Hell, even if you haven’t… please watch this video all the way though before you read my post. It’s 7 minutes of your life well spent. I promise.
Grab the tissues.
I’ll wait.
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The husband and I have been there, although it was winter and only a few four legged visitors were romping around.
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The chapel is small…
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But bursting at the seams with love.
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And when they said every square inch is filled with layers of pictures, letters, notes and expressions of grief?
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They meant it.
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I wept the entire time I was inside.
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Look around…
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How could you not?
If you’ve ever loved and lost a dog, or any animal for that matter… this quiet, unassuming, solemn place will grab your heart and tug. The outpouring of love, loss and grief is positively palpable from the moment you cross the threshold.
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I’m not a religious person… but there’s something otherworldly about this building on that little mountain in Vermont.
Something beautiful… and almost spiritual.
If you’re ever near St. Johnsbury, please go experience it for yourself. And don’t forget to bring a picture of that special someone who’s no longer walking by your side.
This one got me thinking…. because to be honest? I’ve lead a charmed life and don’t have many regrets. I don’t tend to do many things I don’t want to do, so this was a puzzler.
I could say – accompany my husband to those boring military reunions he insists on attending… but he likes having me there and I love him, so what are ya gonna do?.
I could say – try those homemade kale chips my friend made especially for me because she just knew I would love them. I didn’t. Blech! 🤢
But for this question I think I have to say visiting Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. We had a little person with us so she was thrilled…
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But paying $20 to park and $250 for four of us to walk around plastic fantastic town is not my idea of a good time. I knew I’d hate it and I did. I’ve always despised theme parks and Disneyland like amusements… they’re eye popping-ly overpriced , crowded and above all? Fake.
That picture was taken in their “European village” and sorry, but I wasn’t buying it. I’ve been to France and nothing about their French section felt the least bit Gallic.
So I’m not going back to Busch Gardens… what are you never doing again?
Since my husband has been wasting time and money working in the basement, it was inevitable he’d discover some treasure. And for the first time in a long time… I’m not being sarcastic when I say that.
To my delight, he came upstairs the other day with these.
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A box full of old photo albums given to me by my late father’s sister years ago when she was moving. She gave us all kinds of unwanted things that were basement bound but these must have gotten mixed in with the rest, and sadly I’d forgotten all about them.
The photos are old, taken in England between 1910 and 1920… and just for fun I thought I’d share a few.
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My father as a boy. A well dressed dapper little lad, no?
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My grandfather and my aunt. Another dapper gentleman.
Unfortunately I never met him, as he died when my dad was 10 years old.
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My grandmother and another aunt.
I was 2 when my grandmother passed and have no memory of her. It may have been the era, but I don’t possess a single photo of her smiling either.
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My grandfather with two unidentified children. Apparently one of them was a daisy.
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My father loved the sea, as is evidenced by him taking the tiller at an early age.
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This is his older brother, who clearly was only trusted with toy boats.
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My grandmother and uncle. Oh, that hat!
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My grandfather, left, with an unidentified man in Cuba. Pops was a world traveler.
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My grandfather and father. Did no one ever smile for pictures back then?
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My father, building his own mini Stonehenge in Cornwall.
Housed in an old inn, the restaurant/bar was warm and inviting.
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Most of the dining sections were full so we grabbed a high top near the empty bar.
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Seeing the empty bar made me wonder about the quality of libations….
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But a stellar blood orange cranberry gin fizz allayed my fears.
Of course this was Vermont, so some of the menu items put me off.
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A skillet full of kale? There wasn’t enough gin in the state to make me order that.
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Ditto the falafel, though the maple chicken didn’t sound bad.
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But the clam chowder was homemade, rich, creamy and full of fresh herbs so I started with that.. accompanied by the most amazing peach cornbread with orange whipped butter you’ve ever tasted. Ooh la la! I raved over them so much the waitress brought me extra of both to take home.
The beer? I thought you might notice that.
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I tried both of these.
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Because a girl gets thirsty when she eats salad.
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We enjoyed this place so much we stayed long enough to order dessert. (Mainly because the husband found a fellow veteran to talk to… and you know how long that can take.)
Pumpkin cheesecake for him, Key lime pie for yours truly.
If you’re ever in the Jericho area of Vermont drop in. You won’t be sorry.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
River's world..... 