Monday Morning Musings:
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
–Pedro Calderón de la Barca
The restaurant—not really an inn—
Is nestled in a valley,
Set along the banks of
Wissahickon Creek.
And it was very green
Yesterday,
A beautiful August day.
Truth in advertising.
I suppose.
But even in winter snow
And ice
It would be lovely.
It was the perfect spot
For my mother’s birthday celebration.
A Sunday brunch.
In the 1790s,
A large gristmill operated
Downstream
From where we dined
Over two centuries later.
In the 1850s,
People took picnics
To this spot,
Escaping the heat
Of the city.
The new turnpike,
Now Lincoln Drive,
Made it easier for people
To travel to
This valley,
And to stay and eat
At the hotel
Then located there.
We sat indoors,
Foregoing the porch–
This time,
Although we’ve eaten there before.
The old rooms have seen history unfold.
I wonder what stories those walls could tell?
How many other birthdays
Have been celebrated here?
My mom can also
Tell stories.
She has seen many changes
In her 93 years.
No longer a slim,
And beautiful young woman.
Parents, friends, husband—
All gone.
Wars fought,
Men on the moon.
It was a big deal
When her family got
A telephone—
And that was only
Because her father
Had a grocery store.
It was the Great Depression–
But that was long ago.
Here,
Now,
In this inn,
The scent of wood smoke
Still lingers
From the flames
Of past fires.
But none today.
Not in August.
The fireplace cold,
Its mantel adorned
With flowers.
We sat in the old room,
The floors worn and slightly uneven,
With our modern conveniences,
Air conditioning
And cell phones.
My daughter
And her new husband
Share looks across
The table.
My sister and I
Share secrets.
We all seem
To share food.
Sausages passed
Around the table.
Everything is delicious—
Sweet potato pancakes,
Crab and seafood omelets,
Mushroom bisque,
Waffles,
French toast,
And Huevos rancheros.
There are 8 of us here
Drinking coffee,
Talking,
Ordering our entries,
Our fruit salads,
And
A berry cobbler
With a candle
For my mom.
Filled,
Sated,
We walk outside
To sit by the creek.
The geese and ducks
Swim in circles,
They look for treats thrown
By those who pass by.
The water burbles,
And children giggle.
Downstream,
A man is fishing.
There are runners,
Hikers,
And bikers,
On the path.
Two musicians sit in the shade,
Playing violin and guitar—
An acoustic version of
“Pinball Wizard”
Drifting out to us
And mingling with the sound
Of water, birds,
And conversation.
Perhaps these should be
The sounds aliens
Hear to understand
Our world.
The sounds of humanity,
Of Earth
Placed on Voyager
As it travels the galaxies.
But would they understand
Birthday wishes?
The love of family?
The sharing of food
And conversation?
Would they understand
The loveliness of
An inn
Set in a green valley
Along a creek
Where we took our
Mother for her birthday?
You can find out more about Valley Green Inn here.
You can find out more about the sounds Voyager carries here.
Merrill, very evocative. Thanks for sharing your experience. My mom’s 88 birthday was yesterday.
Thanks, Cindy. So we celebrated on your mom’s actual birthday. Happy Birthday to her!
As usual, lovely! Happy birthday to her! 😙😙😙😙
Thanks so much, Natascha!
How lovely indeed, Merril. I think these are the sounds and sights of a deep family love that everybody here on Earth should experience at least once in their life, if fortunate, as well. Happy Birthday to your beautiful mom!
Thank you so much, Mark! Yes, my wish would be for everyone to experience these things at least once. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful world?
Yes. Yes, it would, my friend.
I got lost in your poetic reverie, Merril. You speak of nature, but family love is its bedrock. Your mom is adorable at 93. How lucky she is to have such caring relatives.
The Wissahickon Creek flows by my sister’s home close to North Wales, PA. We seldom drive east to visit – too much estate business right now. She drives west toward Lancaster where we meet up. But there will come a time . . .
Thanks so much, Marian! I appreciate your kind comment.
I had to look up where North Wales. I knew Montgomery County, but I didn’t know where. My sister is in Abington, PA, and we’re south of Philadelphia in NJ. I’m sure you will find a time to meet up with your sister. 🙂
Ha! I’d love to see such sounds played on Voyager throughout the Universe. Again more time with your beautiful Mama… How fortunate! She’s such a cutie! ❤
A wonderful tribute to the day, the place, and to your mom’s day. Belated birthday wishes to her from Cincinnati.
Thanks so much, Frank!
I will pass along the birthday wishes from Cincinnati! 🙂
A belated Happy Birthday to your mom! Mine will be 92 in October. I am so grateful for her healthy longevity. In part because I’m hoping I inherited some of her awesome genes, but mostly because we didn’t have the best mother-daughter relationship until the last few years. Long story, but I’m just glad we both “hung in there,” didn’t become estranged like some families do. Thank you for sharing your day in such a beautiful, artful way.
Thank so much for your comment. An advance happy birthday to your mom! I’m glad you managed to “hang in there” with your mom. I wish you both long lives!
I love your Monday Morning Musings, Merril. (Wow, that’s a mouthful of alliteration!) Your writing is so wonderful it makes me feel as if I’m there with you. I’m trying to remember if I’ve been to Wissahickon. I think I’ve done some walking/hiking there (back in 2006-2007 when my husband and I lived in West Chester). Or perhaps I’m remembering it through a friend who lives in Philly and frequently goes there to hike.
A belated Happy Birthday to your mother!
Thank you so much for your very kind words and praise, Robin! I always think we should go back without my mom and do more of a hike there, but somehow never do. It is very pretty though.
What a delightful place to take your Mom. Wishing her a Happy Birthday. To be surrounded by a loving family and so close to nature. Priceless. 😉
Thanks so much, Judy. It is a pretty spot–and the food is good, too!