Saturday, February 15, 2025
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The Good Stuff by Shelley Bennett

My new friend Hank the accordion player

By Shelley Bennett

This past weekend I drove through the snowstorm to visit my friend Kris in Vacaville. She had flown across the country to say goodbye to her family’s ranch in the hills and I was taking advantage of this fact to get caught up.

On Sunday we were doing some last-minute shopping at Target. She had a plane to catch, and I had a daughter to pick up, so we were rushing around when she got a phone call. It was her dad Hank telling us we “had” to come over and meet his friend (also named Hank) who had a house full of treasures.

“You will love it” were his exact words. I was tired and anxious to get on the road and I almost told Kris that I would drop her off, but something made me stop and say, “Ok, let’s go!”

Hank (the friend) lives in a part of Vacaville called “Leisuretown.” It’s probably my favorite place name ever. The streets were lined with pastel houses, elaborate rock gardens, cacti, and palm trees.

We pulled up to an aqua colored home that had an abundance of lawn decorations, planters, and even a vintage adult-sized rocking horse from the defunct Nut Tree in the front yard. The first thing we heard was laughter as we walked up the sidewalk.

Hank and Hank came out on the steps to greet us and I was immediately mesmerized by this shortish man with a thicket of white hair tucked under a ball cap. His smile was wide and welcoming and his sparkling blue eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed, which was often.

The aqua theme carried on in the carpet, couch, gingham table cloth, and window trim.

His home was filled with collections of every kind, including padlocks and keys, egg beaters, toasters, and something he called an “invalid cup”. Every corner was packing with unique objects and Hank had stories to tell about them.

There was a big bookshelf along one wall that held at least six accordions and a pictures of Hank’s polka band. When Kris and I admired his collection, he picked up the closest accordion and started to play “It’s a Small World”. Then he began to sing and we all hummed and clapped along.

After the applause, Hank led us to his backyard where two full trees covered in glossy leaves stood right outside his sliding glass door. He walked around one tree and came back with the biggest and brightest orange I have seen.

With a twinkle in his eye, he handed it to me. Our time was up and we said goodbye with promises to see each other soon.

I don’t know that I’ll be back to Leisuretown again, but I was changed by my visit there. I have never met someone who is so filled with joy and finds wonder in sharing his home with others. He kept saying, “it’s just fun” and that was a reminder I needed to hear.

As we left Hank’s house and went out into the Vacaville sunshine, I felt like we had been through a version of the popular Disney ride, dazzled by the bright colors and song lyrics, yet content with the message that “there is just one moon and a golden sun and a smile means friendship for everyone.”


Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to [email protected] and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”

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