Yesterday, a letter to a friend:
Hot here – blueberries – corn – northern orioles and goldfinches and a fat woodchuck in the garden, waddling around totally unafraid with a big green apple in his mouth. Last night a bat got in through a crack above the screen and was flying around at 3:00 am in the bedroom – this is a normal summertime occurrence. We got up as it flew swooping circles around the room, then closed the bedroom door, and slept in the living room. In the morning I found it fast asleep behind the mirror above my dresser, so we took the mirror off the wall, put a little plastic container over it, and took the whole thing outside. The poor little bat was shaking when we uncovered it on the back porch, and panting with its mouth open; often they make a loud "get away from me!" squeaking sound but this one was mute in its fright. So I talked to it and told it to calm down and we left it there and went away; in a few minutes it must have taken off. Later on I took duct tape and taped the wobbly bedroom screens to the frame so that not even a bat with a collapsible body could squeeze through.
Wednesday is our 26th anniversary. On Sunday we drove up into the hills and hiked in to the spot where we were married. The trees have grown up a lot and what was once a near-360-degree view of Vermont has been reduced to glimpses in several directions, but it was just as beautiful as the morning we stood there waiting for the people we loved most to walk up the path through the field of Queen Anne's lace and black-eyed susans to witness our vows. A new friend went with us on Sunday, and as we stood on the ridge, remembering, she asked if we had written our own ceremony - yes - and then, what had we promised each other? "Well, not 'to obey!'" I answered, laughing. "We promised to be faithful and to stay together, and to give each other room enough to grow."
Happy happy 26th Anniversary, Beth and J! How wonderful to have such a beautiful spot to revisit and remember your ceremony! Many many more years of growing together!
Posted by: marja-leena | August 01, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Happy Anniversary! Many more!
Posted by: Fred Garber | August 01, 2007 at 11:04 AM
It would be lovely to hear more about that special day 26 years ago... Happy anniversary! As a young newly-wed I would also love to hear your wisdom on how to grow a marriage to 26 years...
Posted by: Planethalder | August 01, 2007 at 06:05 PM
Love to both of you on your anniversary. Our 30th was in May. I'm glad we were both there to share those times.
Posted by: Annie | August 01, 2007 at 07:18 PM
Happy anniversary!
Posted by: dale | August 02, 2007 at 01:16 AM
Happy anniversary Beth and Jon and many many more to come. Do you have any photos of that beautiful ceremony? If so, it would be great to see them
xxxx
Posted by: Natalie | August 02, 2007 at 06:31 AM
Happy anniversary, both of you! It sounds like a good place from which to have ventured forth into the next phase of your lives... and good to revisit that place which, like you, has changed over the years.
Posted by: Pica | August 02, 2007 at 09:40 AM
Happy anniversary, and thanks for saving the bat.
Posted by: Lorianne | August 02, 2007 at 02:22 PM
Happy anniversary, you guys. And on to the next 26!
Posted by: Chris Clarke | August 02, 2007 at 10:20 PM
Happy anniversary!
Posted by: kurt | August 03, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Thank you very much, all of you!
Posted by: beth | August 03, 2007 at 09:00 PM
Ah, belated congratulations to you both, Beth!
Posted by: MB | August 07, 2007 at 03:47 PM
Another belated congratulations! :)
Posted by: Rana | August 15, 2007 at 06:51 PM