Summer Schedule And It Just Now Feels Like Spring

I watched the fight of the century last night in the backyard. Well, it might have just been the battle roy-al of two foes who have been at odds since, well since I have no idea. Michael, the one eyed cat, took his afternoon spot on one of our rocks like most afternoons. His focus intense. I am searching the yard, safely behind glass to see if he has a bird in his sights...but no, he is stalking a small, little tiny rock mouse. At that moment I was so happy that I had not knocked on the window to distract him. Michael tossed than mouse in the air and batted him with a paw. The little mouse tumbled down the rocks and then stole away to the confines of the world behind those rocks. Michael kept a watch for that maimed mouse for the longest time and I am hoping this morning Michael hasn't left me a present. Ugh! We do know from Mike the Mower Man that under that embankment of tiered rocks is a car that was buried there a long time ago to help with erosion or at least that is what we hope. We have heard some stories of the wild boys that used to live across the way where now quiet Mary Joyce lives.

There are yellow flowers that have started poking their heads through the dirt, near the rocks at the top near the gravel road. I love seeing those splashes of yellow as we get into more normal like spring temps.

I am going to lunch at church today. The menu sounds fabulous and I look forward to seeing friends. It is still cool outside and warming up later in the afternoon, so I am kind of at a quandary of what to wear. I think I will go with lighter rather than heavier because that fellowship hall warms up quickly.

After being here a year one thing I need to be better acquainted with is freeway exit numbers. Most of the time the traffic reports of lane closures or wrecks refer to the exit number not the name of the street or road. Also I get confused with the east west thing because it feels like I am going north and south. But I did read yesterday that spending an hour in nature a day increases your ability to focus and retain knowledge. So maybe I can weld the two together and enjoy the great outdoors while learning my exit numbers on the major freeways around these parts.

The sun is beginning to set. Lunch at church today was delicious and so fun. Afterwards I couldn't decide if I would do some running around or go back home. First thing, I went to the Exxon station and filled up the truck. Then I got a phone call so instead of going someplace I drove around while I talked. I opted toward home and Mike the Mower Man was here. When he finished up we talked about some trees being planted in the back and maybe putting in some peach trees in the front. He also thinks he can help me with finding someone to weld or make some very simple handrails to go on either side of the stone stairs. Then I got this brilliant idea to see if Buddy would enjoy being in the pet playpen on the front porch. She was not a fan but maybe she will be if I put her in the playpen and we sat out on the back deck. We shall see. I am trying to liven up things for her a bit so she isn't bored.

Peggy and I talked on the phone this afternoon and got caught up on everything. Roy called while we were talking to let me know the generator people want to come by tomorrow and do the spring servicing of it. The times they had were 9 and 11. I told him 11 would be best. It is only spring and I am so on a summer schedule already to start the days.

Wednesday Whats

On this Wednesday I am thinking of some friends in Houston who have a very emotionally tough day ahead. This afternoon will be the memorial service for their father and grandfather. He was one of those men of the church who are a presence and it is difficult to even think that their presence and influence wouldn't be there forever. Technically, he will be through lives he touched all these years at First Baptist as a teacher, deacon, dean of high school camp, friend, advocate and sometimes adversary. Back in Pageant days he headed security and I always felt a little safer and protected because John was standing guard casually to the side in the lobby or narthex or vestibule. I loved watching how he loved his family and through some of the toughest days gave hope and encouragement. He didn't just talk the talk, he walked it. After the service the family is having an ice cream reception because John loved him some Blue Bell ice cream. What a great way to celebrate a man who has been a presence and disciple of the Lord. I can still hear his great laugh and will carry that with me when I think about and pray for my friends today.

I totally gave into my nerd side yesterday afternoon. After checking in and seeing if anything needed doing at a friend's home, I drove around the countryside. It still blows me away that I can drive around the corner and be able to see the mountains that line the North Carolina and Tennessee border. I specifically wanted to see if the bison had given birth to their little bisons but they weren't near the road to be able to tell. The vistas and valleys along that road are breathtaking! The clouds settled along the tops of the mountains and created quite the contrast of white, blue and the emerging greens of the trees. The trees that line the top of the mountains still look like mo-hawks but it won't be too much longer and all the leaves will fill in the space. I wasn't quite ready to return home so I went to the library parking lot. I have not paid my respects to the library out here yet but the view I had been told from the parking lot is worth the trip up the driveway. It was beautiful and so is the building. Very modern lines but with homage to the past in those lines. When I came home I headed straight to the front porch and entertained myself with the bird call app on my phone. Hearing the replies from the responding birds in the trees was quite amusing. The house wrens responded the best. I love to watch for that brilliant cardinal red in the trees and shrubs. There is nothing quite like it.

Last night I got a decent night's sleep because the series I watched is over. I couldn't shut down my mind thinking through everything. It was a joy to fall asleep after watching one Seinfeld episode. This morning the lawn mowers began the day early on the property above us. It is a lawn service working and finishing up the pastures just now.
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It is now Wednesday afternoon. I just finished changing out Buddy's litter box. Who knew that litter can be so heavy. I got a couple of baking soda liners at Tractor Supply this morning. Hopefully, that will help with disposal in the future. While at Tractor Supply I also got some new bird seed, two different kinds. Just mixed them up and put some out in the feeders. I think we have a hit on our hands. After Tractor Supply it was off to the grocery store. I am going to make a roast on Saturday, a new recipe, and I will let y'all know if it is blog worthy.

There is more work to be done, so off the blog for now.....

That Is How It Should Be

All the moo cows lying in the fields yesterday proved correct because we had rain last night and into the morning. The misty rainy skies are beginning to lighten, the clouds are more distinct in shape and the radar screen I just looked at emphasized the above with the green radar rain moving on out of our area. I don't think we received copious amounts of rain but the greens of the fields and trees do look a little brighter this morning.

With my morning coffee I perused funny animal videos on Facebook. I also got in a little reading. Today will be a good house cleaning type of day so of course I am procrastinating something fierce. Alas, blog writing right now, previous reading and then some good old fashioned sitting in silence...which for me can be a good thing but sometimes it can turn into a mischievous thing. An email I read this morning got me to thinking in that time of silent contemplation and instead of the silence resulting in some kind of wisdom, I got caught up in a fit of laughter which soon progressed into tears and the wheezing, coughing laugh that comes right before the wetting of pants. Thankfully, I was able to stop laughing before the last result.

