We arrived at 3:30 am on Thursday at Starlight farm. Although this is not the house we raised our children in, this is the town we all call “home”. Donald and I met here, dated here, married here, and raised our family in Dorset, Vermont. My friend Amy and I affectionately refer to our community as “Stars Hollow”, the fictitious setting for Gilmore Girls. It truly is a small town like you see in movies or television shows. Like Steal Magnolias, we all know each other. We all look out for each other. And we all look out for each other’s homes and children. I always tell people I know who are moving to town….”don’t piss off the locals”….”you will need them”. I’ve been pulled out of being really stuck on a muddy road by a fabulous furniture maker, I’ve seen a local fireman stand up in church and use the defibrillators to bring a parishioner back to life while we all held our breath waiting for the ambulance to come from the next town over, and I’ve seen fabulous mom taking care of a local headmaster with heat stroke at a sporting event. My own area of country life expertise is “loose horses running down the road”. Having spent my high school years on the soccer fields of Stoneleigh Burnham as horses escaped from the barn and ran though our games, I am a fearless fence. On more than one occasion I have rallied a group of kids out of my car to contain loose horses running down the street before there is a tragic car accident. We are the mountain community in which the movie Baby Boom was set and filmed. It is something we all find humorous and fairly accurate. After being here for 17 years I am a card carrying, proud Country Mouse.
With the contents of a Uhaul from Charleston and a car from Florida both dumped in my front hall, I begin to get my bearings. I was thrilled last night to dig out my toiletry case. Even more thrilled to find a winter nightgown and an electric blanket from Christmas on the bed. After about 14 hours of deep Vermont sleep, I’m ready to start tackling the next adventure of SUMMER!
This is my favorite morning view. I like to sit in the living room before anyone else is up with a cup of tea and watch the day arrive.