Monday, April 18, 2011

Daughter C, baby A (6 months) and friend  Lora (103!)
This weekend my daughter, her fiance, A, and their baby drove with me to Northern Vermont where we helped my friend Lora celebrate her 103rd birthday. This has been a tough year for Lora - she's been in and out of the hospital a couple of times, has lost much of her sight and hearing and has to have Elder Care in order to stay in her home. She spends much of her time sleeping. Still, when I called to ask if we could come for a short visit, she was enthusiastic. She stayed up long enough to make A's acquaintance, have a piece of birthday cake and give us all a hug.

While we were in the area, we visited some of the places C remembered from her childhood in the Northeast Kingdom. She was eager to show A the old homestead we all helped to build, the house we first stayed in when she was just 3, and the school she attended through grade 8. Mud season is in full swing up there and snow still covered the ground in many places.

I hope to go back in the summer to spend more time with Lora. We've been friends for thirty years - it will be hard to say goodbye.

the cabin in the building stages, 1970s

Cabin 2011

11 comments:

Stafford Ray said...

Seems the cabin has been extended and altered somewhat over the last forty years, but your friend Lora seems to have held up better!
What was Baby A asking Lora?

Reya Mellicker said...

One hundred and three? Wow. May we all live so fully (if perhaps not so long).

steven said...

so cool to be one hundred and three and wish so hard to be a part of your life!!!! the cabin - it grew!!! steven

Hilary said...

Wow.. 103.. how lovely. She's certainly entitled to spend much of her time asleep.

That baby is just adorable!

Brian Miller said...

i hope you get that time this summer...and i hope to live to 103...very nice...

Judith said...

Considering your friendship with Lora over the years, I think you can call this a gathering of FOUR generations. Pretty wonderful ---

Tabor said...

Babies and the elders. It is moving when life comes full circle. I wonder if I should live so long.

Stella Jones said...

My friend died recently, aged 102. A remarkable achievement although she didn't know anybody for the last two years. She was physically stronger than mentally. Seems we get one or the other!
The cabin is coming on well.
Do visit my Blog one day. I've never seen you on there but you are welcome?

Pauline said...

Stafford - we left the cabin in 1987. Since then it's had a number of owners and I understand it is for sale again. It's current owners glassed in the porch in front and added the little shed to the left. Otherwise it's pretty much as we left it, though it's gray now rather than it's natural color.

Reya - it is just this year that Lora has begun to fail. I helped her renew her driver's license at age 100 and she gave up her car just the winter before this one!

Steven - the cabin in 1987 looked much the way it does now, though the front porch was open and the logs were still their natural brown.

Hilary - baby A and Lora had an instant rapport :)

Brian - I do, too!

Judith - during her lucid moments, Lora and I still had our former bond :)

Tabor - I had to wonder what each of them was thinking...

Star - we no longer own the cabin but we visit whenever we're in northern VT. I loved the beautiful flower photos on your recent post :)

Anne said...

One hundred and three! I know she is happy to be remembered. What a wonderful visit.

Pauline said...

Anne - she knew who we were and that made me happy.