July 2009 |
| Dear Anna, |
| It is so good to see the sunshine again. What a dreary time it has been. The garden is doing so poorly, but I do have lilies in bloom and a rose bush that just won’t quit. Along with the two butterfly bushes I have a lot to be grateful for. |
| You asked about my memories of our grandfather, Jerome “Romey” McLaughlin. I’m sad to say that I have few vivid recollections of him. I wondered about this for a time and came up with several reasons. Firstly, he was a very quiet man of few words, typical of a Maine farmer. Also, being a farmer he was always busy in the fields or barn. And finally, he was not a well man by the time I would have remembered him. I do recall sitting on his lap in the den, coloring in one of my grandmother’s diaries while he smoked a cigar.. I’m sure she did not appreciate that. |
| He was well known in the community as a gentleman farmer. His opinions were sought out by many of the town’s citizens. I know this from my mother and father. When the town meeting occurred each spring, he was a vocal contributor as was my mother. The agenda was circulated in advance and I remember lots of discussion one year about whether or not to buy a new fire engine. |
| He was an outstanding gardener. He loved order in all his affairs. Meals were served on a strict schedule, noontime being the big meal of the day. In the winter he tended the woodstove, making his oatmeal on the burner. |
| He had a cow, horse and some chickens until his later years. I can remember being in the yard with him and sitting in the shade in the afternoon. I loved exploring the barn with all its secret places. Admonished not to go in the hay lofts or under them, I took to making a witches brew of eggs from the chickens and fertilizer. Won’t go there! |
| He wore long sleeve white shirts, khaki work pants, and a hat during the summer months. In the winter he wore green wool pants and a flannel shirt over long johns His full head of white hair made him a striking figure. I wonder how Gram dried these things. I know my mother insisted on tromping through the snow to a backyard clothesline with an armful of sheets frozen into white shards. She would then hang them up in the basement to dry. She said she liked the smell of things hung outside. We McLaughlin’s have a streak of stubborness.. I certainly do. |
| The lifeblood of our grandfather is certainly gone. He prospered on 40 acres of farmland. The last of those farms closed down last fall, giving way to the megafarmers of today where hundreds of acres are required to make a profit. It’s sad to see. I can see Papa walking the rows of potato plants looking for stray weeds and errant rocks. I see him living a good life with dignity and honesty. He was a good man. |
| Well, Anna, I wish there were more to tell. I hope you can piece the fragments together to form a picture of the man that was our grandfather. |
| Hope this finds you and David well and happy, God Bless, |
| Sheila |