Bettianne's Party
Bettianne’s party was a thing of wonder…and it took place at Priscilla’s fantastical little Haggis Farm…a place out of a children’s fairy tale if there ever was one. The house itself is set back from the drive behind the bakery so you don’t see it when you drive in.
It is another of those single wall California type structures…but tiny and in several connecting buildings. Rick helped me up the steps and we made our way through 3 different levels into the kitchen and on to the tiny flagstone patio where the party was underway.
The wood frame of the house is visible on all levels and adds a touch of rustic charm to the structure because you see and sense natural wood all around you.
The kitchen table was set up with about 6 fancy cheeses none of them yet cut…but meant for the party goers.
I was offered a chair facing away from the reclining sun facing Bettianne and her daughter Christianne (who looks like an aging flower child to me with her toe rings and long graying hair and I told her so). Stanley, Bettianne’s very alert and gentle redheaded grandson was also there as was Barb (from the school and baseball team) and Joel and Emily (Bettianne’s young summer helpers). Then came Gord the fiddler/baker (with violin in hand) and his friend Bill, and finally there was Jesse Priscilla’s daughter her long dark hair carefully brushed out bustling around to make sure everyone was seated.
A few minutes later Dick and Annie arrived. Dick is my brother in spirit and he came right over and kissed me on the lips. He is adamant that I have to continue playing music and tells me he is going to stay on my ass until I do. Annie who I had not yet met stayed in the background but I knew immediately who she was and later we exchanged a few words and a warm handshake. Dick had told me she is the Buddhist in his family, so we have something in common there.
She wanted to know if I had ever been to Hawaii so I used that opportunity to mention my time at the Maui Zendo with Robert Aitken and she responded immediately. “Oh the Roshi from Honolulu!”
She presented Bettianne with a wonderful multiflower lei from Hawaii which suited her so well. Her gentle and radiant smile when it was placed around her neck said it all.
The little flagstone patio opened onto a wonderful garden and beyond that a ring of fully laden apple trees as if in a children’s storybook illustration…hundreds of apples on the very verge of ripeness. The kids, Dylan and Charlotte played on a swing under the trees.
There were also Hollyhocks around the patio a plant I remember from Grandma Fairhall’s Killarney garden. Priscilla went around the corner and gave me a lovely Hollyhock blossom, a deep purple which matched the shade of new shirt I had on (I had dressed for the occasion). At the center of this blossom was a pentagon of creamy white. I put the stem into the little opening on the zipper of my vest and wore it there for the rest of the party.
Priscilla disappeared for about a half hour at the start of the party and when she returned she was carrying an armload of fresh farm eggs in cartons to present to a few of the guests. The eggs were all wonderfully big and I have already tasted the fluffy bright yellow healthy yolks at breakfast here. You can't buy eggs like that in a store.
We had eaten shortly before we left so Chaya waited to bring me snacks, but within minutes everyone had a plate of cheeses and assorted tasty nibbles.
Soon after this Chaya served the lasagna she had spent all yesterday cooking. She did two of them, one with noodles and the other with wide slices of zucchini instead of noodles for the gluten free diet folks. It was stupendous and everyone enjoyed it.
Gord baked sourdough bread on the property bakery for the occasion and also 2 amazing birthday cakes of dark chocolate, cherries and whipped cream, one for Bettianne and one for Dick who also just turned 82. It was the best cake I have ever had, rich and light at the same time. I would eat another slice for breakfast right now if I had some!
Then Gord opened his fiddle case, hauled out some rosin, waxed his bow and began to play. He went through a series of random Celtic airs and I clapped along in accompaniment. Later I tried playing a song or two on Chaya’s guitar after Gord had been leading a sing along with it.
I tried California dreaming, but the guitar was just too tough for me to play well and my voice because of this illness is not there right now. But I slammed it out anyway, and got an excellent response.
I asked Gord if he had a bunk for the night on Saturna and he informed me that he had sailed here from Victoria and would be sleeping on his boat.
It is another of those single wall California type structures…but tiny and in several connecting buildings. Rick helped me up the steps and we made our way through 3 different levels into the kitchen and on to the tiny flagstone patio where the party was underway.
The wood frame of the house is visible on all levels and adds a touch of rustic charm to the structure because you see and sense natural wood all around you.
The kitchen table was set up with about 6 fancy cheeses none of them yet cut…but meant for the party goers.
I was offered a chair facing away from the reclining sun facing Bettianne and her daughter Christianne (who looks like an aging flower child to me with her toe rings and long graying hair and I told her so). Stanley, Bettianne’s very alert and gentle redheaded grandson was also there as was Barb (from the school and baseball team) and Joel and Emily (Bettianne’s young summer helpers). Then came Gord the fiddler/baker (with violin in hand) and his friend Bill, and finally there was Jesse Priscilla’s daughter her long dark hair carefully brushed out bustling around to make sure everyone was seated.
A few minutes later Dick and Annie arrived. Dick is my brother in spirit and he came right over and kissed me on the lips. He is adamant that I have to continue playing music and tells me he is going to stay on my ass until I do. Annie who I had not yet met stayed in the background but I knew immediately who she was and later we exchanged a few words and a warm handshake. Dick had told me she is the Buddhist in his family, so we have something in common there.
She wanted to know if I had ever been to Hawaii so I used that opportunity to mention my time at the Maui Zendo with Robert Aitken and she responded immediately. “Oh the Roshi from Honolulu!”
She presented Bettianne with a wonderful multiflower lei from Hawaii which suited her so well. Her gentle and radiant smile when it was placed around her neck said it all.
The little flagstone patio opened onto a wonderful garden and beyond that a ring of fully laden apple trees as if in a children’s storybook illustration…hundreds of apples on the very verge of ripeness. The kids, Dylan and Charlotte played on a swing under the trees.
There were also Hollyhocks around the patio a plant I remember from Grandma Fairhall’s Killarney garden. Priscilla went around the corner and gave me a lovely Hollyhock blossom, a deep purple which matched the shade of new shirt I had on (I had dressed for the occasion). At the center of this blossom was a pentagon of creamy white. I put the stem into the little opening on the zipper of my vest and wore it there for the rest of the party.
Priscilla disappeared for about a half hour at the start of the party and when she returned she was carrying an armload of fresh farm eggs in cartons to present to a few of the guests. The eggs were all wonderfully big and I have already tasted the fluffy bright yellow healthy yolks at breakfast here. You can't buy eggs like that in a store.
We had eaten shortly before we left so Chaya waited to bring me snacks, but within minutes everyone had a plate of cheeses and assorted tasty nibbles.
Soon after this Chaya served the lasagna she had spent all yesterday cooking. She did two of them, one with noodles and the other with wide slices of zucchini instead of noodles for the gluten free diet folks. It was stupendous and everyone enjoyed it.
Gord baked sourdough bread on the property bakery for the occasion and also 2 amazing birthday cakes of dark chocolate, cherries and whipped cream, one for Bettianne and one for Dick who also just turned 82. It was the best cake I have ever had, rich and light at the same time. I would eat another slice for breakfast right now if I had some!
Then Gord opened his fiddle case, hauled out some rosin, waxed his bow and began to play. He went through a series of random Celtic airs and I clapped along in accompaniment. Later I tried playing a song or two on Chaya’s guitar after Gord had been leading a sing along with it.
I tried California dreaming, but the guitar was just too tough for me to play well and my voice because of this illness is not there right now. But I slammed it out anyway, and got an excellent response.
I asked Gord if he had a bunk for the night on Saturna and he informed me that he had sailed here from Victoria and would be sleeping on his boat.
Comments
Post a Comment