Just a regular old entry in Regular Stuff

So I did get a few people who did my survey, a couple who are already favorites and a few who weren't. I consider that success :)

So in my survey, I mentioned I had a story to tell you about the big old farmhouse my sister's in-laws owned. And to tell you about some of my experiences there.

I was very young when my sister married and moved to Deep Creek Lake. We started going up to visit her when I was 2 or 3. She and my BIL lived in a trailer. There marriage was not a good one but I wasn't aware of that until many years later.

Anyway, as I mentioned, her in-laws owned a dairy farm and a horse barn. They lived in what I considered a big beautiful farmhouse. We stayed there many times when we went to visit. I have very clear memories of that house, the big piano in the living room, the grand staircase leading to all the bedrooms, the clawfoot tubs in the bathrooms, the big country kitchen. They had this very long steep driveway leading down to the house.

Fast forward about 20 years. My sister and BIL had divorced and she moved back home with her 2 daughters. My sister's in-laws had also divorced. We still continued to go on vacations/long weekends to Deep Creek a few times a year, renting a house or staying at a friend's lodge.

My oldest niece Theresa, is a true country girl at heart. She idolized her father and other relatives in the mountains. Her father was an ass and once he remarried, he had little to do with Theresa. She continued to have contact with her grandparents, uncles and cousins. She loved going up there to see, help out at the farm and especially the horse barn. She even ran away once, hitchhiking to get there!

So around the time I was 20, I was dating a guy named Richard. He was truly a sweetheart and we were quite smitten with each other :) He was also familiar with Deep Creek, having gone skiing there several times. We decided to go there for a long weekend. We were going to take Theresa with us and drop her off as her grandfather's. He had continued to live and run the farm after his divorce.

Theresa was thrilled, Richard and I were excited, so off we go! I should mention that this was in February. As you might guess, winters in the mountains can be brutal. And somewhere prior to the trip, it was decided that we would stay at the farm the first night and then Richard and I would get a motel the next day.

I was really excited to be staying at the farm again, reliving childhood memories. Theresa had been there over the years but I hadn't seen it in ages. Just as an FYI, Theresa is two years younger than me.

So the drive up was pretty uneventful. They had had some snowfall but the roads were all cleared.

Now here is the part where I need to tell you about Fredlock. Yes, Fredlock. He was Theresa's grandfather. Theresa adored him and he was always very good to her. I had seen him throughout the years, at the horse barn or on the side of the road selling sweet corn. He was a really nice man, very charming and funny. And he had quite an eye for the ladies! The younger the better.

So by the time we went on this trip, ole Fredie had to be close to 70. We get there late and start what turns out to be the long treacherous descent down the driveway. It was covered with snow and ice and I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the bottom.

I could hardly wait to get inside and see the house! Can you guess where this is going? Oh dear God! Excuse my language but the place was a shithole! Dumpy and trashy, the kitchen stacked with dishes, pots and pans, the place was an absolute pigsty! When we went to sit down (which was more than I wanted to do), the sofa went to the floor. The only remainder of my childhood memories was the once grand piano, now dusty and covered with junk, pushed up into a corner.

Fredlock was just as welcoming as could be, as was his 21 year old pregnant girlfriend. Not to mention various farmhands, young kids in their late teens and 20's, who also lived there.

Everyone seemed oblivious to the disarray, including Theresa! I just sat there thinking "I can't stay here, I cannot stay here!". I learned over to Richard and whispered "I don't know how, but you're going to have to get us back up that driveway!". I'm pretty sure he was as horrified as I was about staying there, but I think he would have sucked it up rather than venture back out. But bless his heart, he agreed.

I assumed Theresa would want to leave with us but no, she was perfectly happy staying there. So out we went. Fortunately, Richard remembered he had a few chains in the car. He put those on but we still seemed to be going nowhere. I have to give him credit, it took about 45 minutes and it was freezing cold, but he did it. I was so happy!

It was late but we drove around until we found a motel. We got a tiny little room but to me it was paradise. We ended up have a wonderful time. And Richard? We actually became engaged but broke it off after 2 years together. I still think about him once in a while and really hope he has had a happy life. He certainly deserves it, he was one great guy.

Whew! This turned out to be much longer than I expected. If you read it all, I thank you.