Putting up the Christmas tree might have been a bit premature. We didn’t calculate for a two-year-old who loves shiny Christmas bulbs. We’ve been finding them all over the house and various states of distress. So tonight, Kristine and Joe defrocked the bottom of the tree. I think it looks like the tree has no pants. What do you think?
Halloween is not really my holiday. But it’s a big deal around here so we often try to find alternatives to celebrate the day. Over the years, we’ve done all kinds of things. We’ve done harvest parties, day, trips, to Boston, trunk or treats. One year we even got kids gospel tracks and handed them out along with the candy, anything to sort of Christianize the day.
This year we bought lots of candy, put it in big bowls on the porch for the kids out trick-or-treating, and we decorated our Christmas tree. Amanda made our traditional Christmas tree, decorating food, beef, pinwheels, and veggie pizza. Joe and Kristine bought eggnog and three different kinds of juice and soda, I made an American chop Suey and we feasted. And we put decorations on the Christmas tree while greeting our neighbors as they came around.
It was a great night, and the beginning of a wonderful family tradition
Today, my mother turns 87 years young.
We will celebrate, simply: A few bouquets, some slippers for winter, a new sweater, cake and ice cream.
Mom has lived an exciting adventure. 87 years is a lot of water under the bridge and a host of life events.
A third generation, Winchendonian, mom’s life has never wandered far afield. She lives in a house, only a mile and a half from where she grew up. The Vicarage is the house she and my father bought when I was in third grade. Still, 87 years in one place can give a person a wealth of experience and wisdom.
My mother grew up on a small farm. She remembers having an outhouse before her father installed indoor plumbing. She learned how to milk a cow and how to gather eggs from chickens. She remembers canning fruits and vegetables for the winter and recalls hand ringing clothes before they were hung to dry outside.
Mom’s father, my grandfather, was a carpenter and a machinist at several local factories. He built the house they lived in with the help of his father and brothers.
Mom’s mother, my grandmother, was the daughter of Finnish, and Swedish immigrants. She ran a tight ship at home, but then she had to. She had eight children and a farm to run.
Mom was daughter number three and child number six. The Family didn’t have much money. Mom put herself through nursing school in Boston.
Her life has spanned: The great depression, World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, 9/11 and Desert storm. Her life has been touched by every president from Roosevelt on.
She raised two children, both of them pastors. She worked as a nurse in four different health care systems. She was married to a small businessman, my father, for 24 years and lived as a widow for thirty years.
Mom traveled the Unites States. She has seen Puerto Rico and Germany. She has visited Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, DisneyLand and Disney World.
She has served in roles in GirlScouts and Soccer. She was President of Women’s Club and played Golf and Tennis on leagues at different times in her life.
Her world is smaller now. She doesn’t leave home and many of her memories have been stolen by this horrible disease, dementia. It’s a new part of her journey and there is more ahead because life doesn’t end with this life. We celebrate 87 years today, but we also celebrate the years ahead into eternity.
We are coming g up on the beginning of the 2023 road trip for me and my sister.
The car has been to the mechanic.
The notes for running the house while I am gone have been written.
The food for the road trip has been bought.
I have been to my bank to make my deposits and to let them know I am on vacation.
I still need to: pack.
I still need to set up Mom’s pills for the next two weeks.
I still need to give the dogs a bath.
Joe and Kristine have to go to New York tomorrow to meet with someone from The Philippine consulate. So Amanda, Brenda and I are watching Sevy for the day.
I still have one meeting before I am on break.
But I feel ready!
WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GET READY FOR VACATION?
My grandson, Sevy, is a climber. He climbs stairs with no gates. He climbs gates blocking stairs. He climbs chairs and stands up on them if unattended. He has knocked more than one chair down on top of himself.
My grandson, Sevy, is a runner. He runs everywhere he goes even when he has nowhere to go.
There is no stopping this young man. I think is part mountain goat!
Anyway. because he is a runner and a climber he is often falling down and banging himself on things.
This morning he was running in the kitchen and fell down.
He started to cry.
