Consider this installment my "picture postcard"
sent home to loved-ones (and to myself once
this senior mission experience comes to an end).
This week's story is a total indulgence - but it has been
my birthday week, so once a year I feel "entitled".
When we first traveled to Vermont years ago, I fell in love
with the picturesque town of Woodstock. My dream of
spending a night near the town began then, and once we knew
our assignment would anchor us within 1.5 hours, I began
fantasizing about "waking up in Woodstock" on my birthday.
Then I discovered that their annual holiday festival for 2019
was slated for the weekend after my birthday. I booked a hotel -
but decided on a a stay in Quechee (say kwee-chee), 7 miles away,
partly because of the red barn on the Quechee Inn's property.
The image below serves as record of my hand-made
Christmas cards sent home this year, evidence of
my growing "collection" of red barns.
Christmas cards were especially fun and important
this year, when we will NOT see in person so many of
family and friends.
Following are a few shots I took of the Inn
and premises before dark. Our room is on the very far left,
second floor, where the lamp can be seen aglow.
Cheery yellow painted walls, creamy white trim,
black/white toile bedspreads, blonde wide plank
floor boards greeted us. (Drat - I failed to take a pic.)
How fun it was to be here during the Christmas season.
Their entrance door was festive . . .
. . . the interior was seasonally decorated and inviting
(including a common room with two gas fires,
decorated Christmas tree, card-playing table,
comfortable guest lounge seating and more) . . .
. . . and once night fell (at 4:20 pm) there was a misty
glow that might have popped right out of
a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Here, below, is a professional photographer's winter spread
just so you can get the feel of the property, taken
from the "farm field" angle far from where we could get to.
Our weather was very rainy and warm enough that
the rain melted all the previously-fallen snow.
Now I'm going to get a little air-headed, and mention
again the Hallmark Christmas movie angle.
I admit that I do enjoy the romance that those lend
to my holidays, though for the years since we've had
cable TV so I could indulge my whim I have mostly listened
to the diagolue while my eyes and hands worked. So it is
NOT surprising that a couple of weeks ago I noticed
the very brief allusion to our get-away town in
"My Christmas Love". As the main character, a female
children's book writer, and her illustrator/friend arrive at
the small Vermont town where her family home is,
a former-boyfriend-now-cop pulls them over. The town
sign flashes on the screen, and . . .
. . . we have a three-frame shot of his police car
with its official town designation. I had never noticed it
before now. THIS is the town we have visited so often,
and where the Inn at Marshland Farm is located.
Magical in my fantasy-prone mind.
Down the road from Quechee is Woodstock.
Wonderful Vince catered to my wish to see it
at night at Christmas, and drove the rainy, dark roads
to get me there -- way after all the shops were closed.
The next morning, we made the trip a second time,
found a very accommodating traffic cop who helped
us park miraculously close to the parade route for
the hyped Wassail Weekend town parade, right next
to the road that goes across this "middle" covered bridge.
So picturesque!
The parade route was touted to "be best viewed
from the village green" which is shown in this
too-early morning photo, below, where the townspeople
and visitors had not yet gathered. Later, booths selling
hot dogs, chili, hot cider and more would be busy.
By the time we returned from our town shopping
and lunch at a cafe, this is the view that we had
directly across from our car, with the historic
county courthouse so beautifully in view.
And finally, at 2 p.m. the parade began,
coordinated by the High Horses Therapeutic
Riding Program. The local high school band
marched first - someone a long time ago figured
that out, to have the marchers go ahead
of the horses. Below was the last parade entry,
at the end of the rather-short 20 minute parade.
Colorful wagons, festive characters and more
made it lots of fun for its short duration.
You can see how the locals catch the spirit fully!
There were many activities listed on the official flyer,
including many that are often part of the Hallmark movie
kind of script: community tree lighting and luminaries
on the green; reading of holiday classics at the library,
evening concerts of Christmas music.
One event that we did attend was the Holiday Fair
at the Masonic Lodge. We met and talked with some
interesting and friendly vendors selling their locally
created wares. The chocolates and jams got consumed,
but here are the mittens I purchased for a song!
That vendor was knitting as she manned
the booth. I always am pleased to see traditional crafts.
And finally, a photo from my birthday celebration on
the previous Monday, my actual birthday.
While planning a birthday dinner out, we decided
to invite the local Sisters (Bedford) to eat
with us. Sister Hepworth and Sister Semadeni
helped us decide on Olive Garden as the venue.
They were delightful, and made my day wonderful.
So here is the list - besides the Bedford Sisters -
of those who have filled my lamp this birthday week:
Vince for his willingness to sponsor the trip to Woodstock
(though he didn't get out of the backed-in car
to watch the parade); the Quechee server and inn keeper
for making our stay memorable; the knitter who needled
my wonderful finger-less gloves; the traffic cop lady who
took pity on that Subaru with the Utah license plates
and showed us a perfect place to park;
and previously, to Sister Langley, a local former senior
missionary who taught us how to say Quechee correctly.
It has been a very exceptional December 9th week!
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