A Deadline and a Visit

Nothing gets things done like a deadline.

On another, however closely related note, our house in Richmond was in disarray last Saturday. We had just stayed at the Aiken Camp in North Hero for 8 days, and the lawn -- as a result -- was a hayfield and the gardens weedbeds. All of our stuff was strewn haphazardly around the house in heaps -- duffel bags, laundry baskets, water jugs, bike gear, cat carriers, a round carpet from the camp that Jill had replaced with an ungrade, and a cooler.

And we were expecting company at 10:45am. There's your deadline.

Let me tell you, Alison and I sprang into action. By 10:44am, the grass was cut, the gardens tidied up, and the house organized. I even went out to Richmond's On the Rise Bakery to pick up bagels and other assorted morning goodies. When our company arrived, we acted like the house and grounds always looked this way and nothing out of the ordinary had transpired that morning. I'm pretty sure we had them fooled.

The company, incidentally, was my grandmother Caroline G. Aiken, my Uncle Dave Robinson, and my Aunt Judy Robinson. The Robinsons were visiting from Atlanta, Georgia, and they were on a tight social calendar with a schedule not unlike the US President's recent visits to Russia, Africa, and the Middle East. We were very excited that they could fit Richmond in.

We snacked for awhile in the front room admiring the view and catching up. Then we walked around and checked out the gardens (see photo above, provided by Aunt Judy). I received some very positive feedback about the vegetable garden: my grandmother -- a prolific vegetable gardener from Springfield, Vermont -- called it "perfect." My Aunt Judy, an expert in all matters of plants and flowers, informed me as to what flowers we have in the flowerbeds (I have no idea what's in there as I can't even tell the difference between a flower and a weed). The problem, however, was that she rattled off the names and types so quickly, all I remember was "primroses" and, unfortunately, didn't retain which ones those were. And before I was able to ask for clarification, my Uncle Dave -- like the Secret Service -- whisked them both into the car and onto their next stop (which, I believe, was lunch at cousin Suzie Shattuck's). Now I know how the smaller nations of the world feel.

It was a really nice visit. Next time, though, I'm going to have a notebook and pencil ready. And I may just skip the snacks and bring my aunt right out to the flowerbed. I need to know what I'm supposed to keep and what needs to be thrown away.