PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

 On this road trip we make tentative plans as to the memories we’d like collected

but we often find the best memories are totally unexpected.

Take today for instance..

We planned to visit The Old Round Church in Richmond, Vermont

It was to be the first stop of the day…

This 16-sided church was built in 1812, and is the only one like it still standing In the USA.

In Montpelier we planned to stop for crepes at the Skinny Pancake

and in St. Johnsbury at the Fairbanks Museum…filled with a million things

where we couldn’t wait to see its portrait of Abe Lincoln created from beetle and butterfly wings. 

We did all these and they were amazing…but let me go back to the church if I may

where something wonderful happened that wasn’t in the plan today..

The church was closed when we arrived…but as we stopped to enjoy it for a spell

a woman pulled up, got out of her car saying,

“I notice you’re from out of town…have I got a story to tell.”

Her name is Marilyn Cochran…growing up she told us she loved to ski.

She was the first of first of 4 famous siblings in the Cochran ski family.

She was famous on the World Cup Ski Circuit from 1967-74

winning 3 World Cup races…and accolades galore.

She proudly told us about her family…her sister Barbara who

won gold at the Japan Olympics in 1972…

Then she told us about Barbara’s son…his name is Ryan…who

won Silver at the Beijing Olympics in 2022 

After visiting with us a while…(we loved listening to her reminisce) 

she gave us a box of Raspberry Waffles (which her family makes)

then left us with a big hug and a kiss.

Deborah and I were overjoyed waving to Marilyn as she drove away…

This unplanned and unexpected encounter…totally made our day!

We met a famous skier…learned about her family…

ended up with waffles, a kiss and a hug….

Amazing! Because before we met her…we thought the best part of our day

was going to be seeing an Abe Lincoln made out of bugs.