- Tucker Before Vespers
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Sundays were a lazy day – a day to sleep in, read the Sunday paper over a late breakfast, perhaps go for a “Sunday drive” to nowhere in particular, and then have an early dinner with family members or friends. What happened to all that?
Even when I was a child in Alameda and walked two miles to Sunday School with my friend Verna, Sundays seemed to stretch out forever in a delicious nothing-to-do sort of way. We did all our errands and marketing chores on Saturday. My mother often spent Sunday afternoon cooking while my father happily paced around the living room listening to the symphony on the radio. Was it the NBC Symphony Orchestra directed by Arturo Toscanini?
If it was nice out, I was roller skating or riding my bike with all the other kids in the neighborhood. On rainy days – which were few; it was California after all – there were coloring books and paper dolls and board games and books. I was an only child so if my friends were busy, I played by myself. I don’t remember minding that or ever being lonely.
Nowadays, I would give a lot for one of those quiet, solitary Sundays. But we’ve come to a time in our lives when every day (and seemingly every minute) counts. Yesterday here in Oysterville was no exception.
The day started with an Oysterville Restoration Foundation Board meeting at 10:00 at our house. (Well, truth to tell, I had actually begun my day by writing my blog and walking with the ‘Walking Women’ of Oysterville.) As ORF’s not-so-diligent secretary, I spent the hour beforehand writing the minutes up from our last meeting which was in May! Immediately after we adjourned at noon and had a bite to eat, with strong resolve, I wrote up the minutes of yesterday’s meeting! (I must say I had a moment of feeling properly smug and self-satisfied.)
But, by then, it was time for Vespers. Fortunately, Tucker Wachsmuth was “in charge” so all Nyel and I had to do was to go and enjoy the program. It was fabulous, by the way. Andrea and Anja Patten, a mother daughter duo with absolutely to-die-for voices were accompanied by pianist/composer Barbara Poulshock. I wish there had been more people in attendance but, for whatever reason, the Chinook Observer had chosen not to use the article I wrote about it for last week’s paper, so there had been very little publicity. Nevertheless, the church was more than half full.
The day ended with dinner up the street at the Oysterville Guest House. Huge salmon filets with all the trimmings with friends we hadn’t seen for quite awhile! It was a relaxed and satisfying end to a busy Sunday, and was wonderfully reminiscent of those long-ago Sunday dinners of my childhood. Lovely!
Sundays certainly seem different now than they did when I was a child. The stores weren’t open so we HAD to do marketing and errands on Saturday. My father read me the Sunday funnies, there was church and then not much in particular which as an adult sounds delicious. I think you managed a delicious if busy Sunday yesterday! We haven’t made vespers yet this summer and we’ll be away from the Peninsula next Sunday, but after that I plan to make it!