My sister said, “Shake it off!”
He did.
I thought how from the very beginning of life we are trying things and falling down in them and having to learn to “shake it off”.
Shaking it off may be one of the most important lessons we learn in life.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
It has been four days since I last wrote anything here on Notes. Four days goes fast and four days brings a lot of change at The Vicarage.
Four days ago Amanda was just returning from. her time at St. Scholastica.
Four days ago Joe, Kristine and Sevy were in South Carolina visiting with family and friends.
Four days ago Brenda was getting ready to preach her final message before vacation, was still packing her bags for her trip to the United States and was still getting her house ready for her house sitter.
Today Amanda drove me to the office, as my car is in the shop, Joe has started his new job at Gardner Middle School and Brenda, Sevy and Kristine are at the Vicarage with Gramma. When I left them Sevy was playing trucks in the front room and Mom, Brenda and Kristine were finishing their morning coffees.
From quiet house to full house. Four days goes fast and four days can bring great change.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE LAST FOUR DAYS?
The Vicarage is emptying out this week.
Joe, Kristine and Sevy are on their way to visit Joe’s Mom and her husband and parents in South Carolina for the week. They will be enjoying a week of southern hospitality and warm beaches.
Amanda is on vacation this week and is taking some time at a local priory to center her heart for the season ahead.
That leaves me and Mom, the cat and two dogs to get the house ready for next week when we will be full to the brim plus one. Amanda returns on Friday. Joe and his family return on Sunday and Brenda arrives on Monday.
So tonight Melanie and the girls are coming to help me get Brenda’s room ready for habitation .
We will be a bunch of cleaning fools.
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A FULL HOUSE?
I love my little town in the North Central part of Massachusetts. These people are my tribe! We are greatly varied in the way we view the world, but we hold our region in common and the land ties us together in deeper ways than most of us realize.
The first line of our church’s mission statement is ‘WHILE DOING LIFE TOGETHER”.
DOING LIFE TOGETHER is how we are beginning to see the world. We are in this TOGETHER. We are better TOGETHER. It is WHILE DOING LIFE TOGETHER that we now share the LOVE OF CHRIST.
I am proud of our little town. Over the last few years I have sensed a growing spirit of cooperation. Oh, we still have our divisions, but I see a growing number of people willing to reach across the chasms of thought to join together in making our region a stronger community. I see it in the work of the HEAL COLLABORATIVE. I see it in the dedication of the Winchendon Community Park. I see it in the Taste of Winchendon Fairs and the Parks and Rec events throughout this summer. I see it in the library’s One Book One Community conversations.
AND I saw it today in the town’s first ever WINCHENSTOCK. A tip of the town’s hat to the 1970’s and a fundraiser for our local COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE. My daughter, Amanda, and her team ran the tie-dye booth. I was afraid to tie-dye my own shirt, so Trinity did the art work for me. I can’t wait to wear this in the pulpit in honor of what is building in our little community!
This weekend we had a family reunion on my mother’s side. I was originally going to hold it at the church, but we all know we are in a season of lasts with Mom. This may be her last opportunity to see her family all together in one place, so I opted to hold it at The Vicarage.
Sevy and Kristine got to meet Uncle Tom, and my cousin Nada and her husband Ray
My cousin Matthew and his wife Brittney came with their children Justice and Aria.
My cousins Todd and Dan andMike and Barbara also came. Later my daughter Melanie came with her children.
The biggest hit of the day with the adults was the catching up with each others’ lives.
The biggest hit of the day with the kids was the solar bird bath and the pile of stones in the driveway.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT YOUR FAMILY REUNIONS?
The Vicarage is hosting a family reunion of the Tenny cousins this Saturday.
Melanie, James and Joe helped me set up the three party tents as part of the yard work we have done. Amanda mowed part of the lawn and I mowed part. I did some hedge cutting yesterday and some weed whacking.
Now we just need to pick up some extra chairs and we should be all set.
ARE YOU HAVING A FAMILY REUNION THIS YEAR?
Notes From the Vicarage 