Last night, with a baked-from-our-chicken's-eggs (!) quiche in hand and Evelyn dressed to the nines (the rest of us went with normal weekend wear) we took ourselves down to the town hall for a potluck dinner, concert and square dance. For a village so small you might miss it if you blinked, we have an amazing range of talented musicians. Honest to goodness opera singers, people who gave up Carnegie Hall to come live in the woods. A local music series that is packed with mindblowingly great performers. Did I tell you about the time Marie Von Trapp's granddaughter led us in singing Edelweiss? Yes, really.
This time it was Red Tail Ring. Who are not local but are related to (also amazing musically talented) locals. I'm not a big country music girl but I love bluegrass and that kind of 1930's music that filled the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou." And this was that kind of music. Toe tappingly fun.
No one takes themselves too seriously around here. There was, and I'm not joking, a brain shaped jello on offer at the potluck. So no big poofy skirts (other than Evie) and no real professionals. The caller talked us all through each dance before we started and I'm sure we looked less than graceful, but oh was it fun. Briton was asked to dance by a high school girl (thank goodness for sweet high school girls!) which was the highlight of his weekend, not that he would admit it. And Evie pretty much never sat down, whirling and spinning and laughing, right in her element. We danced on the old sprung floor where they used to hold town meetings, surrounded by faded sepia photos of the town long ago and spindley wooden benches and less pretty yellow plastic chairs and I couldn't help but think Yes. This is why I love this place.