A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

We began the day in upstate New York, waiting to board the ferry from Plattsburg across Lake Champlain, into Vermont.

This was the kids' first ride on a ferry, so they were excited; so I was excited for them.

The trip itself is rather short; it takes longer to load the ferry than it does to cross the lake. But that still gave the kids a chance to explore.

Once across Lake Champlain, it was a fairly short drive to St. Johnsbury, where my grandparents lived when I lived in Victory. We'd spent a lot of time there, so I tried locating their apartment building on Federal Street and, not only was it still there, but the same lady, Mrs. Cox, who'd owned the building when they lived there, was still there!

It was fun watching my kids play on the lawn, just as my sisters and I had, 24 years prior.

We then headed for Victory, but made a stop where the Moose River crosses the road, so I could show the kids the river my sisters and I had swam in when we were kids.

That also gave me a chance to finish my donut.

But then we were at The House, the place I'd spent only 3 years but my sisters and I have always had a special connection to.

From its front, you can see the Moose River across the road.

Now, the kids had been to the house before; we took a trip to see it with my friend Mike Mundell a few years earlier.

The Hendersons, who had bought the place from my mom, were still there and still remembered me from previous pilgrimages.

Finally, for our last stop before Canada, we visited my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. McGinnis, in Lyndonville. She remembered me, too!