Woah! Can You Believe It!

Hello fellow bloggers,

Here's an update on my move to Dundee, the Finger Lakes, NY...

 

Can you believe it is now 10 months since I moved away from the Bronx, NY?  I can't believe it! I've had so many "trials and tribulations" as they say in making this radical relocation from a car crash across a lane, into a ravine and stopped by a tree to actually seeing and feeling a real live dog tick embedded into my side.  However, I must say the good far outweighs the bad. 

 

The Finger Lakes, specifically Dundee, is truly paradise to me.  I'm sure you've heard me describe this area as a cross section of the NY Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo. Even though it is now wintertime here, there are several opportunities to see various kinds of wildlife from cows to birds.

 

I'm embarrassed to say I have only written the first paragraph of my second book, although, I think I do have a complete title.  So far it's:  "Sweet Country Home (from trains, planes, and cars to cows, horses, and pigs." I really believe these words capture most of the things that have fascinated me. 

 

It all began when I found an interest in baking.  It was my sincere intention to let Type 2 diabetics know that although we have to watch our intake of sugar, we can still enjoy a cookie or a piece of cake occasionally as long as we are mindful about how much we are eating.  Hence one of the reasons for referring to my home as "sweet" yet I have to admit it is sweet in so many other ways.

 

Getting up in the morning, the first thing I see is the lovely handmade quilt I purchased at the local Fabric Shop on Main Street right here in Dundee.  It was made by a Mennonite and completed by the store's owner of 40 years, Rachel.  She and I have become fast friends.  As a matter of fact, remember that tick I mentioned above.  Well it was actually her and Margo, Rachel's assistant who helped  to remove that bugger intact from my side!  Talk about neighborly, eh?  I certainly could not and did not know how to do it myself, and all I had to do was call the shop for this unusual kind of assistance.

 

One of the first people I contacted when I was planning this move was the nearest Catholic Church.  It is located about 20 minutes away going North on Rt. 14A to Penn Yan.  The Church's secretary put me in touch with the Choral Director, Rose, and when I expressed an interest in joining the choir, I received a warm and encouraging response from her.  Since I've arrived here, I have enjoyed singing with the choir at St. Michael's also known as the Lady of the Lakes Church since several churches have had to be combined into one.  I must say that I am really impressed with the congregation's participation in joining in with the singing of the songs as well.  In all the time I've been here, I have never once heard a cell phone going off.  There is such a warm sense of love and respect here for God and for each other.

 

In fact, if I was to describe my new location in a few words I would have to say that there is a strong sense of community. So many wonderful things are going on for the people who live here especially where there is a need whether it's for food, clothing, or just plain giving.  There is always a notice in the local papers about a benefit for one person or another being held at a local American Legion for a reasonable price that includes food and music in order to help cover the costs of expenses that some one is presently incurring.

There are many hard working individuals and retirees who dedicate themselves to making sure that their neighbors have food in their cupboards, clothes on their back, and can defray their medical expenses.

 

Let me close today's blog by briefly mentioning the reasoning behind my subtitle (from trains, planes, and cars to cows, horses, and pigs). I actually came from one of the biggest metropolises in the country, New York City and I moved to a totally rural and agricultural environment.  So it is only natural for me to appreciate that even though you could certainly use a car to get around, it is quieter and cleaner and less hectic than the Bronx or Manhattan where I generally inhabited for six decades.  And, I now have the opportunity to see such awesome vistas both in the sky and on the ground from the clear view of the stars at night to the cows and horses grazing in their pastures. I must say I'm grateful though that I do not live downwind of the pig farm.