The Reindeer Keeper

  I was hanging clothes out on the clothesline the other day when I noticed something moving in a field across the road. I couldn't figure out what it was, so I went inside the house for my phone and told Brian I'd be right back. As I crossed the road, I still couldn't figure out what it was until "it" moved. What I'd seen was the top of a hat. I discovered it was worn by an artist from New Jersey, Catherine Whitehead. She travelled here to participate in Morristown's Plein Air event. I could only see the top of her hat because she was sitting in the field, painting. The field was a collage of beautiful, colorful wildflowers swaying in the gentle breeze. When I think about it, such a scene is repeated alongside so many of our country roads. After introducing myself, I learned this artist was infatuated with the fields drenched in purples and yellows and oranges and shades of white and green. Catherine Whitehead was delightful. Very welcoming despite my int...

It's no secret that I have a sweet tooth. There's a drawer in the kitchen where I can go for a touch of sweetness during the day. But with summer in full gear, I now have another source of delight-a candy shop in the garden loaded with small, round, sweet, delicious cherry tomatoes. It's impossible to eat just one-or two so I don't bother trying. Sometimes when I'm hanging clothes on the line I'll bring a small bowl out with me. Before I hang the clothes I'll pick some of those delightful little tomatoes and put them in the bowl. Then as I hang the clothes I'll devour the tomatoes. I usually run out. So I'll go back and pick some more. It makes hanging the clothes a delightful reason to be outside near that little garden. Other times if I'm inside on the computer I'll have that bowl with me full of garden candy. As I go along I'll eat a tomato. Suddenly the bowl is empty once again. But not for long. I know I could throw those cherry toma...

It was a given that the clothesline-running from the pumphouse situated not far from the back porch of my grandparents' farmhouse to out and over the flat rocks strung underneath a pipe taking the water to the barn-was most always loaded down with laundry when the season allowed. Of course there were no automatic washers and dryers back then and with such a large family there was always laundry. It probably never was caught up. How could it have been with six girls and barn work to be done along with everything else in-between? Laundry waving in the breeze provided great fun. My cousins and I could run back and forth underneath the sheets and pants and towels and house dresses and never get tired. If the sheets were hanging low enough they provided the perfect cover for hide 'n seek or from cars passing by or from adults wondering what we were doing. When there was no laundry hanging on the line the pipe leading to the barn offered us a daring opportunity. E...