Ashland Speaks: Catching up after vacation

I hope you didn’t miss me too much, but I took a real vacation. Not a Senior Citizen Trip, but I got to take a train to San Antonio, Texas with my son, David, to spend a week with my daughter, Sonja. What a treat! The train ride out was two days, full of anticipation. David worked on Sonja’s lawnmower, and mowed their lawn. After that, he was ready to come home. No mountains! We went out several times, plus on Sunday, went to Cowboy Church. A wonderful experience. Coming home was a different story. If we had left when I wanted to on Monday, we would have been home with no problem, but with circumstances the way they are, we left on Wednesday and had snow all the way home through Chicago where we had a layover, plus a weather delay. We got as far as Syracuse and the tracks were washed out and we had to be bused to Albany. From there, back on the train and on to Hudson. I missed the turkey dinner, couldn’t bake for the bazaar, missed my hair appointment........But, I had a wonderful time with my daughter. Welcome Back!

Back to the real world. Don’t want to cook on Sunday? There will be a benefit pancake supper 2-6 p.m. Nov. 10 at East Jewett United Methodist Church. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, applesauce, real maple syrup and more. To benefit a local family. Free will offering.

A Columbia-Greene Women’s Luncheon will be held Nov. 13, ‘CORNUCOPIA’ luncheon at Pegasus Restaurant, Route 9W, Coxsackie. Please come join us for an exciting luncheon/program beginning 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The feature: Kathy Brennan “K & B One of a Kind Designs” from Saugerties. Music: Ed Mateyunas from Gilboa. Speaker: Amy Macris from East Greenbush. Come and bring a friend, they’ll be glad you did. Reservations are necessary and cancellations a must. RSVP no later than Nov. 11. Please call “Ruth” at 518-634-7405 or Lynn Overbaugh at 910-382-6373. The delicious Pegasus luncheon is still only $12.50 (cash only, please). When you call, please let us know if you have any specific dietary needs and if you are a first timer. Hope to see you there!!

The Mountain Top Advocacy Coalition (MAC) will host a viewing of the film Smacked at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Windham Theater. This award-winning film about the Opioid Crisis in Otsego and Delaware counties looks at the issue of addiction and recovery in rural communities. It is extremely moving and quite powerful. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion composed of people that appear in the movie, the director/producer, local folks in recovery, and experts in the field. There will be a Q and A. Please support our efforts to address an issue on the mountaintop that has been hiding in the shadows for far too long.

I haven’t caught up on the local happenings yet, so there’s no chitchat today. Good thing Tuesday is Election Day so I can find more news.

COMING EVENTS

Nov. 10 VFW Breakfast Post 1545 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Good will offering.

Nov. 10 Serve the Vet Appreciation Dinner Lexington Mission VFW Post 1545 starts 4 p.m.

Nov. 10 East Jewett Church Pancake Supper 2-6 p.m. Free will donation.

Nov. 16 All You Can Eat Breakfast Ashland Town Hall 7:30-11:30 p.m. $9 adults; $5 kids. Ashland Historical Association.

Nov. 20 Medicare and You 2 and 6 p.m. Ashland Town Hall.

Please help me advertise your activity by emailing me at lmgeand@yahoo.com or calling 518-734-5360. I’m even behind on these. Reminders are accepted, plus new events.

AS I REMEMBER IT

As I left the heat in San Antonio and headed into the North Country, we hit snow, snow in Chicago. Neil and Walter were bragging about 70 degree temps here. I got home and it is freezing. The North Wind doth blow. The click clack of the train and the snow blowing past the window put me into thinking mode and I thought of years past.

Last time we spoke of the outside chores that had to be done, now we think of relaxing — no, now it’s time to get the inside work done. Up in the attic, take down the winter clothes. Try them on, make sure they fit. Who do they fit? Make repairs, buttons lost, hems and seams to sew, things that should have been fixed, but put aside for another time. Put the summer clothes away.

Winter quilts have to be taken out, aired out, inspected. Everything has been packed in moth balls or camphor, and they smell. Can’t put them in the house until the smell is gone. On the line they go. Do they need fixing? Do we need to replace any squares? Has this quilt seen its last? What clothes am I going to dispense with? Start cutting quilt squares out of them, or rags for rugs. Unload all of the trunks to see what is left. What can we do with all of the stuff. Should we just start all over.

Among all of this fol de rol, Mother still has to get the kids off to school, and prepare meals for the day. Oops, it’s noon and father comes in for lunch, a hard working farmer does not eat sandwiches for lunch, it’s a hot meal, usually leftovers heated up, or made into soup. Can we get on with the sewing, no, supper has to be started, and snacks for the kids coming home from school. I can make a cake, and cookies, and hope that there are leftover snacks for tomorrow. Is there enough bread made? Maybe rolls to go with the evening meal. No time for sitting today.

While the men took care of the large animals (cows, pigs, horses), the care of the chickens was women’s work. Find time, twice a day, to gather eggs, feed them and make sure they all have water. Back in the house, wash the eggs and put them away. Save the largest ones for the few customers we have, pack them up, and back to house work.

Oh my, how time flies, I do wish for a snowy day to relax.