The Basket Lady

In the Good Humor Town; lively human beings could be seen out walking up and down Congress Street in Rumford.

I saw people that I haven’t seen in years downtown and maybe that’s because the sun was shining, birds were singing and I heard a man whistling a tune about letting the sunshine in.

How refreshing to experience being outdoors moving about in the warm sunshine, filled with the hope that spring has arrived at last.

Had an outstanding conversation with Carolyn Bennett in Carlisle’s that probably had them wondering why we didn’t go to a café and sit down and have a coffee instead of standing next to the shoe rack gabbing like we were standing in our kitchen at home.

The folks at Carlisle’s were gracious and eventually, I picked out a beautiful blouse for myself and with Nina’s eye for fashion, found the perfect scarf for me at Bartash's.

I met up with Joyce Saisi in the Rumford Post Office and almost at the same time, we said, “nice day today, the suns shining.”

Vivian Buotte was downtown today and we met up with one another and exchanged pleasantries.

As I walked toward Bangor Savings Bank, a dear lady and unforgettable teacher, Pam Bulger, called out to me.

The children in the Head Start Program at the Chisholm School affectionately called her “teacher Pam,” because she always treated them with kindness and respect.

Seven years ago, I gave teacher Pam a sunshine basket as it was the second anniversary of her beloved Jennifer’s passing.

You can probably imagine the look of surprise on her face when she wanted to know what the basket was for and without hesitation, I said, “So you can bless someone by gifting them with your own personalized basket.”

Recently, I found out from a friend that teacher Pam and her mother have swapped that same basket back and forth to each other for years.

In another conversation about the spirit of baskets; Jen, a 30-year respiratory therapist at Rumford Hospital, happily talked about her “personalized” baskets that she makes up and gives away and that her husband will tease her about being a basket lady, too.

Of course, Jen knew Dot Sanchas for many years and our conversation quickly switched to our memories of Dot and how much she did for our community.

Just a side note, I watched the movie the Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston over the Easter weekend and a most important scene emerged right away-Moses was found floating along the Nile River in a basket.

Thanks to Barbara Morse, 24 loaves of homemade bread were distributed to 15 individuals in baskets made up by the basket lady.

Friends, thank you for your donations to the basket lady projects. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to “do” what I love most in my life and that’s to be of service to others.

Thanks for a job well-done and for a kindness shown to the following angels in training:

Dick Lovejoy; Brett Frey; Barbara Morse and Daren Gail Thompson; Sue Ellen Richardson; Ellen Snow; Joe Sirois and Anne Wood; Judy Tabb, RVHCC; Lincare in Mexico; Joyce Saisi; Ginny Todd; Linda French; Roger at Dyer’s Electronics;

Mary Lou at Dead River Food Trend; and Nina at Carlisle’s.

Words of wisdom (written by Frederick Buechner). “The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.”

Remember the theme: Get a basket-Give a basket.

We miss you every day, Dot Sanchas!

Until then, smile and live in the present.