A Haven for Vee

Friday, August 6, 2021

A Few Days with Laurel

Now is the time the tide of summer begins to recede in New England. This is a strange thing, for you cannot say that one day is different than the next. The garden is bright with vegetables. Nicotiana makes the air smell sweet and zinnias paint the border with color. But we do not have to mow the lawn so often. Days are hot, nights are not, as the Farmer's Almanac says. There is a slanting sunlight and twilight comes sooner.

~ Gladys Taber from The Stillmeadow Road

 

It is raining. Cool. Green. And I am making myself a proper crockpot supper for the first time in weeks. When you read this, it will be sunny with the promise of mid 80s temps. 


That is about all the news from here for today, but the last week of July, my sister and I spent a couple of days with Laurel at her home up country.


See if you can tell the story for yourselves because I am often at a loss for words or fingers. 

Day 1





 


 


 







Day 2 




The goal was to spend time with Laurel and my sister. Laurel has been inviting me for some time. I am no longer excited about driving very far so my sister kindly agreed to go from her home. All I needed to do was to drive that far and she would take over from there.

The peaches? Well my brother-in-law sent them when he was in Georgia on business. Oddly enough, he and my sister are on their way home from Georgia as I type because of yet another business trip. Anyway, I took one to Laurel. That's all I had left of those delicious peaches. 

We had a few things on our list: 
1. River time 
2. Steak on the grill time 
3. Campfire time 
4. Breakfast at Laurel's favorite haunt 
5. Johnny's Seeds

Four and five were a bust. The restaurant was closed due to lack of help. Johnny's Seeds may have been closed for the same reason. We had lunch out at one of my dad's former favorite spots and it was just okay. Two waitresses for the entire restaurant. So it appears that many places are short staffed. Have you noticed this in your corner? 

Still we had a good time and the day ended with two of my favorite things. Ice cream and this sign. 




Love,

Vee

38 comments:

  1. So glad you got a chance to get away. And with your sister too. Sister time is great. Those peaches look so good! Glad you had a good time even if you couldn't go to Laurel's favorite haunt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was lovely Vee...Maine is just so beautiful....yes those Georgia peaches are marvelous aren't they? Yes, restaurants are struggling here also...not sure if they will ever come back to the way they were! Have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So nice that you gals were able to be together and check most of the things off your list. River time looks like it would be most invigorating. Johnny's Seeds looks like it would be a lot of fun to explore. Maybe next time? The restaurant situation is the same here.
    I am seriously impressed with Laurel's log handling skills. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great trip you must have had with Laurel and your sister! There's no better sound than a river. We've been doing lots of camping this summer and have truly enjoyed getting out in nature.
    Love that sign!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Those peaches look scrumptious. And, from the pics by the river, you enjoyed some perfect summertime activities. So wonderful you could spend these lovely days with your dear sis.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like a wonderful trip! Love the sign!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love every word, every photo, and every note of that singing babbling water!
    It looks like a perfect getaway with two of your favorite people! Good for you!
    I love Gladys Tabor….

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, Vee, what a wonderful time you had! So thankful that you and Kim could do this.

    The peaches look soooo good! Good peaches are so hard to find here.

    Is that log Laurel carrying as huge as it looks in the photo? Wow! I used to throw firewood and hay bales around with alacrity, but no longer.

    The restaurants that we frequent here in our state are doing very well ... they seem to be always busy. Of course that very well may change as we get into more of the overreaction. We will see. I have heard concerning one of our favorites that they find it hard to keep help. They will hire someone only to have them quit the next day, or not show up at all. But I think that says more about the "help" than it does about the restaurant.

    The river is so beautiful and I absolutely love the sign!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It looks like the perfect few days! Those peaches look so good. The restaurants down here seem to be busy and fully staffed.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a lovely few days. River sounds and views soothe the mind and body. I wondered if you had canned those peaches with Laurel and your sister, but eating them fresh is even better. So glad Laurel got at least ONE! lol
    Restaurants here are crying for staff, as well. The whole hospitality industry took such a hit during the restrictions, and many people went elsewhere. Tim told me that many have gone into health care because there was such a great demand for care personnel. Work is steadier and higher paid in health care, and they are unlikely to return.
    It's a topsy turvy world. So glad God is always faithful to his promises.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Vee,

    This looks like such a nice trip! I'm so glad your sister could do the driving so that you both could spend time with each other and Laurel. :) Is that the inside of her cabin? SO cute and cozy, and what a view!! I would love to do those outdoor things that you all did, maybe this fall. It's still too warm here for a campfire.

