One Quiet Evening | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant mémoires of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    On Wednesday, I came home to the rabbit patch. I had been in Elizabeth City just a day, shy of a week. The wild kitten ran to greet me and acted like a well-mannered house cat! It was a lovely surprise, though Cash, my boxer seemed annoyed that he did not get there first. I now know I will not name the wild kitten "Ruth" and must consider a fitting masculine name, instead.

    There were more leaves on the rabbit patch territory. I like the effect and so it did not bother me in the least. I will have an autumn fire again this weekend, anyway. That is the routine til after Thanksgiving, usually, when you live on a place like the rabbit patch.

    On Friday evening, Kyle and Christian had plans with friends. The farmhouse seems bigger when they aren't here. I had a quiet evening. There wasn't even a fairy in sight and no one cared what was for supper. This was quite a contrast from the previous days and it took me a while to adjust to not seeing what Lyla had in her mouth or where she was jumping from, every few minutes. No one being hungry, seemed shocking enough.

    Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so I thought about that. It is a favorite time for me. I have not seen Brant, my oldest son, since late summer and I miss him terribly. I have only seen Tres, my second oldest son, once since August-and I miss him too. When your children grow up and are in the "work force" gathering for a holiday, is complicated, especially one that falls on a Thursday. We have celebrated holidays on odd days because of that, sometimes. I tried to plan the menu, but that depended on who would be here. There is just no reason to make the cranberry casserole if Tres isn't here. I do not need to mix the corn and beans for succotash, if Brant doesn't come home and so I abandoned that endeavor as I just missed my sons all the more.

    I read some more of a now favorite book. Wills' mom, our "Miss Claudia" and Lylas' "CC" gave it to me. It is by Jane Watson Hopping, known as "The Pioneer Lady", not to be confused with the "The Pioneer Woman" of today. This book is a collection of all things Christmas. The author , who died in 1998, reminds me so much of Gladys Taber, another favorite author and it cheered me. At Christmas-all of my children do come home. Cash and Christopher Robin dozed while I read. The wild and nameless kitten, will only come in the back door to eat, for now. I thought how I have never looked for a cat, but I always have one, it seems.

    I was quite glad for the company of Cash and Christopher Robin. I continue to get comfortable with this "place" in life. Since 1981, I have been raising children. Christian, the youngest is twenty three and so for all of my adult life, there has been somebody hungry and a lot of laundry. It is different now. Some times I am still young-other times I am very old. The odd thing is, I never saw this coming.

    I keep myself busy and study in lots of different areas. At some point, I will study the cello and at another, water colors. The truth is, I need to show my children what to do with this liberty, that will also come to them when their children grow up or when someone retires. A "mothers' work", is truly never done.

    The big dipper sits right over the old barn just now. There are less leaves on the sycamores and oaks, so the sky itself seems bigger. The stars seem twice the size that they were in September. The constellations do not go unnoticed as they did a short while ago, when there were millions of stars over the rabbit patch, but instead, stand out clearly. The November moon is supposed to be of historical significance this year and I look forward to that.

    There is a lot to consider on a quiet evening, as it turns out. I have decided to make soup tomorrow and will then plan the "Sunday Dinner". There are also chores to be done , a fire to build- and I need to figure out a name for the wild kitten, too.