The Cabin
The Old Homestead!
Family = Home
Home for the last generation
Ducks in the Pond at Home
At Home for Randolph's Q125 Usually as I am driving back and forth across this great nation during the busy, busy summertime, I hear Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles singing, "Who says you can't go home?" Exactly! I crank the song whenever I hear it because, as many of you who have read my earlier blogs know, home is a concept that fascinates it. My former student Maisie used to challenge me on this whole idea. "Mrs. Fallon, you can't say that you are 'going home' when you go to Vermont because you live here now. Nebraska is your home now!" And we would debate back and forth.
"Yah, I know that I live in Nebraska, but my house is in Vermont!" I mean isn't home where your house is? Or maybe it was home is where the heart is... I don't even know anymore, but I am still fascinated by the concept. What is "home"? Honestly, I feel "at home" in many different places for various reasons, but I spend a lot of time on this idea especially, this summer with the cousins here from Australia. Maybe I should say that home is where my history is, but I have tried to make a lot of history no matter where we have lived by loving and serving along the way.
We finished our trip to New York and New Jersey, and now it WAS time to head home. I cannot fully explain the feeling of calm I had as I drove closer and closer to Vermont. I always get this way! Part of it has to do with the bucolic nature of Vermont and the fact that I am with many of my beloved family and east coast friends when I am there. I know where I am going and usually, I know shortcuts to get there (no comments from the peanut gallery please). But this year, I was excited for Asa's homecoming. St. Johnsbury would be foreign to him in many ways obviously, but I was excited to show him where our Dads were raised: the house on Pearl Street, St. Johnsbury Academy (http://www.stjacademy.org/page.cfm), the Athenaeum (www.stjathenaeum.org/ ), The Fairbanks Museum (http://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/), the Dog Chapel (www.dogmt.com/) and the cemeteries, of course. There were also nearby attractions that are newly adopted family traditions: Polly's Pancake Parlor (www.pollyspancakeparlor.com), The Church Street Marketplace (http://www.churchstmarketplace.com/), The ECHO museum (www.echovermont.org/), Ben and Jerry's (www.benjerry.com/) and Chutters (http://www.chutters.com/candy/), the longest candy counter in the world were must sees too! It was a good thing that we had five days in Vermont for the cousins to take it all in! "Who says you can't go home?"
"Yah, I know that I live in Nebraska, but my house is in Vermont!" I mean isn't home where your house is? Or maybe it was home is where the heart is... I don't even know anymore, but I am still fascinated by the concept. What is "home"? Honestly, I feel "at home" in many different places for various reasons, but I spend a lot of time on this idea especially, this summer with the cousins here from Australia. Maybe I should say that home is where my history is, but I have tried to make a lot of history no matter where we have lived by loving and serving along the way.
We finished our trip to New York and New Jersey, and now it WAS time to head home. I cannot fully explain the feeling of calm I had as I drove closer and closer to Vermont. I always get this way! Part of it has to do with the bucolic nature of Vermont and the fact that I am with many of my beloved family and east coast friends when I am there. I know where I am going and usually, I know shortcuts to get there (no comments from the peanut gallery please). But this year, I was excited for Asa's homecoming. St. Johnsbury would be foreign to him in many ways obviously, but I was excited to show him where our Dads were raised: the house on Pearl Street, St. Johnsbury Academy (http://www.stjacademy.org/page.cfm), the Athenaeum (www.stjathenaeum.org/ ), The Fairbanks Museum (http://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/), the Dog Chapel (www.dogmt.com/) and the cemeteries, of course. There were also nearby attractions that are newly adopted family traditions: Polly's Pancake Parlor (www.pollyspancakeparlor.com), The Church Street Marketplace (http://www.churchstmarketplace.com/), The ECHO museum (www.echovermont.org/), Ben and Jerry's (www.benjerry.com/) and Chutters (http://www.chutters.com/candy/), the longest candy counter in the world were must sees too! It was a good thing that we had five days in Vermont for the cousins to take it all in! "Who says you can't go home?"
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