I remember Syl's . . .

Because I like the look of the feathers.

Had reason to go back and reminisce about my first job. I was sixteen. It was the summer of 1969 and I drove to Taftville every morning to open Syl's Restaurant by myself. I got there for around 5:30, unlocked the back door and hoped there were no customers waiting at the front door because I had to get the monster coffee machine brewing and the grill fired up as well as get the eggs, bacon, sausages, pancake batter, bread ready for cooking and toasting. I opened the door at 6 but sometimes regular customers would be hanging out and I always felt guilty if I didn't open early. Generally the early birds were accustomed to start their day with coffee and a donut. They plunked down their 25 cents on the counter and I would be happy to keep the dime tip. I had to cook the bacon and eggs on the small grill that we had in the eating area, made up of a horseshoe counter and booths, so I didn't have to leave the cash register unattended while cooking and waiting for 7 o'clock when Ruby or Edna came on to do the real cooking in the back kitchen for the day. It got to be pretty wild sometimes but I never remember anyone hassling me about waiting too long for service. Man, I used to be fast and organized.

The reason I bring this up is Puppy's Pop and I were in Taftville yesterday morning and we stopped at Syl's. Of course it is no longer Syl's and has had many iterations since the original restaurant. I was so happy to see that it is now a real honest to goodness bakery and coffee shop. Two old men, yes older than I so they're officially old, who have baked their way around the Norwich area for years, have opened a real bakery. We only bought two single serve blueberry pies for our desert for supper yesterday evening but you can order breads and pastries of all descriptions, take a seat and they will deliver to your table. The place was rocking and the parking lot was almost full. What a great place to go for real home made goodness. We watched through a window as one of the old men was checking a yellowed recipe as he was making what looked like a crust of some kind, very rich looking and crumbly. Heaven on earth. Looked like the people eating and ordering were a very happy contented gang. I think I like old fashioned good food and people. Really nice to see my old haunting grounds still going strong.

Nothing exciting to report about selling this old house. I have to be careful not to let that put a damper on our lives so I just go about my daily tasks and hope for the best. We did have a chance to meet our old Vermont friends for lunch in Manchester, CT this week. They were down visiting relatives and gave us a call. We don't go up to the Hot Rod Show in Essex Junction any more so it was wonderful to talk with them. They look healthy, wealthy and wise . . . I mean that in all sincerity. They are a very together couple in all aspects of their lives. They hinted they would love to visit Louisiana.  Now that would be spectacular if we get there one of these months.

Quote:  Love one human being purely and warmly, and you will love all. __The heart in this heaven, like the sun in its course, see nothing, from the dewdrop to the ocean, but a mirror which it brightens, and warms, and fills.     _______Richter