Little Love Stories - Pennswood Village
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Little Love Stories
Memento Dinner for some guests on the
by Ann Baker Boardwalk,
not the dining room.
Downtown, in the city of Rochester, The student, enjoying a second summer
New York, there’s a bridge with a working at the shore,
view of the Genesee River. It is Clad in white clam diggers, with
named after former Rochester sunkissed bare feet,
residents, Frederick Douglass and approached the young man sitting alone.
Susan B. Anthony. We call it the After work, they departed together,
Freddy Sue Bridge. I miss it. Briefly visited a crowded bar,
Twin Lights, high above the sea, quiet,
_____ dark . . .
just the place to talk for hours.
They talked every day
Chance or fate? til Labor Day, when she left, for her
by Judy Toohey senior year. They pledged to continue
that
My husband could have married my
conversation . . . It lasted for the next 56
sister. Was it chance or fate that he
years!
didn’t?
_____
The second weekend of our freshman
year, 1953, two Harvard boys drove
over from Cambridge looking to
Love me, love my St. Bernard
by Gini Smith
meet some coeds. The two boys
chose to talk with my identical twin
Come meet my pooch.
and me. As one chatted with my
His name is Mooch.
sister, the other really didn’t have a
He likes a single square of steak
choice. He got me!
With a double spot of hootch.
And that was the beginning. Was it
Beware! He'll lick your shiny boot.
chance? I was meeting my future
And lap your hand, a swarmy smooch.
husband. Yes, we were married three
He leans for love. So, slide on down.
years later and together for fifty-eight
Give him some room. Well, just a
years.
skootch!
_____
Sit!! Mooch!!!
“…Real nice clambake”
by S.W. Burkman _____
August, at the beach
2
later, we went Paris for a year, leaving
Runt with a friend. On our return, he
True love
snubbed me for a while, but then running
by Judy Rubin
up, he wrapped all four legs around one
Norm and I met in high school in of mine, and refused to let go for the rest
10th grade. Before long we were of the day.
“going steady.” Unfortunately, _____
before I met him, I had committed to
a job in Connecticut. We parted
when I left in June with a big kiss Love story haiku
and the words “See you in by Deidre Crumbley
September.” During that summer, I
received 48 letters from Norm that I Juniors at Temple
still have. All ended with “P. S. I Fifty years apart—alas
love you.” Seniors at Pennswood
On my finger, I’ve always worn a _____
ring with a double heart that Norm
gave me sixty-five years ago.
Our shared love of music
by George Kurz
Every year we still celebrate the
anniversary of our first date on On a Friday afternoon, I sat alone in our
11/23/55. I sign any card I give living room watching the Philadelphia
Norm with the words “Love to ∞.” Orchestra play an all-Beethoven program
at Version Hall.
_____
As has been my reaction to music several
times in recent months, I was deeply
Love in a small package moved, constantly thinking about
by Jackie McClellan Elisabeth and the numerous concerts we
attended there, sitting in the balcony
Back in graduate school, we babysat
facing the orchestra, holding hands and
for our vacationing neighbor’s
drinking in the music together. I was
newborn kittens. When they overwhelmed with emotion, wishing so
returned, we kept the runt of the much that we could again enjoy such
litter. I loved him. James did not. concerts together. I cried and spoke out
And Runt wasn’t very fond of him loud of my love for her and how
either. Sneaking in after James was intensely I miss her.
asleep, he would spend every night
_____
curled up under my arm. Two years
3Dante love loved me too, but that’s beside the point.
by Nancy Vickers We quarreled, but that’s because we
cared.
2021 marks the 700th anniversary of _____
Dante’s death. He and I have been
together for over 50 years. We met Chemistry class
by chance. A friend decided to audit by Jim McClellan
a Dante class; I tagged along. Our
professor entered an overflowing I saw her at a distance a few days after I
classroom, sat down, opened the first arrived, forlorn, as a junior at
Divine Comedy, and began to speak. Central Bucks. At the grand old age of
He took our collective breath away. sixteen, I knew immediately and
Literature changed. This soaring, instinctively that I loved her and wanted
encyclopedic poem encompassed the her as my life partner. Perhaps it was her
universe; it spoke the people’s profile or the curve of her hip. Something
language; its recitation in medieval compelled me toward her, my perfect
streets was manna to the illiterate. goddess. We first spoke at an after-
Many of us never recovered. As I school study session for students
reread it yet again, I am still interested in chemistry. I sidled up to her
captivated . . . after all these years. at a lab bench. It was chemistry and
much more from then on.
