A Glimpse of the past

After a day of canning dilly beans; and blanching and freezing corn, beans, and strawberries, I was feeling exhausted this morning.  I layed down on the couch and listened to my children play.  Sequoia was pretending she was the ice cream truck driver only she was selling kittens instead of ice cream.  Tristan was buying them from her.

I closed my eyes and felt completely at peace and the image of my grandparents home in Vermont came into my mind.  I was a child playing in their home during an overnight visit.  My grandmother dressed in a simple dress and apron was making breakfast.  The smell and sounds of pancakes, bacon, perculating coffee aromated in the background and my mother and grandmother chatted.  There was very little technology or "stuff" in their home, and it had a smell..of food and this old house smell with it's old decor and furnishings..like the home was still locked into the 40's (except for the large color TV in the livingroom).  There was an old rotary dial/shared phone line.  If it rung once it was for them, twice for the other party line (or the other way around). 

Everyone was relaxed and there was no hurry to the day..  We were there to visit, play, eat, and let the day unfold, no other agendas.  I had a small box of toys, my grandparents kept there for me, and that was enough.. 

My grandmother was unendingly patient.  She would play and engage with me.  I remember she and I lined up the chairs in a row and pretended they were a train we would travel on with the toys.  She and I would also tell stories to each other, recreate episodes of Little House on the Prairie or the Waltons.  I will never forget the hours she would spend with me, often allowing me to "lead" the play.  She never seemed to mind or feel pressed to be doing something else.