a view from a country wedding

I had the privilege of officiating a wedding about 30 minutes outside of State College over the weekend.  Now, most folks would think that State College IS country, at least if you listen to sports-talk radio.  They like to go on and on about how far Happy Valley is from civilization!  But I was in a little village near Mill Hall, PA, at the home of a wonderful family.  The mother of the bride grew up in the house across the street from her current home, and knows just about everyone who passes by.

There were Amish buggies rolling down the road, kids on bikes, and more than one jacked-up 4×4.  And everybody waved at the wedding guests.  I got to meet some of the neighbors, and as they talked about life in their little village, I could sense the close-knit bonds they have with their community.  I listened to their stories about the bride and her sister growing up with the neighborhood kids, playing together, raising animals and gardening…it sort of felt like Mayberry.

I like Mayberry.

Oh sure, there are some things that little towns don’t have.  And there are some advantages to being in the big city.  But I like small-town America–the kind of place where folks know their neighbors, stop by to visit on the front porch, where gardens are shared and kids listen to and respect their older neighbors.

I was blessed to be part of their beautiful day.  The people I met were warm and gracious, genuine and welcoming.  Their community pulled together to make the flower garden come alive for the wedding, and all the food was prepared by the fine folks who live around the family.

I made the mistake of calling their village “Mill Hall,” and one of the ladies remarked, “He’s not from here, is he?”

No ma’am, I’m not.  But if I were, I’d be proud to be your neighbor!

On top of that, the father of the bride gave me some goodies from his garden.  Can you identify these beauties?  Here’s a hint:  they go in your salad, and end in “er.”

If you said lemon cucumber, you know your produce.