_____ _____
Love The bright red jacket
by Doug Meaker By Martha (Dusty) Mulder
Robin and I married in 1958 and (Quoting the late Harry (Bud) Mulder
remained married until her death in from a Trenton Times article.)
2019. I marveled at our 60 years. “Martha played the glockenspiel in the
A thread running through this is that Trenton State Teachers College band. I
our lives would affect but not govern played first trumpet, a position far from
one another. A 1981 major spinal her. So I played badly to make the band
operation left her crippled and fit leader put me at third trumpet — in front
only for volunteer work. She drove a of Martha. She used to wear a bright red
standard car daily to accomplish her jacket. It attracted me right from the
activities. beginning. As soon as I was solid with
Martha, I really cut loose and was back at
My part was to provide support as first trumpet position in no time.”
needed. After many years it sank in
that I loved this woman. I think she
4P.S. by Dusty: Once married, we Special delivery
taught many years and had three sons by Nancy Miller
— Richard, David, and Michael.
AND I STILL HAVE THE BRIGHT My long driveway seemed to grow
RED JACKET. longer as I made my daily trek to get my
New York Times. Imagine my surprise
_____ one morning when I found the paper
right next to my garage. It was a mystery
Winter’s Spoon repeated daily, and I was very grateful.
by John Wood
When a Christmas card was enclosed
Especially now, with handled with the newspaper, I sent a card asking
warming pans, why I was receiving this gift. This is the
Down quilts and flannel sheets answer I received: “I saw you getting
passé your mail and I noticed that you use a
One calls on body heat to blunt the cane so I thought that you could use a
north wind’s bite, hand.”
For comfort to relax and sleep to _____
come.
Tiny seeds to giant
In this a younger you excelled sunflowers
And still are a delight.
by Lynne Waymon
Spooner without equal, and in
spooning, A pot of corn chowder, some crusty
Closing out the bitter winter’s night. French bread, a roaring February fire.
I’m thinking, “This guy knows how to
I am content, at peace, create a beautiful evening.” We’re
As, side by side, warm bodies share thirty-somethings, dating only a few
Cold noses, in rhythmic cadence, months. “My Burpee Seed Catalogue
Breathing winter’s air. came today. Wanna look at it?” Todd
asks. Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Red
We lie and sleep there, cheek to jowl, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Tiger Eye
Your muzzle on the pillow next to Sunflowers. Then he says, very
mine, nonchalantly, “Let’s decide what we
My close and selfless friend, my Lab, want to plant next summer.” Then he
Who likes to spoon and spoons so looks over at me. He winks and we
well, snuggle closer with anticipation. We
Now that it’s winter time. know our love is growing.
_____
5Forty-three gardens later, Todd just help me with the driving.
emailed in our Burpee seed order. To this day, she denies setting us up. I
wonder.
_____
We emailed all summer—kinda flirty. By
the time we met again those three months
Unconditional love later, fearful but happy, we knew.
by Kathy Hoff
_____
Summer weekday afternoons, I’d put
Ben in the stroller, and we’d walk up Long and sweet
to the head of the street to meet six- by Lydia Lewis
year-old Ted where his day-camp bus
dropped him off. One day, Ted got Our love story is long and sweet
off the bus grouchier than usual and As George School students we did meet
all along the way, as we walked Paul noticed me in Bancroft study hall
home, kicked at my ankle. He thought I was cute—Tall Paul, he was
“Why are you doing that?” I asked “my all”
after he had succeeded in making Paul drove his parents’ Mercury on our
contact. first date
“Because I hate camp, and I know My parents said, “Do not be home late”
you’ll love me anyway.” To Princeton movie theater we did go
Returning home driving very slow
_____ Before finishing college married we were
The next several years were mostly a blur
The big brown chair We raised two boys then travelled a lot
by Alice Warshaw The Florida Keys is our favorite spot
Now 61 years later and still holding
hands
Springtime, he and a friend visited
On the same property we did land.
