I enjoyed this piece, which of course I discovered because of the one you posted today as I wasn't yet a subscriber when it first appeared. I'm sure there are folks like John in our little beach town (pop.about 35,000). They're the positive folks that provide the glue, inspiration, sweat equity and can-do spirit that makes a town worth living in. John's free library is a thing of wonder and beauty. The man himself seems like a force of nature.
Your description of building your house on what was formerly a sheep farm reminded me of growing up in a small house on the edge of developed Palo Alto--yes, that expensive heart of Silicon Valley before it got discovered. Our little 3-bedroom, 1-bath abode was surrounded by open fields, cows, creeks. Nearby Stanford holds the nickname "The Farm" from that era and before.
I'm glad you found it and enjoyed it. My Mom has a cousin who moved to Mountain View 50+ years ago. Kind of the same experience I think. They are still there and you can see the Google Campus from their home. Crazy
It is really interesting. I should really do more research on Palo Alto and its roots. When I used to tell people that I was born there, they'd scratch their heads and say, "Where?" Now they know exactly where it is because of Steve Jobs, Silicon Valley, etc. But of course none of that was there then, just some military bases, small engineering firms (my dad worked in one), some orchards and of course Stanford, which was probably the trigger (and brain factory) that launched the boom.
I've had the pleasure of spending time in quite a few cities and I always know right away when there's someone like John nearby. By the end of the week I can't walk a block without running into someone I've met, I've probably already sat at someone's kitchen table for dinner, and somehow I've signed up to volunteer for something. There are plenty of other places that might look the same in a photo, yet I can be there for three months and never get beyond the nod hello.
While we all have different ways of gauging a town, I agree with you. It is likely inaccurate at times but I often try to associate one or two words with people I work with or befriend. People like John are so often (1) genuine and (2) direct. Makes me want to try harder. When I wrote this one of our mutual acquaintances told me that she had too many books and no place to put them. John volunteered and built her two built-in bookshelves. John is in his 70s and makes time for everyone and everything. I'm glad I have come to know him well.
Thanks for this - my Dad was a big Johnny Cash fan, and I think of him when I hear one of Mr. Cash's songs. Our house is right across the street from one of our town's angels. When we first moved in, he came over to introduce himself and presented a copy of a book he wrote about the history of my new home town. His family once owned all the property on our street. Our house sits on the old cow pasture - the land is very fertile! 🐄
Thanks for commenting Jeannine! I understand why so many are "lurkers" and rarely comment b/c of the nonsense they have seen or experienced on social media. Thus far, I have found Substack self-selects for people who like reading. I am sure my friend John will LOVE your comment. You can be assured that John has played a MAJOR ROLE in fostering the Town's history as well as directly contributing to it. At least for me, the JOY of the platform blossoms when people engage. Where is home for you?
A tiny town in NH... I don't want to get more specific than that because of the social media nonsense you mention. I don't know if people like John and my neighbor live in big cities, too, or not, because I've always been a small town gal. 😊
I enjoyed this piece, which of course I discovered because of the one you posted today as I wasn't yet a subscriber when it first appeared. I'm sure there are folks like John in our little beach town (pop.about 35,000). They're the positive folks that provide the glue, inspiration, sweat equity and can-do spirit that makes a town worth living in. John's free library is a thing of wonder and beauty. The man himself seems like a force of nature.
Your description of building your house on what was formerly a sheep farm reminded me of growing up in a small house on the edge of developed Palo Alto--yes, that expensive heart of Silicon Valley before it got discovered. Our little 3-bedroom, 1-bath abode was surrounded by open fields, cows, creeks. Nearby Stanford holds the nickname "The Farm" from that era and before.
Thanks for sharing this post once again, Mark.
I'm glad you found it and enjoyed it. My Mom has a cousin who moved to Mountain View 50+ years ago. Kind of the same experience I think. They are still there and you can see the Google Campus from their home. Crazy
It is really interesting. I should really do more research on Palo Alto and its roots. When I used to tell people that I was born there, they'd scratch their heads and say, "Where?" Now they know exactly where it is because of Steve Jobs, Silicon Valley, etc. But of course none of that was there then, just some military bases, small engineering firms (my dad worked in one), some orchards and of course Stanford, which was probably the trigger (and brain factory) that launched the boom.
I've had the pleasure of spending time in quite a few cities and I always know right away when there's someone like John nearby. By the end of the week I can't walk a block without running into someone I've met, I've probably already sat at someone's kitchen table for dinner, and somehow I've signed up to volunteer for something. There are plenty of other places that might look the same in a photo, yet I can be there for three months and never get beyond the nod hello.
While we all have different ways of gauging a town, I agree with you. It is likely inaccurate at times but I often try to associate one or two words with people I work with or befriend. People like John are so often (1) genuine and (2) direct. Makes me want to try harder. When I wrote this one of our mutual acquaintances told me that she had too many books and no place to put them. John volunteered and built her two built-in bookshelves. John is in his 70s and makes time for everyone and everything. I'm glad I have come to know him well.
Thanks for this - my Dad was a big Johnny Cash fan, and I think of him when I hear one of Mr. Cash's songs. Our house is right across the street from one of our town's angels. When we first moved in, he came over to introduce himself and presented a copy of a book he wrote about the history of my new home town. His family once owned all the property on our street. Our house sits on the old cow pasture - the land is very fertile! 🐄
Thanks for commenting Jeannine! I understand why so many are "lurkers" and rarely comment b/c of the nonsense they have seen or experienced on social media. Thus far, I have found Substack self-selects for people who like reading. I am sure my friend John will LOVE your comment. You can be assured that John has played a MAJOR ROLE in fostering the Town's history as well as directly contributing to it. At least for me, the JOY of the platform blossoms when people engage. Where is home for you?
A tiny town in NH... I don't want to get more specific than that because of the social media nonsense you mention. I don't know if people like John and my neighbor live in big cities, too, or not, because I've always been a small town gal. 😊
I picked “one” just because it was funny.
These needle baskets—are they baskets made from pine needles or baskets full of pine needles? Or BOTH?
how many bodegas adjacent to each other constitute a strip mall? They are baskets made from pine needles. Here is a decent example. https://terrestra.com/products/round-pine-needle-basket-with-handles-in-dyed-and-undyed-raffia -- I think if you are storing pine needles in pine needle baskets, you have too many baskets :)
Interesting. I just think Pope.