Column Two: Summer connections, happy memories

After receiving some interesting feedback through the Belmont Citizen Herald website as a reaction to my first column, I decided to keep my column just in the printed version.  This may appear like I'm backing off because a few people don't like what I wrote.  I want to be clear - this decision was difficult for me to make and ultimately, I chose to take the column off line because I did not want to continue to give these counterproductive people a vehicle to voice opinions that I doubt they'd feel comfortable saying to my face.  Below is my second column.

Summer connections, happy memories

I have had this vision in my head all week while my family and I have been on vacation.  It is of my husband’s grandmother, Lois, sitting in her sun chair amongst a circle of her closest summer friends needlepointing at Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk, ME.  These well-tanned women of varying ages sharing laughs and stitches as they debate and discuss everything from the latest fashion trends to hot neighborhood gossip.  This circle of women probably led different lives from September to June, but for those three months - they enjoyed their commonalities and connection to each other. Their kids playing freely on the beach were easily found if need be. How I wish that I could have been lying within earshot on a towel just hear them laughing. 

Although our family vacation isn’t in Maine, our family tradition is to spend two weeks in Vermont. After five years of staying at the same place, I feel blessed to report that I’ve found a group of my own summer friends.  We met the first year that my family started retreating to Stowe at an organized knitting circle.  Because of Lois, I was always more of a needle pointer than a knitter but being game to try new things, I bought some yarn and some needles, a pattern that may well have been written in a foreign language    and the hope that in two weeks I’d end up with something to show for our time together.  Over the years, I have completed very few of my summer projects but I’ve built wonderful friendships with women who live across the country.  Like the Kennebunk women, we have explored and debated many topics, supported each other through some of life’s twists and turns and laughed about my bad karma blanket (a baby gift intended for my nephew...who is now 4).  The blanket was my second project and was named the bad karma blanket because of the choice words that spilled from my mouth when I realized that I had done many rows wrong.  I refused to rip them out but as I result haven’t picked this project up for years. My point is that we’ve shared pieces of ourselves without using our smart phones or social networking technology.

There are few precious weeks left of the summer to enjoy. The days get a little shorter each day, the stores have been reminding us (since July) that school will be starting shortly, and I’m trying hold onto each moment of sunshine.  I now have a new project to complete (a baby hat) by December.  The hat is done but it is the dreaded crocheted flower that I have left.  I can hear my friend, Elyse’s, patient voice as I try to visualize finishing this last step.  It is the same voice that guided me through the four row repeats of my bad karma blanket.  And then I smile, thinking about what a laugh we will all have when I pull out that flower next summer at our next circle.