Way back in the day when I worked on a church staff I belonged to a group with other women staff members of large churches around the nation. We never met each other in person but our conference calls, chat room sessions and emails were a vital source of encouragement in the world of spiritual and church business. Our group was formed largely by friends and family members that had some kind of six degrees of separation. I believed our friends and family were tired of hearing these ridiculous yet sad stories from our job...our supposed ministry...and thought we would stop lamenting over working at a church with them. The concept and thought being, we would commiserate and rejoice with one another in our newly formed group of friends and leave them out of it. Only in a perfect world...it was just another outlet to vent or cry but mainly laugh at the absurdities that come with church work. We all were astounded that our stories of people and circumstances sounded very much alike but we shouldn't have been so surprised because you know...the human condition. We once had a rather fun discussion of, when is it the proper time to take someone off the prayer list? Do we tell the person their name is being removed? How did we know when they had properly recovered or the situation had righted itself? I think sometimes we become warriors of reading emails about prayer needs instead of really being prayer warriors. Do we substitute knowing about the situation for prayer? Our group concluded that the reality is some people needed the attention and would rather choose their name on a prayer list for all eternity rather than the God of all eternity answering the prayer. It goes back to John 5, do you want to get well or see something come to pass or end? So it was a kindness to keep them on it even when it aggravated the dickens out of us.

I thought of my crazy friend Debbie whose husband was on staff at a medium sized church. The teaching pastor had been appointed to conduct all the staff team building exercises. So once or twice a month all the staff and spouses would gather at his house, of course it was a potluck supper. He would teach a short devo on team building and then have everyone work on a project that emphasized working together. Now Debbie has never been one to keep her opinion to herself. She realized that all this team building was just a disguise for building a covered patio for this teaching pastor. Pouring cement, adding the screen and roof, building planters and then landscaping...yep this was building alright. She would always volunteer for the group to meet at their house and the teaching pastor would vehemently disagree and quote out of context of course, "He who began a good work in you will complete it." At the end of that particular team building and before he announced the new team building would be knocking out a wall and remodeling the living room, he asked all as they sat around while eating what their spiritual gifts were. This is the most brilliant response ever to disingenuous team building, Debbie said her spiritual gifts were lying and deception. I have used that line several times when the reality of a meeting is rather specious (vocabulary word from The Bad Seed) I have also added the spiritual gift of delegation... I shared this with my fellow sufferers of being women on a church staff and of course they loved it! I wouldn't be surprised if this spiritual gift line has been used on more than one occasion.

We didn't just share funny or ironic things, we did share and rejoice when a "but God"... came about. Those are some of my favorite memories from that long ago group. Truthfully, the funny or ironic things many times outnumbered the rejoicing times. No there were more stories of staff members who had meetings that were longer than the begats and then wondered why no one could get their work done during office hours. Or the hatchet warrior women, a group of two or three women whose job descriptions morphed and they became the ones who quietly got rid of Sunday School teachers and workers who didn't fit the profile anymore, mainly due to Christian PC issues. The staff who fired admins and lower level personnel on a whim, usually when it was discovered to be the admin was much smarter than the staff member.

I don't think any of us that were in the group are still in church work. Some retired, some just quit because they couldn't take it anymore...others found more fulfilling work in the business world and some had the joy to be able to be stay at home moms. One of the last times I participated in a conference call several who had moved onto the business world were astounded that corporations were kinder and more merciful than most church organizations about so many things. It is a shame when you get off earlier before major religious holidays at a company or companies being more generous with time and money. But the really sad thing, business world stories were almost as funny and I guess that is how it should be.

Another Wonderful Monday in the Mountains

The UPS man, Aaron, and I lamented that the temps today did not reach the mid 70's as had been predicted. I don't think the temperature even made it to 65 and there has been a strong wind almost all day. With the wind it feels much cooler. The day began with vivid sunshine but the day has mainly been overcast. Mike the mower man was here today working on the water shoot or water distribution system that he and Roy talked about. He mainly worked on the side of the house I rarely get close to because of hazardous deck stairs and the uncertainty of ground that is not very level. Now there is a recipe for disaster, at least for me. Slowly but surely we are working on these things so we might have optimal enjoyment of all our land but clearly I mean yard, the flat part of the front yard. We need to find someone who is able to make some very simple railings to go along the side of the stone steps.

Buddy has taken advantage today of all the windows available to her for bird and squirrel watching. When we lived in our condo she had limited bird visibility, then our home in Katy gave her a better view with numerous choices. But here, she has windows multiplied to view the happenings and her vantage points are all rather comfortable for her. In Katy she retreated under the bed quite a bit and slept on the soft blanket we had placed there for just that reason. We duplicated that for her here and it seems she has only used that under the bed blanket twice. I believe the blanket will be removed for more storage space. She has plenty of places here where she can nestle in and be almost invisible. She and I had a little tiff with each other before I left for choir last night. She was lying next to me on the couch as I watched the webcast of First Baptist. I moved my arm and the next thing I know she is biting my wrist and flailing those armed front paws of hers. I pushed her off the couch and she looked ready for round two, so I moved on finishing up gathering trash and then getting ready to head out the door for choir. When I got home I ignored her but I let her sit on my lap when she jumped on it. Of course this made for a long sleepless night because she was restless and needy and wanting attention. She finally settled. I think she must have been having an old lady cat cranky moment. She acts like she feels good but she is slowing down in her old age. Really, we both have that in common. I watched a couple of episodes of My Cat From Hell the other night but I think Buddy is acting more like cranky granny from assisted living. But then she can turn around and be the sweetest thing, which she is for the most part but this every other night of no sleep is weighing on me.

I had a couple of errands to run today and I had planned to drive somewhere or do something but I slept late cause I was up several times last night with an unsettled cat. It still boggles my mind that I am just an hour away from TN and just a little over an hour and half from Virginia. I have never been to either Virginia and hope to rectify that this year. In the spring and fall there are so many festivals or farmers markets.

My book is calling out to me. It is one of those type of books that you want to read slowly because you will be upset once you finish it. Another autobiography is essay form. Since I have been reading this author since 1984 and had a friend who was a friend of the family, it is very comfortable reading knowing the struggles this author has gone through and the victory she has attained. No it is not a Christian book but it is interesting and full of rich tales.

A Full Day

This has been a full and wonderful day on many levels. We survived the freezing temps and the incredibly powerful wind. Friday night a wind gust that was so powerful and loud woke me up and I was thankful we weren't blown down the mountain. This morning I watched a squirrel try to drink the frozen water in the birdbath. He would get a chunk of ice and break it into manageable pieces for him to eat. The birds didn't have as good of luck and had to wait for the ice to melt.

