It was a lovely, hazy, mellow late summer week, the bright colors of June muted to the softer tones of August. The season has passed like the Canadian fly-bys, though with far less screech and throb! We said goodbye to three grandchildren on Wednesday and to three more on Friday. Then the rocks lay too still. A lot of grandmothers have said, "Oh, yes. It is too still." But haven't we all had a good time this year!
The weekend has been rainy, and everyone on Grindstone Island has settled into the relaxed nostalgic mood that marks the winding down of every year. Yuvonne Marra said, "There's something about this place that is so restful. We got off the boat Friday night, fixed supper, and just enjoyed the evening. Then on Saturday, we did a lot of things, painted a couple of windows, went for a boat ride and to the dance just did what we wanted to do—and it didn't seem rushed."
The dance on Saturday night was like a homecoming. A lot of people sat in the Dodge Hall kitchen talking. Jesse Beers and Courtney Natali took turns holding Mary Margaret Bazinet while Bobby brought people to see his new sister, and Buck kept an eye open to see that she was carefully tended, and Shawn Marshall kept Bobby from feeling lonesome. Mary Beers (the minister) held her, too, for a long, tender time, while Jesse and her sister Sara took their turns ? cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. Courtney helped them too.
Later most of us were drawn to the dance floor by the agile teenagers doing the Limbo! I remember the young Brown girls in the 1960's snaking under a broomstick until it was no more than 2 1/4 feet off the floor.
Saturday evening, Steve McEvoy stayed longest, with the broomstick surely that low, but Becky and Barbara Benas had to drop out when the stick was nearly that low, and Jim Cupemall, too. Then there was more line dancing and the 50-50 drawing which Arlene Tracy (Yuvonne Marra's sister) won. Frank Slate won a hat and Buddy Patch won a shirt.
It was Jim Cupemall's birthday, so we all sang "Happy Birthday" to him, and out in the kitchen, Carolyn Bazinet told Mary Ellen Natali to tell her "news": Little Nat, son of Mary Ellen and "Big Nat", has won a hockey scholarship to the Salisbury School in Connecticut. He will be a sophomore when he leaves in two weeks, and has already chosen Room 16 in the dormitory! The school is in the Berkshire Mountains, a really good School! Congratulations, "Little Nat."
Stub Lashomb and Karen were there with their family, Joe Lashomb with his, and Jim Carnegie and Laurie and their family... lots of the Grindstone family we hadn't seen for a long time. We left as the teenagers were doing the "Electric Slide."
And on Sunday morning, there were all those children who had been at the dance the night before, bright and shiny, filling the front row - though some sat back with their parents. Judy Bacci and Liz taught Sunday school and, for the children's sermon, got the children to break through from behind a tinfoil looking glass, beautiful as the flowers they painted out in the carriage house during the adult sermon.
It is always a special Sunday for Grindstone when Helen Ingerson comes to sing, as she did this Sunday...in spite of the rain. We were all sorry David Shepherd could not come too. But Mary Margaret came in her little basket!
Charge Conference
After the benediction, the Rev. Joe DeGroote came over from Clayton (with his wife, after the First Methodist Church service ended, in his own boat - to be picked up at the south shore by Phil Beers and whisked across the island to the Grindstone Methodist Church) to lead the annual charge conference as acting district superintendent. The Rev. David Geer is on sabbatical leave, working in an Alaskan mission. Mr. deGroote is always "on call" for Grindstone Islanders during the winter when the island church is closed. So we all welcomed him heartily.
The following people were re-elected to the church board: Jeff Marra, Erma Slate, Karen Lashomb, Manley Rusho, Ken Larson, and John Marks. Mary Beers thanked the congregation for making her feel so welcome as she has all summer, and Sis Matthews led the congregation in thanking Mary and asking her to come back next year if she possibly can. John Marks suggested that individuals in the congregation might like to write a letter to her seminary at Queen's University commending the work she has done here this summer. John has the address. Mary's home address is: Mary and Phil Beers (and Sara and Jesse), Box 173, Glen Burnie, Ont. KOH ISO, Canada.