me after our 60th high school
reunion. As we chatted before dinner,
he relaxed into my big brown comfy _____
chair—looking handsome and
confident. He flew home to Florida Slippers
the next day. by Elaine Ferrara
Our Vermont friend invited us both Every evening, shortly after getting into
to visit that fall. I planned to drive up bed, I felt an invisible cat exploring my
alone. She suggested he should fly calves. When the space was wide
to Trenton instead of Burlington and
6enough, shortly after I fell asleep, he A few of my favorite things
took up residence between my legs, by Anne Baber
staying until I began to stir. “I’m
glad you enjoyed the warmth, The curtain going up. Butter-dripping
Slippers!” I yelled, accusing him of lobster. Poems that make me cry. Cher
theft. in Moonstruck. A new Sunday New York
Times crossword. Little-known bits of
He did this for fifteen years, until he history. Nora Jones singing “American
transitioned out of this world. At Anthem.” Memories of theater-going in
that point, I learned that what he was Nova Scotia. Ai chi in the Pennswood
really doing was stealing my arthritis pool. Getting lost in Bucks County. All
pain so that I could sleep better. my Dear Ones. The Kansas City Chiefs.
And, what a thief he was! Slippers is Crimping the crust of a peach pie. The
the love of my life! next book in a series—greeting the main
_____ character as an old friend. Charleston
gardens. The peppermint-stick forest at
Lost love the Shady Brook light show.
by David Cuff _____
A bright yellow scarf How I got a cat
Left hanging at my camp site by Todd Waymon
Her name was Anna
Our cats had died, so we went to Chester,
Nova Scotia, “sans felines.” We planned
When I read this, I feel pain, a to stay all summer and had “Get Cats” on
yearning for love lost. But there was our to-do list. A neighbor suggested we
no yellow scarf. No Anna. As in might try the vet uptown. We called, we
many haiku, this image is imaginary. went, we saw kittens—lots of them,
frolicking in a tiny room. All so cute!
I’ve had only one serious love. In How to choose? I thought: I’ll go in and
1961, on our honeymoon, we camped sit down. Right away, a gray and white
near Farnborough, England. And I kitten got in my lap, in my face, in my
did leave behind, on a tree, a nearly- heart! Our Chester. We got one of his
new pair of jeans. sisters, too. Petunia!
_____
Maybe that yellow scarf is my lost
blue jeans, bought in Calgary. And
maybe Anna is the lost love I married
there. Her name was Helen.
7The cat’s meow around us, and unfolding within us, we
by Chester Waymon understood that we were touched by
grace.
Ten of us in a room no bigger than a _____
closet. Can’t even take a decent nap
or play. Nice of the vet to take us in,
but no life for an amazing kitten like My only love
me. Hey! Someone’s coming in. by Yoma Ullman
Who’s this, sitting down on the
floor? He’s looking us over. I take No heating in the dormitory, ice outside
things into my own paws. I climb the windows, ice inside the windows, ice
right up into his lap and get two on the slop pail, icy sheets. What is there
inches from his face. “Hey, you look to love? My hot water bottle (wartle for
like a very kind human. Let’s get short). On my stomach, between my feet,
outta here and go have some fun. clutched in my arms, my only joy. I’ve
Okay? You got tuna? How about I go knitted jackets for it, forgiven it for
home with you forever?” leaking, cherished it with all my heart.
My one and only love, my wartle.
_____
For Bill: 1942-2012
by Lisa Taylor
“What do you think,” Bill asked,
“about getting back together?”
My head was under the table;
I was reaching for my napkin.
It was 21 years since Bill drove
away, leaving me and our three-year-
old daughter. Bill was an active
alcoholic then.
_____
“Yes,” I said, sitting up. “Yes.”
And so began the great adventure of
our lives.Together we drove away,
heading always West. We stopped to
rest in Taos, New Mexico, and never
left. There, awed by the beauty
8The big squeeze If I said, “Going to the studio,” he
by Glenna Follmer followed. Loved to supervise when I
hung laundry out. Tolerated eight-hour
Kerry knew her story by heart, drives. Left artistically arranged bits of
having heard her dad, Kurt, tell it mouse or rabbit on my bathmat, but
many times. when he came in holding a wriggling
snake by its middle, I put them both back
How she was first named Jin Sul outside.
Hee—“speaking hope”.
He understood illness. Leaned on me
How the agency paid two until I felt better. Eighteen years
businessmen from Seoul to fly 6,000 together, gone nine years. Miss him
miles with Kerry in a carrier on the every day.
floor beside their polished shoes. _____
The deep
How a uniformed lady fed her soy by Betty Aptaker
formula and changed her diapers.
I love the ocean.