I had Houston's First Baptist on my mind today. The church is celebrating a 175 years of ministry in the city of Houston and the world. I hoped to catch the 5:00 webcast this evening and I was able to do that. When I was in high school there were some Sundays that my friend Mary Madeline and I would drive downtown after attending church at Willow Meadows to be a part of the service. As a senior in high school I brought car loads of friends to Spireno which was a modern/contemporary service for high schoolers and college age students. When I came back to Houston to attend U of H, I tried going to the college dept for Sunday School, but it just wasn't a good fit. After Roy and I were married we began attending First Baptist in 1982. My brother was attending and invited us to come and we were also given some tickets to the Christmas Pageant. Truthfully, it wasn't until the Christian Life Center, now known as the Fitness and Recreation Center, was opened did I really love attending church there. That is when we really began to make friends. Sunday School just felt like a competition or something in Married Young Adults and there for a bit there were a few clunker Sunday School teachers until Cecelia Talley became my teacher. Then I joined choir and as they say, the rest is history. I was also fortunate to serve on staff at Houston's First. When I think of First Baptist, it is the people and friends we have made not so much sermons or teachings I remember. We have done life with these friends for a long, long time. And after that bad run of bad teachers, I've had a few good teachers, some who even became good friends. Both Roy and I worked with youth for several years and totally enjoyed our time serving in the capacity. So today, it was good to celebrate across the miles with friends of First Baptist.

Today was also a good day at Newfound. I love my Sunday School class and the fun we have even when the lesson is on sin. After class I went down to the Fellowship Center and helped with prep work to have the lunches ready that people ordered. This was a fund raiser for Embrace Women's Ministry, to give additional funds to our budget so that we are able to do more ministry. I helped with slicing cake and bagging rolls on Saturday. Today I helped fill the green bean dishes and did a pretty mean fluffing of bags to put the dinners in. Such great fun and such great support from our church family. I am so glad I ordered two of those dinners to bring home because everything is delicious. That carrot souffle is the bomb digity!

This will be a great week for meals because Vivian gave me some of her famous potato soup, veggie soup and cornbread.

The wind is still howling a bit but we warm up tomorrow back in the 70's.

Wearied Just a Bit and Some Long Ago Tennis Thoughts

It is a rare day that I wake up feeling like I feel today. All the major joints in my body hurt, along with some muscle ache. The nerves around my incision while being dormant for a bit have decided to again pursue waking up and while that is a good thing in the big picture, in the smaller view it adds to the randomness of this pain today. I could feel it last night waking me up several time with pain in my ankles and then in my knees. So today I am staying around home wearing the lovely scent of Icy Hot and essential oils. Icy Hot is winning the fragrance battle. Even Buddy knows it is not a good day for me and is hanging around nearby and that is not her usual daytime practice. It is making the venture outside to the back deck more treacherous because normally when she hears the screen door open and close, it doesn't necessitate her coming downstairs to investigate. The only reason I have needed to go out on the deck is to secure things because the wind has picked up and the weather services are forecasting wind gusts up to forty miles an hour. I think I have done everything that needs to be done out there so I find myself back in the house and I should probably reapply more Icy Hot. I am fortunate because I rarely feel this bad. I am also thankful for an understanding friend who let me cancel our lunch plans.  Earlier I decided to go back to bed and hopefully that would reboot me. It did a little but I still think it is a wait it out kind of day. So nothing is better for a wait it out day than wearing my favorite tattered sweatshirt and some warm up pants. Just like pajamas only it makes you feel like you have made an effort.

First Baptist Houston is celebrating their 175th anniversary. That is pretty special. I enjoyed watching Joanna Poor, longtime member and Stephen Murray on the feature one of the stations in Houston did yesterday. They have also posted on FB pictures of the redesigned chapel and it is just downright beautiful! It always felt so dark in there and they have opened it up with windows and lighting. Job well done and I can't wait to see it in person. The choir is also releasing a new album this weekend to celebrate 175 years. It is called People of the Church and it will also be available on iTunes.
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Well, no surprise here, it is Friday morning. I am feeling better but not back to normal, whatever that is. The northern sky has that look of cold weather a coming. Now through Sunday morning we can expect low overnight temps and a hard freeze. The snow icon has shown back up on the forecast so who knows? I am thrilled to see another sunny day.

Buddy and I had our first bunny sighting of the spring season. We were privileged to see two bunnies this morning but then they got into a bunny fight and as all things seem to happen, one of them went under the deck. That is where all the wild things go. Mike the Mower man is going to put up chicken wire once he completes the rock project. That will help somewhat.

The clay court tennis championship is happening this week at River Oaks Country Club and there was a day when I was out there quite a bit. You could always find tickets for the earlier games in the week and there for a while the company Roy works for was a sponsor of the tournament. It is not a major tournament by any means but it holds a lot of tradition in Houston. The best tickets were the ones from Roy's company because that meant you got tickets to be in the club level which was enclosed and full of freebies, like food and drink. I never was interested in the semi final or final. For so many years that was the social event where one dressed up to attend an outdoor match in the Houston heat and humidity. Oh the humanity...I mean the humidity. No, I liked going during the day when you could wear your tennis togs or in the evening with club passes and you just had to be dressed business casual. Funny, I used to watch all the majors on TV and keep up with players but now not so much. The tennis season of life was rather fun and I got to be a part of so many things I would have never been a part of. I have always said I was in their world but not of it. Had the best seats for theater and opera. Once, I went with a group of friends to the ballet. We sat in one of those side boxes but the best thing was we had our dinner served to us right outside the box, dessert was served there during intermission and we had access to private bathrooms. I was ruined! I was given tickets to so many things and I was ruined to ever attend as a normal everyday kind of person. When I was home in January I ran into a tennis friend at Bistro N in the Nord. We visited a few minutes and time had taken a toll on tennis. I gave it up so many years ago and this friend had to stop playing in recent years. The rumor floating about for years with this friend was, she put a hundred thousand dollars in her sock drawer every January and that was her chump change for incidentals. I once asked her if that was true and she could neither confirm nor deny. Then I teasingly said, no, you have a drawer just for socks? We had a great laugh over that. I met many interesting people playing tennis. There was the smattering of mob wives, kept women, rich women and then there was me. I was there to play tennis. Several friends left the club because their husbands were being investigated for white collar crime. It was always kind of fun to mention that my group tennis lesson was right after President Bush's, the father, tennis lesson. He would talk to us and tell us jokes. He wouldn't know me from Adam. We also went to a few parties where a Bush relative might be in attendance. Funny, we were always told to steer clear of one particular relative because he usually had some sort of thing going that needed investors and most didn't see any return on their investment. Hey, no problem because once again we were in their world but not of it. Now that relative is involved in the Cruz campaign on the financial end. Hmmm....

Well, the day is going to get colder and windier so I better get moving. Have a couple of errands to run. Then meeting Vivian and Bill for dinner.

