Knitting With Anne

It all began as a long weekend trip this October; an adventure to Nova Scotia with my step mom (to visit her mom).  How would I know that the trip would change me?  That's the funny thing about life.

Anne Hulbert was so pleased that I was traveling to her farm in northern Nova Scotia with her daughter, Deb; but was nervous that I would be "bored".  I explained to Deb that I loved to drive, to sight-see, and I also needed some down-time.  I asked Deb to assure her mom that I was looking forward to all of these things and to meeting her for the first time.

As Deb and I made the 12 hour trip , I learned a little more about Anne.  I discovered that Anne and her husband Roy and two of their 5 children had moved to Nova Scotia to run a dairy farm after losing much of their farmland in Holliston, Ma  by eminent domain in the 70's.  Roy died about 9 years ago and Anne remained in the farmhouse alone with her 3 cats.  I was forming a picture of Anne in my mind as we drove, you know, that whole assumption "thing" we all do: elderly, lonely, farmer's wife, cat-lady, and knitter.

 As I drove on, I had a suspicion that my assumptions may not be accurate. Deb notified me that her mother just texted  her, excited that we were half- way there.  " What? Your mom texts?", I asked.  "Yes, from her iPad", said Deb.

We arrived at the rustic farm, across the road from St. Georges Bay.  Our time together began as a spry, smiling woman hustled out of her back door and hugged and kissed us both.  We entered her home, it was chock full of memories, photos, plants, figurines, yarn, and love.  I was in love.  In the kitchen, on the large farmhouse table sat her sock knitting project, her newspapers, her iPad, stacks of books, and some apple pumpkin soup that the neighbor dropped by.  The cats purred as they ate their dinner by the old iron kitchen stove.

We talked about plans for the visit: Anne had to go into "town" for blood-work and to pick up some special cat food from the veterinarian.  We had to go food shopping, after all, it was Canada's Thanksgiving and Anne's grandson and partner were coming to visit from Halifax.  We had to pick up a skein of sock yarn for me to bring to Anne's weekly "S and B"  (Stitch and Voice Concern) group where she has taught most all of the members "Anne's Sock Pattern".   But that was about it.   Mostly, explained Deb,  we would just hang out at the old farmhouse table and talk and knit.  Maybe we could walk the shoreline tomorrow.   You know, I am a busy person by nature.  I was secretly concerned that I might be "bored" after all.

That was until I started knitting with Anne.

Anne Tomlinson was born in Newtonville, MA and grew up attending the Universalist Church there.  After that church closed , her family attended First Unitarian in Newton .  Anne and Roy Hulbert were married in her family's living room by the Unitarian Minister Reverend Hitchens in 1946. 

They moved to Holliston to farm,  and raised 5 children. They brought their family to the UU Church in Sherborn, MA. 

During the period when much of their farmland was being taken by eminent domain, their youngest daughter and son were still at home.  The youngest daughter was engaged to a local man who was serving in Vietnam.  When the news came that this young man was killed in duty, it was a tipping point. Anne and Roy Hulbert , well into their 50's, decided that they wouldn't stay in America. They moved to Nova Scotia, and set up their lives anew, farming now in Bayfield.

While I visited, Anne quietly spoke about and went about her life.  I instantly recognized the UU in her. I heard her values about peace and justice, her amazing knowledge and curiosity about what was happening in the world (always reading the news in paper form and on her IPad, and listening to the public radio broadcast.)  Her open mind and ability to discuss crucial topics, her love of family, and animals, and the earth.  I felt her strong connection to her family and to her neighbors, who would walk in her back door without knocking with food and news and children and pets.  I understood her love of the pure and simple things, and peaceful ways of life. I witnessed her openness to lifestyles much different than her own. Her acceptance, her respect, her patience, and her living faith moved me to tears at times.

Anne attends a United Church in Bayfield.  The closest UU church is hours away in Halifax.  Anne told me she used to love to read the UU Halifax  Church's newsletter, but over the years they had discontinued mailing it to her.  Before I left, I "borrowed" Anne's  IPad and Googled the UU Church of Halifax.  Anne now happily gets their newsletter electronically as I linked it to her IPad desktop. Connection... in a living faith, it changes and yet ultimately it stays the same.

While knitting with Anne, I encountered much more than "Anne's Sock Pattern".  I witnessed a long  lifetime of UU values in play:  love, resilience, standing up for what is in your heart, and honest questioning.  Anne reinforced a strong conviction of mine :  that we are all connected in ways that we may never know until we open ourselves to encounter them. Sometimes that takes a lot of vulnerability and courage.  My visit was a history lesson and an acknowledgment of our 7th principle:  "We are all a part of the interdependent web of all existence."  Knitting with Anne changed me; magnified truths.  I became more keenly aware of the things that are most important to me: what should come first and what things I could move away from.  Anne modeled to me that a strong, simple life is important enough.  Thank You Anne, for teaching your pattern to me