An Excursion to Grandma Miller's

Yesterday we picked up Calvin and made a little excursion to Grandma Miller's bakery and Lowell Lake = both in Londondery, Vermont. Calvin no longer drives, and furthermore, his son's life has changed, and he is now working almost full time as a carpenter (formerly he was home a lot), and Calvin is alone much of the time. So he enjoyed getting out of the house. It was not the ideal day for a trip: it was sort of rainy and even foggy. But it was okay, and the sun did come out for a while. The drive up Route 30 to Londonderry is always a treat. We all went inside at Grandma Miller's and had coffee and a treat. Ellen and I both had chocolate eclairs, but Calvin, who had not had lunch, got himself a small apple pie, and ate the whole thing himself. We had a little table next to the window and had a nice time enjoying our treats and talking. Afterward, we went to Lowell Lake, which has special significance for both Calvin and me because the Blanche Moyse Chorale (of which Calvin was not only a member of the bass section, but also President), back in the 1980's, had annual weekend retreats in September at a camp on Lowell Lake. The camp was owned by a member of the Chorale, Joan White, and her husband, Preston. It had a dozen or so small cottages and a large lodge where we could gather to eat and rehearse. It was an idyllic spot, and we both have wodnerful memories of those weekends. Today those camp buildings still exist, but they are part of what is now a larger Lowell Lake State Park, and the buildings are not used and are not being maintained. That is sad. I don't know if it is too late to restore them and put them to use or not. But the state just doesn't have the resources to do that. The lake is still as beautiful as ever, however, and a favorite place to kayak. Yesterday, however, the snow was really piled up and there was no access to the lake. We'll have to go back in the summertime. We came back via WIndham Hill and pointed out to Calvin the house that John, Cynthia, Ellen and I considered buying and all moving in together - that was about four-five years ago, and nothing came of it (too expensive). All in all, it was about a 3-hour excursion.

A case of baked treats at Grandma Miller's

GM also sells a wide variety of frozen baked goods, which includes not only cakes and pies but also things like lasagna and Mac&Cheese.

Calvin and Ellen at our little table at Grandma Miller's. *************************** Today, I started the day going to Planet Fitness - my first time since becoming a member. I didn't have a lot of time, but I used three machines. It's a start! I resolved my issue with PF making direct withdrawals from my personal bank account by creating a special small account at 802 Credit Union which will be solely for that purpose. If PF gets hacked and personal data is stolen, I won't be very much at risk. Then I came home and we immediately csme down to Shutesbury, and just had lunch with KS&B.