A Day in South Asheville

If you stand outside in our garage the wind blowing through the cracks makes that mournful sad whistle. It is cool outside because it is 54 degrees and I am sure it feels much cooler than the actual temperature due to the gusty winds. The sky is overcast but the delightful melodious sound of wind chimes hardly ever takes a break.

Today I had a couple of errands to run in south Asheville. The traffic wasn't too bad but if I ever miss the stress of too many cars in not enough lanes, I know where to go. The opposite direction of the freeway was jam packed and at a dead stop because work on a bridge had shut down one lane. I ran into Best Buy and Target, then headed over to Publix. We are getting one in our area in 2017, so I stopped in and did a little shopping. Prices were comparable to Ingle's on many items but Publix beat Ingle's on already prepared meals or meals that just need to be popped into the oven.  They carry the light butter I like and it was two for one. Also on Wednesdays it is senior appreciation day, so I asked for my 5% discount and was happy to get it. Right behind the store a huge apartment complex is being built. At least in Houston the roads kind of support that amount of traffic, here not so much. I took the back way through Biltmore Park to get over to the Barnes and Noble. If we ever want to return to city living, I think this is where we would look. Just beautiful! Anyway, even with the Wednesday farmer's market happening, I was able to find a close space in front of Barnes and Noble. I was fortunate that they had what I was looking for, so in and out in a flash. All the traffic had cleared on the freeway and it was rather uneventful coming back home.

Last night was the finale of The People verses OJ Simpson. That was a great mini-series and it was done well. Finally, after twenty one years Marcia Clark might now be viewed in a different light other than the b word. After each episode I Googled things related to the trial. Seeing the jurors in the series made a whole lot of difference to what I thought the outcome would be that day when we sat around at the University Club after playing tennis to hear the verdict. We were all shocked yet we weren't. Since it came on at 10:00 here, these past few weeks have made sleep difficult. My mind wouldn't shut down, thinking about the episode. Some of those nights Buddy was not cooperative and she had trouble settling down.

I worked hard yesterday on getting clothes ready for spring and summer after these next few bouts of cold temps finish up here. I got a couple more storage bags today even though once I get things sorted and put away, I will have leftovers but right now I would like to clear off the bed in another bedroom.

We have another big weekend coming up with women's ministry. Last week we helped do trim painting in the parsonage. This week we have a fundraiser to raise additional monies other than what is given in the budget. On Saturday, those who really cook, will be making the to go lunches that have been ordered and will be picked up after church on Sunday. I ordered two full plates, with ham and all kinds of veggies. Yum!

Just about the time I was ready to post we lost the internet connection for a while. So happy Thursday morning. It rained during the night but it is sunny and calm. The wind is supposed to pick up a little later.

Just Some Blogging On A Tuesday

This morning I came downstairs, turned off the back porch light and was delighted to see the back filled with birds. There were all the small birds, finches, wrens and sparrows, that I love to watch. Smack dab in the middle was a huge, huge robin hopping about, cocking its head listening for worms and bugs. Soon the gold finches and tit mouse joined in the group along with the ubiquitous doves and towhees. There was a lot of movement with flying and soaring and pecking. As I watched all the birds to the bane of Buddy who impatiently meowed and sat watch at the pantry door waiting for treats, I saw her...yes Buddy, but out in the yard there she was a female cardinal, sitting on the feeder probably after commandeering it from the dove that likes to sit in it and rock while eating. The cardinals have been visiting the front yard feeder more because it is closer to their nest. All the trees here in the back that belong to neighbors have not started leafing out in abundance and most birds like to have that coverage to eat and drink at the feeders and birdbaths. But she was there looking into the bay window right back at me. Oh yes, I remembered that many believe that when a cardinal visits a yard, it is a visit from a loved one...Today would have been my mom's 87th birthday. I don't know if I believe that old wives tale but today the female cardinals visit was a gift from God. It was nice to take a few minutes at the start of my day to think about my mom and to thank God for her life. She was kind and she was funny. She would make silly little things for you. She loved getting letters and cards. When my parents moved to Georgetown TX for several years we would write back and forth with our letters filled with stick figure cartoons telling each other the fun side of life in a whimsical way. In hindsight, she and I both were experiencing circumstances at that time which could have resulted in bitter or sad results, but those humorous letters kept our spirits buoyed with hope and with a lot of laughter. I think it would make her smile knowing that I keep up with my birds as much as she kept up with hers. Happy Birthday Mom! I know you are having another great birthday celebrating in heaven.

I went back to the bird supply store to get another plate for the birdbath that went missing because of the high winds we experienced Saturday night. She was out of extras and just then working on her order to replenish supplies in the store after the weekend. Funny how people do business, she gave me a card and said to call back to see if they had them. I asked when or approximately when did she think that would be? No clue...  I think I would have taken my number and called if I really wanted the sale. When I left the store I decided I would Google the replacement plate and see if I could find it someplace else. I went on over to the Fresh Market and did some shopping. Then stopped at Ingle's for regular grocery shopping. When I got home I began searching and did find one place I could order one from. I just needed to go out to the back and measure the rim. And there it was, behind the deck, the part of the birdbath that was missing. I had looked back there before so maybe the wind blew it back. It was breaking my heart watching the birds sit on the rim and not find any water. I put a rock in it to hold it better and so the birds will have to get used to the rock and not think it is something to harm them.

Today an email from Haute Look a Nord company sent out the daily email of merchandise they are offering that day. Dooney and Burke purses are being offered. That got me to thinking because I went through that Dooney and Burke time of life when I was playing tennis. Before that I had a Gucci infatuation. Then I went through the Brahmin stage, that was a long one but those are some heavy purses so I eventually had to give them up. Now I am in the cross body stage of purses and I don't care what brand they are. Here I have found several cute purses at Mast General Store. Who knew? I tend to think of life in stages just like I think of purse seasons. It is kind of like oh yes, I wore that but now I don't. Even though Grandin Road has cute things I think of them as a stage while decorating our home in Katy. I barely even look at their emails or catalogs anymore. Same holds true for clothes from Soft Surroundings. I have found myself even with health issues that my thinking tends toward how we think of childhood diseases, oh I have had mumps, chicken pox and the measles. Of course that doesn't hold true with heart issues or other things I have experienced...it is not one and done but I can think that way. Even with spiritual stages or trends in churches I remember in high school and college I was looking to experience much more out of my Christian life, so charismatic/experience churches held sway early on and then churches whose whole focus is on doctrine, doctrine doctrine! Nothing wrong with that but gee I need a story to go with the doctrine, so that was a short venture. We started attending First Baptist and our experience at the church became even more important when they opened the CLC now known as the fitness and recreation center. My crazy friend Debbie would ask me if the SBC split, cause back in the day it was liberal verses conservative, what church would I go to? I always responded the church with a gym. This whole paragraph is going nowhere and there is not a point to it at all. I have realized I need to change the way I think on this cause life experiences are not one and done. We can revisit seasons several times in life. Well, wasn't that an obvious statement.

