Commentary Series
7:55 a.m. and 5:55 p.m. Weekdays on VPR
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Friday May 9, 2008
My Vermont: Alice Outwater
No, Vermont was not
love at first sight for me. My husband and I arrived from Boston in 1956 with
two small children. I missed the amenities of a metropolitan area.
Gradually new friends came forth. Two more wondrous babies arrived. Together we followed the seasons with our activities - cutting cross country ski trails and hiking in the fall; skiing, skating, and sledding in the winter; then glorious summer with water activities - on, off, and in the lake. I learned the sheer joy of access to nature - in the fields, the woods and on our mountaintops.
Vermont began to shape me as we joined in the community and took pride in helping it grow. I delighted in the academic life, as both student and faculty at UVM.
I grew to appreciate Vermonters' no-nonsense values, their work ethic, their reserve, their basic kindness and pioneer spirits - no stuffy social hierarchy here.
My daily passion continues: a tuna fish salad by the waterfront while sharing the view with the ducks and squawking seagulls. Adults and children stroll by, bikers whiz past as purple azaleas display their blossoms. Nearby, a royal avenue of Callery Pear trees unfurl their delicate leaves.
The massive Adirondacks across the lake rise as proud guardians. Fifty-two years later my life is rich beyond all expectations.
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