We fiddled around this morning…Went to Roscoe Village to buy a ‘Santa’ that is made by a local Coshocton artist from old candy molds, and a statue of a rearing horse that I couldn’t get out of my mind, and two old milk bottle that say Coshocton on them. I remember gathering bottles just like them, from the back steps, once upon a time.
We made it to the gate of Lake Park and the battery stopped charging again. AND the tried and true method of banging on it with a broom didn’t help! To the garage again…the good news is I got to go for one last walk around Coshocton. I noticed one sign that made me smile. ‘DON’T SPIT ON THE STEPS’ hummmm, that’s my home town! Found a little photo supply place on a side street that had postcard blanks…the kind you glue photos on. She ‘tossed’ the place to find them and they’re yellow on the edges they are so old. She picked out a couple and said “How many do you want?” I said “How many do you have?” She had 21 and I took them all. She said. “Gee, they’ve been move’ n real slow up to now!” I told her I’d been hunting for them since we left Calif and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. Well…..when she found out I was a from a ‘foreign country’! She told me she had never been anywhere…except Illinois. Asked me all about it. Wanted to know how we celebrated Christmas without any snow. I told her “We just decorated our tumble weeds”! From the wide eyes I think I know what the table talk will be at her house tonight!
It was a funny feeling driving out of town for what may be the last time. I remember when we left for Calif when I was a child, my mom, whom I’d never seen cry, sat silently with the tears running unchecked down her cheeks. And everyone pretended it wasn’t happening. I wouldn’t presume to say I felt what she was feeling…but I’ve fallen in love with this place and a little echo of her pain was in me too.
We’ve stopped at Geneva…by the Lake. It’s nearly dark now…this is one lake that will go unviewed!