I had plans to get out and about today but decided to stick around home and get some things done. I was out for most of yesterday. It is kind of cool today so until the sun hits the front porch I will busy myself with things inside. There is talk of a hard freeze later this week and when I was at Lowe's yesterday in the garden dept I wanted to ask people who were loaded up with plants if they knew this.

Sunday Reflections

By all accounts from friends the winds around here Saturday night were some of the worst in recent memory. Trees down throughout the area and patio furniture and toys blown into the next neighbor's yard.  A huge section of west Asheville went without power for an extended time, almost twenty four hours. Out here it felt like the house would be picked up. In the midst of that wind I was giving thanks that we had all those leaning trees and junk trees cut down in the back. The only thing we lost to the wind was part of a bird bath. Everything else stayed in place.

Sunday morning, the winds had calmed and the sun was brilliant. I let my time get away from me on Sunday morning and was just a tad late for church. Ann, a friend from Sunday School, and I walked together from the parking lot to inside. While I waited for her to gather her things out of the car I stood there on the rise and listened to the familiar sound of a piano playing hymns and the richness of those hymns wafting up from the church to the rise where I stood. It took me back for just a second of childhood memories attending church. Of course there weren't any hills for the music to rise upon back then but walking the hallways, getting to your classroom, was filled with each department lifting up songs that morning. Thinking back some departments had better pianists than others but it all sounded beautiful to me back then, just like it sounded to me yesterday morning.

We had a full Sunday School class. We are now in the book of Joshua and yesterday we studied when the walls of Jericho came a tumbling down. We reviewed chapter 2 where the spies are hanging out at Rahab's home on the wall...almost always she is referred to as Rahab the harlot. I could not help but think during the lesson, these secret spies for the Lord were scouting out Jericho for Joshua, finding intel on the city for battle plans, for the land to be defeated and they are at Rahab's? Were they just taking a break? I know that commentaries say that this kind of place would be the best for camouflage in the city. No one would question strangers in the night going to her house. One thing I found kind of funny while looking at different articles and commentaries on this passage was one man's take on the whole thing. He wrote, well, it is obvious why the men might have been there at Rahabs, all that pressure from spying but also they wanted to go undetected...no the problem here is that Rahab lied to the king's men about the two strangers. Was it right for her to lie? She should have been punished for lying! But he regretfully concluded that the Lord used her and she is found in the lineage of Jesus....but he again wanted it duly noted, Rahab lied. Good grief man! It is kind of funny thinking back once again to childhood and Sunday School lessons. We learned about Rahab the harlot and Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, the woman with the issue of blood, the virgin Mary...all those titles and as children we have no clue what those titles mean or at least we didn't back in the day. For years I thought Virgin was Mary's first name and Mary was her last name when learning the Christmas story.

In the service the choir sang We Shall Rise, a favorite of mine from choir in the Gerald Ray days. Our pastor resumed his series on Ephesians, just taking a two week break for Palm Sunday and Easter. It was a good message but I loved that he said on a little bunny trail he took, pastors should not be so busy personally endorsing candidates. No, they should be endorsing and preaching the Gospel. It reminded me of something John Bisagno said. He didn't endorse candidates because what if at some time they say or do something that he couldn't endorse. His choice was best kept personal because of his sphere of influence.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon around here. I tried to take a nap but my family didn't seem to think I needed one. So, instead I tried to find the next book off the TBR pile and I opted to go with a local author's. Three pages in, the brother in the story had already maimed two animals, a kitten and a puppy. Nope, cannot read this book. I don't think I like where it will take me. So, it is on the stack of books to the used bookstore pile.

Sunday evening as I was taking the garbage down to the road and then leaving for choir, I think I saw my new neighbor that bought the house and acreage above us. Nice looking, probably in his late 50's and his dog is really beautiful. When I got home from choir the lights were on in the house and the gates were open to his land. The people that lived there before hardly ever opened their gates except for coming and going. Hope the new neighbors turn out to be friendlier than the previous ones.

The day awaits, there are errands to be run and temps in the 70's to be enjoyed. By the end of the week we are supposed to have two nights of a hard freeze and maybe even some snow showers.

The Calfs Will Play and One Day So Will the Baby Bison

In the cool of the evening after the rain, I watched a group of four calfs run and play all about the pasture. Another group of young ones played just as hard on the top of the hill. The cows didn't seem to be too bothered by the rambunctiousness unless they frolicked a little too close for comfort. The main instigator looked to be running out of steam and so he did what every kid knows to do when you are tired and don't want pay back, run to your mama. That little calf got right under his mom's neck and stood there all innocent like. Once he caught his breath, he was back out there with his friends running amok. It was a little stampede-ette or maybe it was running out that last little bit of pent up energy before settling in for the night. The whole cow scene was a nice surprise because I was working at the desk when their play caught my eye. I love seeing scenes like that play out here in rural America.  

This afternoon I am watching the bees having a field day of pollinating and honey making  with all their activity around the red bud tree. The sun today makes the pinkish purplish buds radiate with color. Sometimes the contrast of colors from the birds perching in the tree is almost too much to take in. Some of the buds are giving way to green leaves. The same process is happening with the pear tree out front but the beauty of those buds giving way is with the wind the gentle falling of flowers looks a tad bit like snow. Speaking of snow, we might have a frost tonight with the temps falling below freezing. I think all the rain has evaporated off the roads so it might not cause black ice.

Yesterday Brenda and I went out to lunch and then went to the bird supply store to get decals for our windows. I also got another birdbath to put along side the feeder in the front. We stopped at The Pink House which is a combo of junk, antiques and cute things. Of course I loved it! The man who owns the camels, bison and elk just down the way from both of us, Brenda is a close by neighbor as well as friend from church, knew that the bison had been moved to another farm along Old NC Highway 20. We were hoping that the bison had given birth this spring and the little bison calfs would be running about and playing like their cousins the cows. We found the pastures but all the soon to be mamas were lying down. So none of them had bingoed yet. This is the road that Emily and I were on last summer when saw a road sign that neither one of us recognized but soon we knew what it meant...the paved road would soon turn into a gravel road. From Brenda's front yard you can really see the TN mountain range. She has some beautiful views.

Last night I met Vivian and Bill at Turkey Creek Cafe for supper. Beginning in the middle of April they will be open on Saturday nights and will have live blue grass music. Oh my goodness! I love me some blue grass. I ordered the steak as per usual. Very delicious!

