Day Six

Feest Isolation Days – 20  March 2020

It is amazing how quickly you can develop a routine.  Terry and I have a very late breakfast and then sit on the garden swing with our cuppa – and no devices allowed!  It’s good to control the use of all the social media.  Otherwise, it gobbles up every ounce of your energy and snatches time that might best be used to think and just be.

We are fortunate because we have a magnificent home and garden.  Our good fortune has been that many many of you have been to see us here and sit on that very swing I just 18mentioned. There are many swing photos from over the years. 

Our friends, Annie and Bob bought us the Bob and Annie rose which sits to the left of the swing and later in the year I’ll send you pictures of the blooms. It is huge and has climbed way up into the coniferous tree next to our copper beech. Of all of our many friends, I’ve known these two the longest. I told you yesterday I’d tell you about Teddy and I will but first…

When I was fourteen and living in Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania where I grew up, a Summer Stock theatre came to town – that’s a play a week for those of you unfamiliar with the term.  I had already taken a shine to things theatrical and was on a summer course at Susquehanna, the local University in Selinsgrove. I played the Fairy King – Oberon – in Midsummer Nights Dream in our end of term production and Mr. Shakespeare had a friend for life! I don’t remember all the lines but I do remember this one which seems apt at the moment –“How long within these woods intend you stay?”  “Who knows” is our collective answer. Fortunately for me, when I was only thirteen ( I have a summer birthday – I’d soon be fourteen!) I was able to leave my “woods” of inner longing behind and headed to the professional Summer Stock Theatre. I have always claimed that I ran away to join the circus which is only half true. The theatre was created in an old circus tent.  I rode my bike up the hill to the tent and hung about long enough until someone gave me  my first job tearing tickets at the performances and selling popcorn.  No one asked me how old I was, and I was in heaven.  A few weeks later I was the property mistress and three years later a fully fledged card carrying Equity Member Stage Managing or assisting the SM.  Bob and Annie were actors and wonderfully gifted talented people and great human beings. They now live on Cape Cod and Terry and I visited in September.  Annie doesn’t do a great deal of walking these days and her travel days are now finished. Our timing was great and we were able to share a birthday cake with her and there were two teddy bears on her sofa which I kept picking up when we were there.  When we were back at the place we were staying, Terry told me to open my case and there was Ted.  I started taking pictures with Teddy in them and Annie told me she felt like she was on our journey.  There are tons of pics of dear Teddy all over New Zealand.  Sadly, Teddy has gone into hibernation, but he had a great trip and as you can see, he enjoyed himself! 

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For those of you needing a humour fix, watch this one….

With love,

Kathy x