If this is really too soon for you we can still enjoy the open giveaways until then. The only problem we have is too many giveaways, too little time!! (to enter them all).
On Sunday last we decided to take a drive. We had a rental car (again, I won't go into it) and it was a beauty so off we went. We had no particular destination in mind, I thought we'd head in the general direction of east and we ended up stopping unexpectedly in Oakham where we saw a big boulder carved with 'The Village of Cold Spring'. We went down the lane and it's the ruins basically of a place that was founded in 1748 and held 35 houses and about 100 people. They were self-contained with a railroad, water power, etc. The village lasted until the early 1900's when it was turned into a resort area. The Ware River Act of 1926 caused the Metropolitan Commission to "take it" in 1930 and I don't know what happened after that. It looks like The Army Corp of Engineers has it now, there's a dam in there at the opposite end of the site. It's huge, we drove and drove for 40 minutes and crossed about 15 miles. The roads are dirt for the most part. There's fishing, hunting, trapping, skimobiling, horseback riding, hiking trails, dog walking, etc. We stumbled upon the
Parker Cemetery. In the front the headstones that are still standing, albeit broken, are of the Parker Family and their descendants. The one that I couldn't stop looking at was of Maria L (nee Parker). She died at the age of 32 in 1841. She is buried with her babies Maria age 2, Andrew age 2, and I think Philip age 15 months. One of the children also died in 1841. Her parents and siblings are to her left and two of the sibling died in 1841, and one of the parents (I think).
We are wondering if something happened in 1841 to the people in the village or if it was just coincidence.
I have to Google it, I've been meaning to.
Then we went off to Rte. 62 towards Sterling and Princeton. We were looking for the 1761 Old Mill restaurant and we discovered a sign for a Christmas tree farm beforehand. Off we went. Drove down and through the woods, the tree farm was awesome. All red bows and ribbons on green laurel garlands and wreaths on the property. Ah, the smell of fresh trees...
Next was to find our way out and back on the route. Well, this primmie found an antique shop first. It's the most quaint and adorable little house, and I mean little. The head clearance was about 3 inches. The floors, walls and ceilings were original wood boards, and the windows were very old glass with the little bubbles. I'd say about early 1700's it was built. The owner called down from her little red antique cape that she'd be right there, that it was too cold to stay in there all day so they wait for customers to stop.
She arrived and she was absolutely charming. Her name is Prudence (yes, Prudence just like you!) and she's close to 90. She loved having us, it was a learning experience for us, too. Her grandfather was in The Civil War and they settled in Connecticut. She
mentioned Willimantic. There were vintage milk bottles and crates and advertising bottles from Willi-
mantic and some things from the farm that her father had. I'm tellin' ya, we were there for at least an hour and a half. And was it cold. We just got some tissue from the car and wiped our noses and tucked our hands in our pockets and kept walking the shop. And Prudence happily chattered with Mr. Glen Oaks. When she found out that he was a woodworker and cabinet maker, watch out. She ran back and forth to her house and barn about 4 times lugging back boxes and different things that she wanted lids built for or this and that done. They are working something out I think trade for trade. So this fast worker had started a pile around the corner of what I needed Prudence to hold for me until we could get back there with the Explorer and take it home. Should I tell you what I bought? Nah, I'm gonna make you think about it. I didn't have a camera and still don't have one that works so I'm gonna make you wait until I can take the photos. Pictures are so much better than just words. This is also dependent on Mr. Glen Oaks buy-
ing me a camera for Christmas. So keep your fingers crossed... I will tell you that Prudence made me take home the little red sled that I bought. And a really neat copper pot oil lamp. It's like a fancy Betty Lamp.
Except no whale oil, and it's not wrought iron, and it's got a lid and a wooden handle, ok it's not like a Betty Lamp but I don't no what else to compare it to. It's like nothing we've ever seen before. It's really unusual. See, pictures necessary. The little red sled was her great aunt's so how old does that make it if grandpa was a Civil War vet? Wow. It's going on the door with some greens from our property.
By now Mr. Glen Oaks has had so much coffee that he needs a rest stop. We needed to go to Walmart anyway so off to Gardner to Wally's. Then I just had to go to Dollar Tree and look for those little socks that Tammy of A Primitive Place did a tut on. Well I forgot to look for the darn socks as soon as I walked in the door. The Christmas stuff hit me and gosh girls everything is $1.00 after all. I picked up some cool red and silver sparkly ornie balls for a wreath I want to do that I saw in a picture. And some big jingle bells that already look rusty but aren't really. It's out-side and away from the street so it doesn't matter. They will hold up well with all the snow and rain. Then they had these little knock-off Limoges boxes and I got a little Nativity scene box. And a couple of rubber stamps and big boxes of matches to make a little mouse in his bed pattern from Sandy of The Olde Country Cupboard. We get to the checkout line and oh here I go again, I'm welling up over it still. The Mastercard wouldn't go through, the store doesn't take them. Mr. Glen Oaks tried his bank debit card but since he's never used it that wouldn't go through either. He fished in his pocket for cash (we had a lot when we started out) but realized he'd dropped most of it back at Prudence's. So what happens next? He asked the clerk to leave our pack-
ages there and said he'd be right back and that he was going to the Stop n Shop ATM. This lady comes from the line across and says "no, I'll get it". I told her I couldn't let her do that, but this woman was serious! She had that card in the slot and was swiping it while I'm gently tugging on her arm now.
That damn clerk put the sale through and I was so moved I said "I've never had anyone do anything like this before, I'm going to cry" and she said "Oh, no, don't do that" and I did. Her son was smiling like a grinning fool and the lady was too. I had just kept saying "thank you, thank you" and I hugged her. The rest of the people in the store were just staring like awestruck. Some people were asking what happened and it was just incredible. Now, there's an example of the Spirit of Christmas if I ever saw/heard of one.
This has been quite an end-of-the year for us. We've had some incredible things happen and have never been more aware of the presence of the Lord in our lives. We were blessed during that awful storm and through the whole roof/car thing and meeting people like Prudence and then this lady at the store. I'll never go in or drive by another Dollar Tree that it won't cause me to remember the kindness of one
special lady.
Merry Christmas everyone,