Today was pizza and painting at the parsonage day by the Embrace Women's Ministry at church. I should have taken some pictures. The parsonage has been in the midst of a major remodel either for furlough missionaries or the new music minister that our church is searching for. Wow, that is really a huge parsonage! We came to wash windows and paint trim around the doors and oh paint the doors. I had bought some coveralls to wear when working outside the house and decided they would be the perfect outfit for today. Note to self...you are older now and cannot wait to the last minute to potty which these things on. When I was younger I had a pair and loved wearing them when I volunteered for work days at church and the like. My main job today was bringing pizza. I went to the French Broad Community Store in person to order them. I have learned when you order more than two pizzas over the phone, they kind of think it's a joke. Then I went onto church and returned at the appointed time to bring them back to all us hungry workers. We had homemade cookies for dessert, Karen made those.

I am so fortunate to live here. To be able to take in the sights of bison, camels and elk or watch cows and horses. It is good to be tucked away here in the mountains, in a valley on a hill. I love serving with others at our mountain church. I am so blessed! Why I feel like a baby calf on a cool evening wanting to run about and play...well, that's not going to happen...I'll just be happy in my heart and keep a playful attitude about me. Don't want to be too serious, cranky or bitter.

Thursday Thoughts...All Over the Place

It is one of those days when the skies are overcast, the wind chimes seem to be on the repeat cycle because of the blustery wind. The small finches and wrens must not get motion sickness because that porch swing bird feeder is a swinging and a swaying. Mostly it has been a misty kind of morning. It is good to be finished with the paper and sorting project that has been scattered throughout the house. All that is left to do is shred. Not the workout but all the papers with addresses and such on them. Better change out the recycling bag before that daunting endeavor commences. There are still stacks of books to go through and really, I don't consider stacks of books to be messy. It is a kind, warm fuzzy and cozy feeling to be surrounded by books. I just finished the book Mockingbird Next Door the story of a Chicago reporter being befriended by the Lee sisters in Monroeville. Yes, those famous sisters Harper and Alice. There have been several times where time has allowed when coming up this way via 65 that we could have taken the time to drive over to Monroeville and take in the town that Maycomb in Mockingbird is modeled on. But I had this feeling and the book confirmed it, so much of what people go looking for from the book is no longer there, well except for the courthouse. That's one of the reasons they could not film on location even in the 1960's because places no longer existed.  Now I am glad I have not made that pilgrimage and the scenes of a movie and my imagination fuel the scenery when I re-read or think about the book. Mockingbird Next Door was an interesting read but the story became rather repetitive. I was ready to move on before the author but I hung in there with her and finished the book.

The snake pictures on Facebook have seemed to calm down a bit that is until today when I saw a picture of ticks all over a snake's head. Don't like ticks or snakes but they do deserve one another.

I thought the road in front of our home was rather quiet this morning and then the news/traffic alert appeared on my phone that there was a wreck at a main intersection farther down the road and there might have been an earlier wreck since this was announced as a new wreck. Since our road is a major connector it is busy at peak times. No dump or logging trucks, just a car or truck or motorcycle every once in a while.

Today in a very unorganized way I am going through things and getting stuff gathered for our church's yard sale in April. Last year my brother said something that has stuck with me. He and I were going through antique stores when he said you don't have to keep everything. Things can come and go just like the seasons. Now deep down I think I knew that but just his saying that kind of freed up something on the inside. There are several things that just haven't worked like I thought they would up here, so why am I keeping something that doesn't work? To the pile in the garage it goes.

This morning I read where many scholars are beginning to believe that Marco Polo, of pool game fame, might not have ever been in China like his recollections in books have told us. He gave the impression he was in China for seventeen years and some think he only made it as far as Venice. There he would have opportunity to hear from travelers about that far off land and while he wrote about interpersonal things he neglected to write about major things that would have warranted attention. He gave copious notes to smaller matters, so this has tipped off scholars and those who like to research these kind of things. Very interesting. This made me think about some of my recovery time in Houston.

While recovering in Houston from surgery I happened upon an article about statement analysis and how this study of finding deceptive statements in writing, speech and actions has become a revolving and growing study. I found myself reading these articles and I declared to Roy that if I had known about this when I was younger, this is the study I would have pursued.  He thought a bit and responded, saying something I have heard him say many times over the years to me.  If I had done this just like he thinks I would have made a good lawyer, I would be so cynical and bitter and not much fun to be around. Well, that's true. It is the kind of work you could not leave at the office. I would be analyzing every conversation. Yes, that is how to make friends accuse them of lying. Even now, good ol Barry Manilow reference, I will read an article on statement analysis like the one I read today about Jodi Arias. While in Houston I received two get well/thinking of you cards on the same day. One from a person I know by name and we share mutual friends, but we are not close. Her card was so encouraging with the personal note she included. Then I opened a card from someone who would probably call me a friend but we really aren't. Used to be back in the day...Her card interesting by what she said and didn't say...pretty much the card was an official capacity card sent because we had been friends at one time. When Roy got home I read both cards to him...and said in a loud voice, with a crazy friend Debbie kind of accent, STATE-MENT-AN-AL-YSIS! I think there is some of that deception and duplicitous contained here-in this card. That's when Roy gave me the yes, yes, I know look and then gave me the you should not dwell on this look. Which I responded with my it amuses me look and I am having fun with it look. Then to make it seem like it was a learning experience I said I'm only making the observation and resulting analysis to grow...Isn't it obvious how this person feels about me to which he said, well that is old news, she hasn't like you for years.  Then we dropped it. I still like statement analysis but I'd rather fill my mind with the beauty of these back roads but you know just as a growing experience, I try to stay sharp and well informed on statement....Uh oh, statement analysis.......

Armchair Travel

You don't see a lot of these types of signs in Houston but they are ubiquitous here. Maybe more curves displayed on the signs, depending how high you are in the mountains. There are a couple of these kinds of turns and curves coming home from Weaverville and as many times as I have driven that road, the curvy part many times it still takes me by surprise. It happens to be the spot where last year someone tried to involve me in a fender bender for insurance money. Thankfully, I did not hit them and the set up "witness" was rather surprised while declaring I saw everything when there was nothing to see. Truthfully, that day I was distracted because I had to go home and call APS as my father had filed another fraudulent report with them.

