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‘Visitin’ With The Twins Checking In With Lucille And Cecile Skeffington

photo by provided Checking in with Cecile and Lucille Skeffington is always a pleasure and a wonderful example of the vitality and durability of the seniors in the Champlain Valley.

Tuesday April 19, 2016

By Cookie Steponaitis

The door was open at Bristol Beauty Bar and Lucille was relaxing with twin sister Cecile at the end of the day. Lucille is entering her 61st year of cutting hair and has been at her location in Bristol, Vermont for 58 years and still loves every minute of it. At 88 years young, Lucille admits to having slowed down a bit and only sees six clients a day now when she is open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. Up until a few years ago it was six days a week with 19-20 clients a day. Her clients or her friends as Lucille refers to them have been coming to her on average for over forty years, are about the same age or vintage and they jokingly inquire when she intended to retire. “Ever heard of last man standing? That will be me. I love working and don’t intend to stop,” quipped Lucille.
    The twins entered life together 88 years ago, have lived together for the past eight years and to date have not had an argument since moving in together. However, that was not always the case. “My father must be grinning in heaven,” explained Cecile. “He is looking down and saying, wow, you two are not fighting anymore.” While the twins are remarkable company for each other now, as children their fights were legendary. “Our father was away in Alaska in 1944,” reminisced Cecile. “He was building homes and buildings for the government up in Nome, Alaska. In one of the gift boxes he sent home to us he put in a couple of pair of military boxing gloves with the suggestion that we would know what to do with them. Unbelievably he also sent home wonderful Seal skin slippers and a huge molar tooth that was from a dinosaur era Mastodon skeleton. My mom was not one to get sentimental about a dinosaur tooth and being practical she used it for a door stop.”
   Each of the twins married, had children and enjoys having a parcel of  grandchildren someextended generations. Lucille has two grandchildren and Cecile has five grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren and with summer coming that means family gatherings, July 4th meals to cook, stories to share and memories to make. While the pair are in excellent health and credit their longevity to Lucille’s excellent cooking and a great diet of vegetables, fruits and meat, the sisters also know that their being together makes life much more of a pleasure. “We love to talk,” added Lucille. “Whether it is with my clients, friends who visit or just each other, we enjoy being together with people and sharing ideas and thoughts.”  Since the news was on and the election was the topic of commentary, the conversation did drift to the coming elections. “It’s like Senator Graham remarked,” shared the twins. “Your choice is to be shot or poisoned. It is amazing to watch how the media twists and directs the opinion and access to information between candidates. We will all be watching as the conventions occur and America will have tough choices ahead.”
    The adopted grandpup Ruby moved between the two and listened intently to the flow of conversation. Ruby belongs to one of the children and since Ruby’s parents work long hours she spends her days with Lucille and Cecile. Ruby has been trained since being a pup not to come into the beauty shop until she is asked and responds to the voice of either twin and is quick to obediently shift locations. “The other day I was doing hair and chatting with a client when Ruby strolled into the salon,” remarked Lucille. “Without changing my tone or stopping my conversation with a client I simply remarked someone is in a spot they are not supposed to be and Ruby turned around and went back out. My client was floored.”
    Now that spring is finally upon us the twins have a full agenda for the warmer weather that includes working, friends, family, outings and most of all a celebration of an upcoming granddaughter’s wedding. The conversation flows seamlessly back and forth with the other filling in the blanks, finishing the phrase or enhancing the story begun by their twin with the ease of a relationship that only twins can understand.  As bird songs signal the new season at hand all is well at the Bristol Beauty Bar and Lucille and Cecile are blessed with family, friends, companionship and faith in what the greening and warming of their beloved state will bring.

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