    I'm really sorry that Johnny's Seeds was closed -- I know you were looking forward to shopping there. The restaurants here have been struggling, too. They're having trouble finding people to work, but what can you expect when the government pays people to stay at home? Sigh. I love all your pics and love that sign.

    Have a good weekend, my friend.

    Hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love everything you have shared Vee.
    So glad you were able to get away, like us on the recent trip north, it sounds like you had fun. Way to go girl!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like such a great time and enjoyed all the pictures.
    Nice of your sister to do the driving.
    Every business seems to be short staffed here with help wanted signs up all over the place!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Indeed, He won, everyone knows this...Maine, sigh....one day. Thank you for the many smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah, New England! Such a beautiful part of the country!

    So sorry about #4 and #5. Restaurants are staffed fairly well (with one exception I will not name nor return to until they up their game). But a major retail clothing store has huge bare spots for lack of merchandise. Shocking how bare it was but they don't appear to be going out of business.

    This peaches looked good! Glad you got to make this trip. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Always good to see a new post here! How fun to have a vacation with your sister at your daughter’s!!! Are you going to show us the pic’s of you tubing down the river? Looks like that would be fun! Sorry you found the doors locked at two of your favorite places. I hear that the entire hospitality industry is short-staffed over here…but haven’t noticed closed restaurants. We have enjoyed eating out again!

    Have you watched any Olympics? We got up bright and early this morning to watch the Canada-USA soccer game. So thrilled to see Canada take the gold. Jordyn Huitema #19 who played for Canada is from Chilliwack and a good friend of my granddaughters.

    Enjoy the rest of the summer! Hope you get some more Georgia peaches. We are enjoying local peaches from the Okanagan valley right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats on the win! I have had no stomach for the Olympics so have watched nothing.

      Enjoy those Okanagan Valley peaches!

      Delete
  17. Your new banner is gorgeous and I'm so glad you got to visit with Laurel. I've had trouble riding in a car so I drove a lot of our trip (backroads of course) and it was better. Those peaches look yummy. We stopped in Georgia and bought pecans. We didn't have trouble with things being closed. Some places had drive thru only but that worked out OK for us. And yes, the condo has been a nice second home but we spend more time in FL now and I was very happy to be back!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Glad you got to Laurel's and had your river time. Backyard fires are a treat. Because of our wildfire season we don't have fires like that one until well into the fall or very early in Spring. Yes, we have noticed the problem with places not being able to get help. Some of our restaurants have had to close their doors because of it. It's tough in rural/country areas because of smaller work populations already. When humans try to fix the world it just doesn't go well. That's a whole face to face conversation to have. God established work and it is good and to give people incentives not to work is bad. I'll leave it at that. I have not had one peach yet. I'm sure that crockpot meal was delicious! Take care...it's good to see a post pop up!

    ReplyDelete
  19. That looks like fun! I would love to be in New England right now although Stephanie told me that it was blazing hot when she went to Brimfield in September. There are help wanted signs everywhere, especially in restaurants and fast food places. Something I've never seen before in this University town.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh what fun that must have been at the river with Laurel. Oh my that's a big stack of wood she is carrying. Did you roast marshmellows?? I loved the pictures, no need for woods the photo said plenty. How inviting. Thanks for taking us along. I do love peaches, and miss the orchards where I grew up in Northern CA. I get Gold Peak Georgia Peach iced tea....yummy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did. We made S'mores with graham crackers, a roasted marshmallow, and a peanut butter cup. Yummy!