When I was at Barnes and Noble on Monday I spent some time in the travel essay section. I love a good travel book and this one I bought is really close to my thoughts because although I love to read about travel and like travel accouterments, I hate traveling. Flying is not my best thing and now it is even more complicated with a monitor in my chest and a new hip hop. I'm a mood person so I can't really pack because I have no clue what mood I will be in while vacationing or traveling. I have gotten better but not good enough yet for one suitcase checked way under the weight limit. The other limit on traveling is the pressure to see everything and exhausting yourself trying to do just that. If I was wealthy, I would go back to see Israel with a small group that only sees a few things a day which gives the time to take in what you have seen, experienced and to put that into a spiritual perspective. People say many times how they can't wait to go back to the Holy Land and are taken aback when I say well, I want to go when it is the New Jerusalem. Anyway, this book I bought is how to talk about places you've never traveled to with great knowledge. He has also written a book on how to discuss books that you should have read but never did in conversations.

While driving around these back roads you come across old abandoned general stores that served a purpose back in the day. There are still some in operation and although the outside of the store looks like the past usually the inside of a store is everything present day. The displays, the coolers.... You can find stores that look old on the outside and the inside is more like a parody of back in the day. All kinds of penny candy, drinks in glass bottles, Watkins products...but you know it is a tourist thing to give the feeling and one can usually purchase a t-shirt to commemorate the experience. I like the Mast General Store in Waynesville the best. Old wooden floors and creaking staircase, a bit of the past but more of the present. Seeing these stores reminds me of the one that was on the corner of my grandparents street. My grandmother called it the junk store because we, cousins and my brother, would go there, buy candy which translated to junk in my grandmother's view. It was one of those old stores with a cola ad painted on the outside and the inside seemed a little dark but the penny candy was fully in light and available for purchase. Going to that corner store gave me the feeling of being grown up since it was so close and allowed for us to go to the store without adult supervision. Thinking about these disappearing treasures replaced by convenience stores  with gas pumps made me think how some of us old treasures appear. Some of us look old on the outside but our insides are modern and somewhat up to date with computers, social media and technology. There are those of us that are just parodies old on the outside but clinging to the past that doesn't seem genuine but practiced. Then there are those of us who are out and out old both on the inside and the outside. How we perceive these things are kind of like how things are being perceived now in the public and media. Coach Mike Ditka is replaced from the Sunday sports desk...he is old school with new school tenancies but as he gets older, old school is coming out more. Coach K of Duke getting recent press of a conversation he had with an opposing player after a Duke loss...which he denied then CBS provided proof and the story changed somewhat. There are calls for him to retire, to give analysis on TV for college games. Some are saying he is past his prime, others not quite ready to join the bandwagon. But you can see the turn in them and they have to decide to stay present, become a parody of themselves and what they meant or are they going to become old fuddy duddies?  I know this is such a random thought when this post started out about travel or really about travel from an armchair in the comfort of your home. I saw this play out while on staff at a church. Sometimes you don't fit the look but your insides made up for not having the right appearance. There were some who were hopelessly not able to make the transition and they had to decide whether to go out on their terms or if they would let it play out until a decision was made. Both sides have merit and of the particular people I am thinking about...they made the right choices for their lives. When I had to leave because of health issues, I think I was on the cusp of facing that critical decision too. Thankfully, I had taken the time before a critical stage to have an exit strategy that went right into practice. Yes, have a mission statement kiddos but also have a disaster recovery plan. You only hear about mission statements in church. We were reminiscing last week about life and the things we look forward to and the things we are glad we don't have to do anymore. It made me think of working and I told  Roy the other day that when I was on staff and a particular event was moved from our ministry to another one there, I was ecstatic not to have to deal with it anymore but that move probably was handwriting on the wall that we didn't recognize at the time. Actually, we still had a small part in it once it officially left us but it was mainly taking care of the logistics and the footwork, all the other things like presentation, voice and branding went to the other ministry area. Truthfully, it really belonged with the other ministry since they were really good at this,they had more to do with the worship aspect and all things concerning the worship center but I think my boss liked the creative part of the event and during the interim period, he was the most creative one on staff.  Guess we had become kind of like the general store that is a parody of itself...we needed change, fresh eyes and younger thoughts to a traditional celebration in church life.

Today I guess you could say I traveled on the bunny trails and sometimes those are better than the actual thought. Although, sometimes not. So from a bunny trail in the mountains I wish all a good day and maybe I will stay on point on another blog post on another day...then there is that chance...maybe not.

Moving or On The Banks of The Promised Land

A year ago yesterday we arrived to occupy the house we bought in NC. We were several days away from the movers arriving but we had a place to sleep and a couple of chairs to sit upon while we waited. Granted, we had a lot happening on those preparation days. Last minute things to take care of concerning our new home. It was a bittersweet goodbye for now to long time friends and the vastness of new adventures daunted my courage at least once or twice a day. But we knew this was the best thing and God's hand print was all over the move. Now a year out from that exciting day and I am more convinced than ever this was the path to take. Really, there are four seasons and circumstances beyond my control caused me to miss the depth of winter, which might not have been a bad thing. Even when you come out of Walmart, there is beauty to behold by the surrounding mountains. We love our mountain church and the people in it. I especially love my friends in my Sunday School class where I felt welcomed from moment one. God graciously gifted me with a good friend, no make that a great friend, before we even lived here in Vivian and her husband Bill. Bill is Buddy's cat whisperer. My long love of history is satisfied here as I learn about the area and surrounding counties and places nearby. I have picked up where my mother left off in her legacy of bird watching. Now if only I could find her green thumb in me...well, at least I have her appreciation of flowers and trees and birds. I have also found myself thinking to myself several times as we have traversed around the countryside her famous words on any car trip, "Can we see it from the car?" Of course I fight that thought many a time and get out of the truck and go and see. Yet there are times observation from the truck is good too.

This past year there has been a lot of learning on the job. There are many good things from having friends visit and there are some downsides too, that is especially if there is little down time between guests and needing to get the house ready again. Thankfully, my friends as they've departed have helped tremendously and there is that much needed alone time that refills my tank. A warning to those who come, I am not drawn to the kitchen much except for snacks and drinks. It is good that most of my friends are excellent cooks or love to eat out or can eat fruit and cheese trays as dinner.

Another aspect of learning is those things that bugged me in Houston don't have to be and should not be in the forefront of my thoughts. Beth Moore said it perfectly a couple of weeks ago on Twitter and Facebook, "Discouragement is Satan's way of killing our calling so slowly we won't realize we're dying. It's death by disappointment a day at a time. Discouragement is a test. We can sit and sulk or we can throw open our Bibles, believe God and get our fight back on. Press through. The win is coming." I think in Houston I wasn't about sitting and sulking, it was about sitting and analyzing. Which for me, just leads to cynicism and that is not a good place for me just as my fearless zone is not a good place on the opposite end of the spectrum. This place here and now has been a healing place and after the extended stay in Houston to recoup from having a hip replaced, I saw it truthfully for what the discouragement is, the source and learning to move on and there was a sense, no evidence of closure for me by the mediation of a friend, who didn't have a dog in the show but was brave enough to be obedient to what the Lord asked her to do. I will be forever grateful to Darlene. I am living on the hill of Mizar, Psalm 46, and loving the view after several years of discouragement.

