here . . .
This place is quirky and artistic in a GOOD way, not like the garage/apartment near Paris.
This place is a tonic for the soul, with beauty everywhere you look.
I love the blending of skill and artistry that goes into a New England stone wall. My dad commented recently that we seem to make friends wherever we go and asked how we do it, and I've been pondering the question ever since. We have met some wonderful people, and I wish I had a wise answer, but there's a mystery to friendship. Maybe it's a bit like a good dry-stack wall, with labor and art and balance all playing a part, with a need for good raw material and attention to detail, but not perfectionism. I'm afraid I really don't know. I just know we love meeting new people and hearing their stories, sharing a bottle of wine and a beautiful evening, like we did tonight with Shawn and Diana, our hosts here and our absolutely newest friends. I hope they enjoyed the evening as much as we did.
So peace be with you, friends old and new. You will always have a place in our hearts.
. . . and one who is, but more on that later.
This past week, David and I had an opportunity to sit in on a Big Band and Swing music class with Helen and John and about twenty other octogenarians. Lots of reminiscing and YouTube videos of smooth singers and timeless tunes. Must have been that that made me think of the title for today's post.
David and I are behavin'–sort of. Admittedly in a vacation-mentality kind of way, meaning too much rich food and strong drink and not nearly enough strenuous exercise. We are walking some–not nearly as much as in France–but the most strenuous part is swatting at mosquitoes and deer flies and flailing with the zapper racquet trying to defend ourselves. Despite that, we are definitely enjoying this leg of the adventure.
The wind was behavin' enough that the sailors were happy.
But THIS guy is definitely misbehavin' every chance he gets.
He must have read the last post, especially the part about never giving up, because he is relentless. I could learn from him (the persistence, not the thieving).
*David's mom Helen is still camera-shy, sorry to report, but behavin' at least as well as the rest of us!
. . . after days on the dock and in the lake . . .
. . . cocktails on the deck . . .
. . . or booze cruises . . .
. . . a lot of family, including extended family . . .
. . . dinners by a rotating cast of chefs . . .
. . . followed by more late nights . . .
Cousin Pola's evening wear — protecting herself from the evil mosquitoes!
and enough talking, laughing, and catching up to hold us through till next year.
Most have gone their own way by now, and it's getting quieter here by the day as more depart, but we have treasured the time together.