A Day to Be Glad | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant memoirs of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    I arrived at the rabbitpatch, last night. I had been away a full week and so Christian and the boxer made quite a production over my return. The cat, Christopher Robin, did not. He "put on airs" and acted indifferent. He does this on occasion, if I have been gone too long.

    How good it was to see that my neighbor, and friend Susan had mowed the yard! Most especially, since someone is coming to look at the house tomorrow. I know that a manicured yard does not make or break a deal, just like clean, well groomed dogs, but it can not hurt, I think.

    I was pleased to find the house in good order. Christian is always dependable in that aspect. Still, I concocted a full agenda for Saturday.

    The "Morning Service" on Saturday was cool and sweet. I miss the chatter of birds in spring, but somewhere, a dove was cooing and that was enough. The peach tree bows with small peaches. I am certain the weeks without rain are accountable for the little fruits, but oh how delightful to eat a fresh peach in early light. Without even the slightest breeze, the pines were as quiet as the oaks, on this morning. I prayed as I walked around the territory. I usually do, but the only thing that I could utter, was "thank you".

    I came back in and started washing the linens, for Christian does not think about washing curtains . . .ever. Nor does he worry his sweet head with cleaning the refrigerator. I wanted the floors scrubbed, which is no small task in the rambling house. He does keep things in the right place, which is a huge contribution. When Christian, came in from work, he gave the dogs a bath and I had to laugh. I suppose, the dogs will be as glad as I am, when the place does sell.

    I was busy all day long and well into the night. This was because, I took a good many breaks-almost a shameful amount. Years ago, I cleaned the house from top to bottom, in a day - and cooked supper! The only sense I can make of it, is the house really did get bigger . . . and, well, I did get older.

    Sunday dawned fair. A gentle sunlight dappled the countryside, almost lovingly. I did not feel the old anxiety, in the wake of the visitors. Maybe, it is because the first two deals shattered, just before closing or maybe it is because I am finally able to "practice what I preach" - which is "not to lean on your own understanding". A peace has welled up inside of me, that I can not account for . . . I do hope it is for the latter reason.

    Everything went well with the couple that came to see the house. Neither of them liked dogs, so once again, clean dogs are just not a selling point. They did love the house and property, so time will tell as it always does.

    My dear cousin, Faith popped in later on. What a nice surprise! Faith and I grew up, like sisters. Faith was a "firecracker" as a child. She was liable to" talk back" to the adults and would fight with boys twice her size, if provoked. We all had ponies, when I was growing up and we rode them to see each other, often. Faith had a sweet pony named "Sam" who seemed trained to dash off at full speed, at the drop of a hat, if Faith got in a bind. I can remember clearly, watching them gallop away down the country road, when something didn't go right, in a game. I hated to see her leave, for Faith was the liveliest of the cousins. She would not play "school" or "housekeeping" or let the older girls brush her hair. That kind of play was too tame for my cousin. . .but the truth was, that I learned early on, that Faith had a tender heart and would protect those she loved, with everything in her. She lived to grow up, despite her reckless childhood. Faith tended her ailing mother for years and is a doting mother and grandmother, today. . .and remains a loyal cousin. No matter how diverse family members are, one thing they all share is the remembrance of the elders and the past way of life. That is a "tie that binds".

    A thunderstorm popped up in the evening. It was a "full blown" storm with thunder and lightning that cracked the sky. The rain was blinding, so that you could not see your neighbors house. With the house clean, I caught up on my reading . The boxer curled up for a nap and Christopher Robin, who is back on good terms, lay in a window sill to watch the event of a storm.

    To me, the storm was a perfect conclusion to a day, to be glad about.