Chester Chatter: A home filled with dancing and love

| Oct 16, 2017 | Comments 0

By Ruthie Douglas
©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC

During the Depression, my mother was left a widow with three young children. She was a widow for five years when she met my father. They were married and soon had my sister Marie and me, making it a family of five daughters.

Times were tough. But my dad considered himself lucky to have landed a job at the Fellows Machine Shop in Springfield. But there was no extra money for entertainment.

After supper, dishes were done and the kitchen cleaned up and we were put to bed, my mother changed into her silk dressing gown, and put on her high heels and earrings. She and my father then transformed the kitchen by lowering the lights and lighting candles. With Guy Lombardo dance records playing they danced and sipped some wine.

Phil Atwood of Grafton identified last week’s object from Ruthie’s Attic, which was a biscuit cutter. And since no one identified the above object on Sept. 25, we’re running it again. Any ideas? Call Ruthie.

Marie and I crept to the top of the stairs to watch them dance. They were wonderful dancers. While they could not afford babysitters, taxicabs and dinner and drinks out, they created their own dance scene.

When they could manage a night out, they often went to the Trade Winds Club and more than once won a dance contest.

To this day, I love the music of the big band orchestras: It was an era of great music. It is a happy feeling to know that your parents love each other. It stays with you forever. Fill your home with love.

Blessing the animals and friends

How I enjoyed the Blessing of the Animals held on the lawn of St. Luke’s Church the weekend before last.

How many pounds of apples do Vermont growers produce every year? 40 million!

The Christmas Under the Tent fund-raiser event at Chester-Andover Family Center did very well. Evan Parks and staff of the food shelf served grilled hot dogs, chips, soda and cookies and their was face-painting for the children.

A happy birthday and happy anniversary to Paula Perry. And get well soon Judy Cenate.

Dale Griswold and Brittany Caisse were married on Oct. 13 in the back yard of the Stone Hearth Inn. Family members were in attendance. A light supper was served and the young couple will make their home in Andover.

  • This week’s trivia question: How many apples make a bushel?
  • Answer to last week’s trivia question:  The big black Halloween cat can be found on the lawn of Bill Austin’s Antiques.

Street Talk

What do you like about this time of the year?

Ben Hunt: I do not care for fall.
Jean Crilly: I come up from New Jersey every year to view the foliage.
Claudio Veliz: The low humidity and clear night sky.
Joe Renfro: I like the weather and the foliage.
Keith Whitten: The colored leaves.
Al Ruhl: The changing of the leaves.
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Filed Under: Chester Chatter • Community and Arts Life

About the Author: Ruthie Douglas is originally from Springfield but has called Chester her home for 58 years, and has been writing the Chester Chatter column for more than 40 of those years. Ruthie is also a longtime volunteer throughout the community.

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