Yuvonne Marra gave the report of the Dodge Memorial Center, and read the following statement from a history of the island dictated by Emmet Dodge to Posie Smith back in the 1970s:
"The family of Emmet Dodge, one of the early teachers (on Grindstone Island), donated the building for the Dodge Memorial Center, which is used by young and old for recreation and "Town meetings." It is here that issues and problems concerning life on the island are discussed and decided. They are self-governing and make their own recreation."
Phil Marra announced that the Dodge Hall had placed fire extinguishers in the carriage house, the church, and the hall.
Finally, Doc Schwartz presented the year's financial report, after which, we all joined to give him "our blessing" in keeping on with all the work he does for us both as president of the board and financial officer, and to give him heartfelt thanks for a huge, and often "thankless" task! Then when we had settled a few more pieces of business (replacing the septic tank of the parsonage and the carriage house!), the congregation retired to the carriage house for pot luck -which is always very good luck! and more long, leisurely, friendly talk.
And on the way home, "down under the hill," we stopped by at Carolyn and Bubby Bazinet's house where the Marshalls and Donaldsons and Marras were already drinking coffee and catching up on news of Carolyn's mother, who was taken to the House of the Good Samaritan on Thursday, but was on her way home on Sunday, although she will return for further tests.
Going the other way, south, from the church, Chris Williams and Aleatha went home to celebrate his birthday! Rain just didn't spoil the day for any of us! But it did keep me from going out to the Jack-Straw Shoal to see the Coast Guard pull "Bobby Lashomb's big houseboat off the rocks!" Marjorie Rusho called, but after going up to the quarry and not seeing anything, and after calling and finding Weazie Grant's point inhabited at that moment by only a pit-bull with eight puppies, I decided to forego "seeing history in the making." Milton Rusho had been called out to make a little history with the Coast Guard cutter.
But Milton has just returned from much more important history making: His 8-pound grandson, Weston Mitchell, was born on Aug. 16, to Wayne and Julie Rusho Furrow, in Pensacola, Fla. Another Hallelujah!!
Zachary John Brown was born on Monday, Aug. 15, to Laura Brown. He was 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Yet another Hallelujah!!
And, for Sis, a prayer for peace: her sister, Pauline Hunneyman died this week. Sis came to Bible study Thursday night and told us. The funeral was Saturday morning. Skip, Sis says, has been "right there helping her."
Bob Smith spent two days on the island, and told us that, sadly, Debbie, his daughter is returning to the U.S. with her son, Robert, leaving her home in Burundi. We wish Debbie peace and courage for her new life, and Bob the strength to help her.
Here are a few more notes from Aunt Jane's Bay. The Bay had its annual picnic at Long Point last week. Naomi Custis is already getting about with her walker. Marjorie Rusho discovered from reading Verda Corbin's "River Ripples" that the little vase her parents were given by Gregor Burgess for paying their grocery bill at the island store must be more than 100 years old. And John and Marjorie Dower just arrived this week, but Marjorie already knows all the Grindstone news!
Brenda Slate will teach Sunday school next Sunday,
Jamie House and his sister" Dianne Jordan will be DJ's at the dance next Saturday night
Bob Smith spent two days on the island, and told us that, sadly, Debbie, his daughter is returning to the U.S. with her son, Robert, leaving her home in Burundi. We wish Debbie peace and courage for her new life, and Bob the strength to help her.
Here are a few more notes from Aunt Jane's Bay. The Bay had its annual picnic at Long Point last week.
Naomi Custis is already getting about with her walker. Marjorie Rusho discovered from reading Verda
Corbin's "River Ripples" that the little vase her parents were given by Gregor Burgess for paying their grocery bill at the island store must be more than 100 years old. And John and Marjorie Dower just arrived this week, but Marjorie already knows all the Grindstone news!
And so it is.