Today and Tomorrow!

It’s difficult for me to fully comprehend that we are coming up on Memorial Day weekend. It feels way too early. And, yet, it’s a good thing. With spring arriving so far ahead of schedule this year, it’s already a matter of where-have-all-the-flowers-gone in our garden. We will be hard pressed to find enough blossoms to decorate the family plot.

This is a weekend of big doin’s in town. For starters, there is the Oysterville Community Club’s annual flea market over at the school house today and tomorrow. It is held in conjunction with the World’s Longest Garage Sale, a Peninsula tradition of 28-mile proportions and, in itself, a wonder to behold. Even yesterday there were visitors in town hoping for a preview of the treasures that will be on display.

Tomorrow is Meeting Day – not “Sunday Go To Meeting Day” as my mother always referred to any dress-up day that came along. The Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend has traditionally been the day that the Oysterville Restoration Foundation meets, the theory being that there are an optimum number of members in town, it being a three-day weekend and all. Ditto Oysterville Water. The two organizations meet back-to-back at the church – Water at 9:00 and ORF at 10:00. No fancy dress required.

Our Garden in April

And then there’s the “President’s Picnic” – a newish tradition begun by Tucker when he became President of ORF a few years back. After the meetings, the whole town is invited to Tucker and Carol’s for hot dogs and potato salad (or some such picnic fare) and a chance to catch up with one another. It’s low key and relaxed and always feels to me like the official beginning to summer.

Sunday, for us anyway, is the day to clean up the family plot at the cemetery and to do the decorating part for ‘Decoration Day.’ That’s where the remaining rhododendrons come in. From a distance it’s looking like we still have quite a few but up close it’s a question of will they last overnight once they are picked.

Monday’s Schedule

The weekend culminates Monday with a four-venue celebration! First up at the cemetery for the graveside program by the community and the VFW. Following that will be a program at the church featuring the Bayside Singers and a few speakers (Dobby, Nyel, Kitt among others.) Then the Honorary Oysterville Militia will fire the cannon in a grand salute after which we will all repair to the Schoolhouse for a sumptuous breakfast – Diane and Hal’s ‘gift to the community.’

I’m pretty sure a nap will be on my agenda Monday afternoon! Maybe that’s a good idea for today, too. Resting up for this particular weekend seems well advised.