Hello All -
Today is the day we hold up our glasses to Pat here in Snowville, New Hampshire. It's been a rainy few days so we may not be on the beach of Crystal Lake but just across the lake through the fog is the Little White Church...Pat spent many days trying to figure out how he could fly the angels across the church on the Christmas Eve Pageants! He also wanted to light it up movie style. And so if we end up inside, that is the place to be.
On the lake, one of Pat's wishes was to have lots of lightning machines at work across the lake on this day. Well, he may get his wish if the rain storm today is anything like it has been the last couple of days! But as an alternate, the local fire department is going to create a big fountain in the middle of the lake for us to see! Yes, just as Pat would have been, the people here are figuring out creative ways to celebrate him!
Love to all. Pat's celebration is at 3P here in New Hampshire so the toast would be around 3:46P! Raise a glass, an ice cream, anything at all that you love and toast to Pat. We'll be having shots of Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch as he requested (Blech).
Love,
Xochi
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Wow, Xochi. I stumbled across this blog looking for some info for a passport app ...
ReplyDeleteI worked at Snovillage for about a year, about a million years ago (actually 1984/85). It is one of most memorable jobs - there at 5am (I lived about 3 miles away toward Conway) to feed the pig and about 8 dogs and 12 cats, get the outbuilding fires all going in the winter, groom ski trails, get guests set up with skis, etc, etc, then later as a prep cook and dishwasher, ending my day around 10pm. Not the end of the day though, as usually when in residence, Pat would show up just as the lights were going down and the guests were fully tucked away, for a nightcap in the bar and interesting conversation. Even if it was just he and I. Hard to appreciate fully at 18, but it certainly blooms rhapsodic as I remember it now.
I had a band at the time, and Pat lent me some PA speaker that was in the barn (which Ginger later accused me of stealing!? I think as some adjunct to an unrelated (to me) internal argument they were having) but what I remember most was how readily and enthusiatically supportive he was. Truly he barely knew me, and threw whatever support he could my way without a second thought.
I'm certain pat will be missed, and it is clear that you have done a lovely job honoring his spirit.
I missed the NH clebration by just a week (I was recently home on vacation) but I will make up for it by raising my glass to Pat tonight, and remind myself of the lesson of Pat's life, to live at least a little bit more adventurously.
Best wishes,
Shawn Eldridge
(I have the tiniest memory of you (and some other family) whirlwinding through on some quick visit to the inn (for the holidays, maybe?) and even just that sliver of memory for reference, and, honestly not even knowing that memory existed until now, it was so deeply filed away, you look just exactly the same! That smile is the culprit, I suspect)