I have been blessed with 3 sisters! The fact that I also have brothers is; of course, a wonderful thing too, but for today I want to say a few things about sisters.

Growing up there was always someone to listen to me; someone to guide me along the way; someone to be totally honest with me when I most needed it; and someone to scold me at just the right time…..I had sisters!

I don’t recall ever having any sort of ‘mushy’ feeling when it came to my family but I knew without a doubt that we loved each other. Now I was the sister who was labelled a “spit-fire” and that is a fair assessment of me all through the years. I fought the loudest; I also cheered the most. I cried the hardest but I laughed the longest. I learned from each of them some of life’s most valued lessons.

From my older sister, I learned loyalty and dedication.

From my younger sister I learned how to forgive myself as well as a deep sense of sharing.

From my baby sister, I learned about faith and perseverence.

I cannot say what they may have learned from me, but I suspect some of them may include:

how to fight boys;

several colourful new words that I brought into our family discussions;

how to protect and defend the underdog;

how to stand up for one’s convictions;

and how to love in spite of weaknesses and flaws.

Thinking of my sisters reading this, I am quite sure that because of their kind hearts, they would add many other fine qualities but the fact is, I was the student 99% of the time and each of them were my life-lesson teachers.

Today I love and cherish and admire and treasure each of my sisters and I thank God that He saw fit to include me in this wonderful group of girls!

Today my husband and I spent some delightful time assembling and putting together our new screened-in attachable porch for our 37 foot Motor Home. Well he did all the work and I sat on the steps and watched. I was keeping him company and this is a very important job. I am there to listen to him discussing with himself the whys and why nots of following the instruction manuel. I am there to offer him encouragement when I can see that the measurements may not be quite right. I am there to offer him a sip of my ice cold water. ( It is a hot day and so I am rather overheated sitting there, after all….) I am there to applaud him when I see that he indeed does know what he is doing and finally I am there when he realizes that they have sent the wrong size side panels! Now this is why I do what I do….why I listen and wait and watch and help…..because invariably things do go wrong and what kind of wife would I be if not there at his side. So I come inside and attend to him as he calls the company and it is finally decided there is nothing to do but uninstall the whole thing, pack it up neatly and get it ready to mail back for a full refund!?! There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my husband……there is no way he could have managed without me by his side……Surely this is obvious to all.

Alas now the RV trip has to be delayed some more until together we work out this little wrinkle in our cross country trek…….TOGETHER, we will do it!

One of the best parts of visiting any new country or town is to experience the culture of that place. I live in Bermuda but have a vacation home in Vermont. Although we have been visiting this wonderful State for years, I am still enthralled with new discoveries. The people are wonderful; the views are breath-taking; the culture is warm and friendly.

Recently, being in that “I’m retired now so let’s cut back” mindset, I decided that throwing hundreds of dollars away at Hairstylist Salons was a total waste of my money so I stepped back into time and made my way into the Village Barbershop. One should note that I am not blessed with luxurious long flowing locks so the job at hand is not a hard one. I do not need to pay ridiculous amounts to tend to my “crop” And so, earlier this week, I walked into Anne’s Barbershop with my husband. Sitting in her chair I was immediately intrigued with the conversation that ensued after she ran to answer the telephone mid-cut. No receptionist or telephonist here…..Anne runs the shop alone and a sign on the door advises all, “Closed on Saturdays when my son is playing football!” So back to the conversation. Anne reported to us that all was fine on the home front; the call was an update on her cow. Yes, her COW! You see, two hours before she had to close the doors because her cow got out. She climbed in her truck and raced to her nearby farm to call Bess home. I take liberties in naming her cow for her but the point is….my hair “stylist” had to go home when her cow wandered off. It doesn’t get any more Vermont than that. Or does it? The next day we stopped at Gillingham’s country store in Woodstock Vermont and while looking  through the home made jams and jellies and smelling the delightful aroma of freshly baked peach pie, a sudden movement at my feet startled me and lo and behold, the store cat presented me with her catch of the day, a tiny little darling mouse who was still quite alive and perhaps not to thrilled to be there. He scampered off only to be brought back within 5 minutes, this time perhaps a wee bit injured, and much to every tourist’s delight, caught and henceforth set free out back by the store owner herself.

Welcome to Vermont……………..