Living La Vida Local

THE OLD DUNCAN FARMHOUSE

[the names of individuals and family abodes in this section, have been changed to preserve the privacy of their owners]
The week following Thanksgiving, the pipes thawed at the Old Duncan Farmhouse, which had originally been planned as the celebration centre for the previous weeks' guests. Trudy and her three daughters, who had been staying with friends, promptly moved back home to be with Tom and the cats.

Theirs was a traditional, stone-built, farm house often found in the Scottish Borders, and thought to date back to the 1700s. Square in aspect, a now-defunct barn had once stood adjacent to the house, enclosing a rough courtyard, where horses and carriages had once stood.

As dusk fell, our new friend and amiable chauffeur, Daniel, dropped by the cottage I shared with my boyfriend to collect us both for the planned evening's entertainment at the Old Duncan Farmhouse.
"They're having a pot luck dinner followed by a folk evening in the library which will probably last till the wee small hours; so do bring your sleeping bags with you!" he advised.
I grabbed a biscuit tin already filled with baked goodies from my larder as my boyfriend picked up our sleeping bags.

Daniel then drove us there, talking a mile a minute, as was his way, so that, by the time we arrived, we'd learned that our hostess, Trudy, was another of the NASA 'brats' who had retired from mainstream insanity soon after the famed Moon Walk of July 20, 1969

TOM AND TRUDY
In the States, her tall, athletic husband, Tom, had been a stay-at-home Dad for years. Whilst he had researched his PhD thesis, he'd also taken care of the domestic needs of their three grade-school daughters. Meanwhile, Trudy, alone, had brought home the bacon. Decades before it became "fashionable", Trudy was already a self-made woman!

But since they had all relocated to Scotland, their non-traditional roles had reversed, becoming more traditional - at least to the untrained eye. Trudy was now 100% in charge of the home front, which left Tom free to peruse his passion in faraway Edinburgh's ancient libraries. Thus the renovation of their farmhouse as well as the care, feeding and home-schooling of their family had been left totally in Trudy's capable hands. According to Daniel, this amazing woman managed to look as young as her eldest daughter even as she rose to such a Herculean challenge.

Prior to their family's arrival, the Old Duncan Farmhouse had stood empty for many years. So almost immediately upon purchase, Trudy had organized some knowledgeable friends and local contacts to renovate the farmhouse's wiring as well as much of its indoor plumbing.

TWO BATHROOMS
The indignity of herself and her three daughters having to use outdoor facilities in the chill of a Scottish Fall must certainly have spurred her ambition. For, within a fortnight of their arrival, they had installed two separate indoor bathrooms, both downstairs.

Trudy was an excellent cook and original thinker around whom people had always flocked, in her Stateside home. Matters proved no different here on the farm for Trudy, who had been determined to re-vitalize the farmhouse in every way possible. Apparently her plan included the wining and dining of the community and much trade and social interaction with the locals.

BARTER SYSTEM
Those who lent their expertise and/or muscle power to Trudy's renovations were rewarded by a hearty and delicious home-cooked meal followed by an evening of local home-brew, much laughter and more song. And anyone who imbibed too freely was invited to 'sleep it off' on foam mattresses on the living room floor - hence Daniel's suggestions that we pack our sleeping bags.

This particular Saturday, Tom, and a dozen or so of his American ex-NASA friends and neighbours, had just completed a busy work-day schedule at the farm. Following the last of the plumbing renovations, their elbow grease had made the house presentable, while Trudy had been busy in the kitchen, preparing a much belated Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Now as darkness cloaked the valley, and Daniel parked his van in the courtyard, everyone was famished, ready for supper and some home-spun fun.

ANCIENT WHISPERS
The exterior of the farmhouse looked quite imposing. And, standing in that old courtyard, one could easily imagine being there, 300 years before, when a more ancient set of friends and neighbours had gathered. Was that a horse's soft neigh, a long sigh or distant laughter I could hear? In this place, what whispers might my inner ear hear and what sights might my 3rd eye behold through the mists of time?

Before I could enquire further, our hostess greeted us warmly and bid us enter her home. Trudy looked much younger than her 35 years, and standing next to her 15 year old daughter, Daniel had been right, one might have mistaken them for sisters.  Even though she had fed a houseful of helpers during the day, while managing her 3 daughters and preparing a full evening meal, her smile revealed  serenity and her movements were vibrantly youthful. Such is the effect of true inner contentment.

Daniel and my boyfriend had by now disappeared through an inner door and into the dining room with our sleeping bags, where he remained chatting with Tom and an artist friend. I stayed in the kitchen, finding a platter for my iced fairy cakes, and then one of the girls sounded the large bronze supper gong. As in the monastery, everyone ate together, this time gathering around the huge rough hewn wooden table that fitted comfortably into Trudy's country kitchen.

TRUDY's COUNTRY KITCHEN
The centrepiece of Trudy's kitchen was her enormous Aga cooking range. Fed by seasoned logs gathered at the end of summer from their own woodlot, this range was well used, producing not only the day's  meals but also heating much of the house. Trudy served everyone a country portion of healthy pea-soup with freshly-made whole grain buns, that were still warm from the oven.   A steaming succulent honeyed ham, no doubt procured from a local farmer, dominated the table -  and our appetites - along with the au gratin potatoes and a variety of hot vegetable dishes.

As in the monastery, everyone paused before the meal to give thanks to the Creator for bringing us all together in love, peace and harmony. My boyfriend and I were also welcomed and thanked for joining the group for this auspicious celebration.  Then Tom made sure that every volunteers received an extra measure of beer, which had been made and amply supplied by their nearest neighbour. There was also a flagon of red wine for those of us who preferred imbibing the grape. We all drank liberally, toasting everyone's health, catching up on local news and enjoying the ambiance.  I personally was most grateful that Tom and Trudy's two new indoor toilets had been properly installed and were also fully functional.

For dessert Trudy provided crisp red apples plus an assortment of cheeses. I suggested that my fairy cakes might be added to the few dozen oatmeal-raisin-chocolate chip bars someone else had brought for sharing. But Trudy just winked at me and set my biscuit tin aside: "to save for snacking on later, when we adults will be able to appreciate them more". 

After dinner, while several volunteers, including my boyfriend, handled the kitchen clean up, while Tom led the crowd into the library where he dispensed drinks.  Trudy chose this transitional time to give me a quick tour of her wonderful old farmhouse.

FARMHOUSE TOUR
We had entered the house through a side door that connected kitchen to the courtyard and adjacent barn. From the kitchen, a passageway split into two around a centrally located ascending staircase, joining up again at the base of the stairs at the wide front-entrance hallway.  From that tiled foyer one could enter on of two huge 'reception' rooms that overlooked the grounds at front of the house.

Two smaller side rooms, adjacent to the kitchen, each faced a different side of the ascending staircase. One had been divided into two separate rooms, each containing the newly installed  bathrooms. The other room was a formal, empty dining room, that had been designated as our sleeping area for the night. The bathrooms and dining room were warmed by the heat radiating from the Aga in the kitchen. I remember counting at least half a dozen sleeping bags stacked next to a pile of foam mattresses.

Trudy told me that their kitchen was so large she had no need of a formal dining area, and was planning to turn the dining room into a Meditation Room.  This would house her collection of fine, local and largely donated artwork, that she promised to show me later. It seemed Daniel had already mentioned my interest in Fine Arts. So Trudy happily told me more about the incredible artist.  

SECTION 2 Chapter 6  Spiritual Art and Apparitions  More about Daniel and the ghostly happenings at Trudy's Farmhouse