How her carry-on had a fluffy dress
and Important Papers. I was born at the seashore and spent my
childhood by the sea. My happiest
How when the plane landed at memories are of playing on the beach
Philadelphia International Airport on and splashing through the surf. The
April 24, 1998, Kerry was placed in sound of crashing waves is music to my
her parent’s arms. ears. Sunlight sparkling on the water —
what a joy!
Then—Kurt tells his favorite part—
she grabbed his thumb and would I thrilled to the anticipation of watching a
NOT let go. Love at first squeeze. giant wave rush to hit me and body surf
me to the shore as much as I loved lying
_____ back on the gentle “rollies” that waft me
over the surface.
Cat love of my life
by Ann Maley Lakes, pools, and ponds do not call to
me. No salt water there.
Newly alone, went to animal shelter. _____
First one bit me. Picked up beautiful
Norwegian Forest cat. Hooked paws
over my shoulder and purred. Vet
later said, “He chose you.”
9Cookie making Not a love story,
by Marguerite Chandler but a story I love
by Steve Schnur
It’s our first Christmas as a blended
family: my new husband Richmond, My wife Deidre had mentioned to a dear
his daughter Laura, and my two sons, relative by marriage, a White woman
Mark and Adam. I suggest we make named Rainey Ragan, that she would be
gingerbread men together. We mix passing through Phoenix Airport on her
the dough, smelling the molasses, way to Los Angeles. Rainey lived in
ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and Phoenix. Sadly, there would be no
nutmeg. We’re ready to cut the opportunity for them to meet at all. That
cookies, but I can’t find my cookie didn’t stop Rainey. Rainey would be
cutter. Disappointment all around. there, on the other side of the glass, to
Richmond finds his tin snips, takes a blow kisses to Deidre as she passed
large tin can from the trash bin, and through the Baggage Claim area. And
while we watch with great she was!
anticipation, makes us a darling
cookie cutter for our spicy, delicious Maybe this is a love story after all.
gingerbread cookies. Amazing! _____
What a guy—he’s a keeper!
Lifesaving love
by Carolyn Peters Michener
When I was working at Planned
Parenthood as a nurse practitioner, one
time I discovered a mass in a woman’s
breast. I wrote the appropriate referrals
and encouraged her to attend to it
immediately. The next time I saw her,
she pressed a small pink ribbon into my
hand, saying, “Thank you for saving my
life.” I cherish that ribbon.
_____
_____
10Three chapters move so freely, following the whim of
by Tish Plum the moment, and remain safe and secure?
No passport, no checkpoints, abundant
Chapter 1: June 15, 1998 fuel and food, and, services, as needed.
1 p.m. A beautiful day at an From sea to shining sea, the blessings of
outdoor wedding. community and liberty are everywhere,
2 p.m. Seated by a dapper be it rural, urban, red state, or blue. But
gentleman, 2 years widowed, as was not for all of us— Liberty’s bliss is still
I. Super conversation. the privilege of being born male, fair-
3 p.m. Decided I’d like to skinned, and well-off. Civic love remains
marry him someday. (Much later, he unrequited for many.
admitted to feeling the same.)
_____
Chapter 2: September 1998
Walking along a beautiful
stream in Vermont in an area known Publication of
for its green marble. Leaves aflame. Pennswood Village Residents
Sun shining. Birds and butterflies. Association
“Wait here,” he said, and picked Founder and Editor Emerita:
something out of the brook— a Paulina Brownie Wilker
small, green marble, heart-shaped Managing Editor: Anne Baber
stone. He pressed it into my palm Contributing Editors:
and tucked my fingers around it, Glenna Follmer, Kathy Hoff,
“Here is my heart. Please take good Jane Perkinson,
care of it.” Typist: Sarah Pollock,
Proofreading: Sally Burkman
Chapter 3: May 9, 2008. Married Distribution: Lisa Williams
him. Layout: Dick Piccolini
Contributors:
All Pennswood Residents
End of story.
Email your contributions to
_____
RJPICCOLINI@STARLINX.COM
or place typed hard copy in our open
Unrequited mail box. Past copies of the
By Richmond Shreve Village Voices are in the Pennswood
Library on shelf 21. You are welcome
“I’d like to live here,” I’ve often to read them (and leave them) there.
mused when first visiting a new
place. Generosity, kindness, and the
welcome of strangers charm me.
Besides America, where can one
11You can also read