      Delete
  21. So glad dear Vee that you had a great time. Nothing like a little getaway. Loving the pictures. Isn't it just sad that so many places of business are lacking in help. There is signs everywhere in our small community saying HELP WANTED! Yet, no one wants to work. WOW! Ooh, love me a good peach. I plan to take little trip to do some GA peach picking next year God willing. Hugs and blessings to you dear Vee. Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  22. Your pictures make me long for New England. Always so pretty from here on into fall. I wish we could take that trip we were wanting to take, but now with so much changing on the covid scene again, it might be difficult to find places to stay, etc., because of lack of staffing, etc. But I am so glad you had that special time with Laurel and your sister. I know you all enjoyed just being together, even if some things were a "bust". Love that you had a firepit, and went to the rushing river. That reminds me of the Kancamagus or the Swift or Saco...all beautiful. And we have been really enjoying peaches this summer. OUr local flea market farm stand has been getting the best fresh peaches from SC and/or GA, and they have been so good. I refuse to buy them at a grocery store, so these have been a real treat. I will be sad when the season is over. Thank you for sharing your little trip with us. I feel like I was right there with you.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I loved looking at the pics. I’m so sorry about 4 and 5 being a busy, but I chuckled at your ending!
    Yes Vee, same thing g here about help. I met a friend at Cheesecake Factory and we had to edit thirty minutes for a table. We sat down and there were so many open tables. I asked the waitress snd she said that they just didn’t have enough staff and not enough help in the kitchen. I guess people enjoy getting their money from the government.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Your trip looks just wonderful - as do those peaches! I'm glad you were able to enjoy the time with Laurel and your sister. It looks so lovely by the water. Yes... help wanted signs are everywhere here in central Indiana and restaurants now close off tables not because of COVID concerns, but because they don't have enough waitstaff to serve customers. Though, we have found in ethnic restaurants we enjoy visiting they have plenty of help. Service at Chinese, Mexican, Turkish restaurants we've visited in the last month or so seem to be doing just fine in this area. I'm very glad about that, but I wish it was the same in the typical "American-fare" restaurants. I read what's going on - that people are just not looking for work. But I don't understand it. We are living in upside down times in so many ways.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh, those sound like wonderful days! Sister time. Daughter time. A break from routine. Good food. Beautiful scenery. All good!

    Sorry that some of your plans were a bust. It seems that so many places are closed or short-staffed, and I am sad for those whose livelihood is threatened. Yet another reason to depend on God who really is our only source . . .

    ReplyDelete
  26. So nice to "see" you Vee. Looks like you had a lovely time with Laurel and your sister, river side and fire side! We love peach season and the Niagara orchards are ripening in our area. Have only had a wee taste so far. Restaurants in our city are in full swing and it's so good to see the downtown bustling again. Thankful that things are slowly opening up. The tropical like weather of late has everything looking lush and the gardens are exploding. We are truly blessed. Stay well!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yes, "help wanted" signs everywhere! Oh, and people panhandling on the streets. - What a great week. I was surprised when I looked at lots of pictures and then saw "Day 2"! You accomplished a lot the first day. - Autumn is such a beautiful season, but is way too short.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, though it is my favorite season, I am not ready for autumn yet.

      Yes, we have many panhandlers hanging out in the middle islands between lanes. It frightens me because I'm afraid that someone will get hurt.

      Delete
  28. The picture and video told the story well, Vee, and looks like a good time was enjoyed by you and your sister at Laurel's. Peaches and blueberries too are my favorite fruits right now, and the gift box looked delicious even in a photo. Yes, there are a lot of help wanted signs up here in Nashua, NH, too and many local restaurants are closed Mon & Tues and several only open for dinner the other days.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Lovely seeing your outing with your sister and daughter, Vee. A day with family is good for the heart and soul.
    There were help wanted signs everywhere when we were at the beach last week.

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a wonderful trip...spending time with your daughter and sister...amazing! The peaches look so good, I can hardly wait to go get a big box full. Yes, here in my little city we have actually had several restaurants and small businesses close their shops because no one wants to work...I guess they don't feel the need when the get paid to stay home :0(

    ReplyDelete
  31. Looks like a fun outing. Those peaches look so fresh and juicy.

    Love the fabulous photos.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh my gosh, that log is almost to big for that woman to carry. Great pics. Would love to hang where that water is. NICE>.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Enjoyed reading of your outing, Vee, One question, Where are the log carriers? HA Ha! Our high lights are trips to the grocers, and to get my b12 injections!
    Love,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  34. g'morning, vee. :)
    love the pictures of your time 'upcountry,'
    including the last pic. peaches - longing for
    the time they're ripe though they'll be trucked
    in to our area later than sooner.

    ReplyDelete

🕊
If comments disappear, please don't fret. A simple "hi" will do. The platform surely needs some maintenance.