This past year has been one of the best years but I have to be honest with you there was a period of discouragement that resulted in a meltdown. It was a series of things that converged at a pivotal time. It was also at that time that nature i.e. snakes and raccoons and the like decided it was time to make an appearance or two or more.

From March 28, 2015 until now I have seen and experienced the kindness of God and I don't think the kindness of God is a one year warranty.

Ironically, Roy and I are closer than ever before and we both are more appreciative of one another.

I guess naturally I would think in terms of a one year anniversary but a friend is making a huge move today, that has been several months in the process. I don't care how organized you think you are or what you think you have learned in all your moving, we are never quite prepared as well as we need to be on moving day. Roy and I have helped her in her last two moves and it feels kind of strange not being involved as much in the process or the big day. My hip is probably thanking me that we are not involved in the big day or the week before the big day. We have texted and emailed and this morning as I was finishing up that last email of encouragement, Acts 17:28, that we live and MOVE and exist in Him came to mind. God is a moving God and we need to go with Him even when it is hard or difficult or when it is fun or easy.  My friend has done just that, her life shaken up, movement and change which has been so good for her. The status quo was comfortable and not too shabby but there comes that time just like Epaphras shook up his life and remained with Paul while Paul was imprisoned in Rome instead of returning home. May she find joy and contentment on the hill of Mizar.

Well, speaking of moving, I guess I'd best be about the day....

Don't We All Have Some Mornings When We Are Crankier Than Usual?

Nothing quite like a 6:00 am wake up when you would really like to sleep in till 6:30 am but something got Buddy stirred up and feisty. She was taking little nips at me so I did what all the experts say to do, I put her in the hallway and shut the door. Didn't seem to phase her, she was either down the hall or downstairs and took her time about coming back, but she did. Since I was wide awake now, I went ahead and got ready for the day and then came downstairs for coffee and breakfast. I then left for the Toyota dealership for SequishShawn's 5000 mile checkup. I was in and out in less than an hour so I went over to Biltmore Park...which is an outdoor shopping area not a park. I found a couple of things at that Barnes and Noble that I had been looking for and since the morning had been so efficient I headed over to Moose Cafe before the lunch crowd arrived. It was feeling like a veggie day today. After a delicious lunch it was a quick trip over to The Fresh Market for a few things and then I headed home.

The fog yesterday on I 26 was really bad and some of the most difficult driving I've ever experienced. In those gorges and areas around water, the fog is thick and almost impossible to see the road. Of course driving over bridges in that stuff wasn't fun and the people who do not use their headlights...well there ought to be a law and there is one here in NC. Rain, and it had been raining, those headlights better make an appearance. Most of the fog was on that steep grade where trucks become whimpering wienies because altitude plus steep grade makes engines work too hard.  
This morning in that very same area, there was fog and a huge wreck. It didn't affect the drive to the dealership at all. In fact I got there sooner than expected because it is spring break up here and not as much traffic.

I finished reading Dimestore by Lee Smith. She has a chapter dedicated to being older or getting older and what does that mean? She refers to these years as her porch years. Well, I have always been a porch girl so that doesn't work for me but I do know that Madeline LeEngle says we never grow up in her book Walking on Water. She divulges the secret to staying young and that is to stay engrossed with wonder and playfulness. Be childlike not childish. Madeline was writing this book when she was 61 which happens to be my age and has wonderful insight as we find it more difficult some days to move around but on the inside we still feel like we are 18 or whatever age we dream about. I can see Facebook pictures of friends whom I have known since high school and I am immediately taken back to those high school days and remember the fun we had in the everyday life of being teenagers. So many friends are grandparents and it still throws me sometime to see them with family while still remember them fondly from days gone. Who would have thought? We have all gone through difficult times and seasons, we all have found joy in something or somethings and we are managing the best we can but did we ever see us and how we have lived now with most of us being in our 60's?  I have been in the Miss Nancy stage for a bit and really I don't mind being called Miss Nancy...I will take it as a sign of love or respect.  I think Buddy too is in her Miss Buddy stage of life and the reality of that is hitting me kind of hard after taking her to the vet for the much needed nail trimming and for a well, let's see, how do I put this...okay...my cat was constipated. That can signal health issues but I felt sure and since I am not a professional, I still felt sure that it was emotionally related to me being gone for seven weeks and then suddenly I am here. Each time I left the house during those first days at home, she would become an anxious Nellie. The new vet didn't buy into my whole anxious thing and is keeping a watch on any outcome and thankfully Buddy is responding well to her new fiber
-licicious food that costs $40.00 a bag. Roy picked it up at the vet last Thursday and paid for it thus making him check Amazon when he got home for the food and it is $20.00 higher than the vet. So now he is over the cost somewhat. I still see Buddy as a young cat even though she has slowed down. The vet said her eyes are looking a little cloudy and her back teeth shows gingivitis. Buddy can still jump up and off our jacked up by about seven inches bed. I can get all emotional thinking about this and then I remember her this morning and I come back to reality. We all can be a little cranky in the mornings...don't respond to that Roy.

Just A Little Driving Around the Countryside

I never want to take for granted the views and scenery I am fortunate to experience here. Spring is such a beautiful unfolding of colors. Yesterday on my way toward Biltmore Village, in our rural area and in the city brilliant purples, pinks, greens, yellows and white blooms abundantly color the palette. The delicate white blossoms of the pear tree are beginning to morph into mint green leaves. Red bud trees are in full bloom and dogwoods are just now beginning to bud. Forsythias display bright yellows along the road or line the driveways. It truly is an unfolding and colors and the display of spring at its finest backed by brilliant blue skies as nature changes a bit everyday and the color extends for weeks instead of days.

On Saturday afternoon, after taking care of the remainder of our to do list we head out for the great unknown. Okay, most of it was known and roads we have been on before but we did have a little adventure of having no clue where we were driving because GPS was just the indicator arrow of us and we were in the midst of a green background on the screen. But I am getting ahead of myself. We picked up some lunch and headed out on one of our favorite drives. We stopped along the way for Roy to take photos and then we got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove on it for a while. We turned around because we actually wanted to go farther south and then pick up this little road that on the map, this should tell you it was wrong, looked like it was just a short distance from the parkway. On the first pass we totally missed the turn...on the return trip, we missed it again but was able to turn around and finally make the right turn onto a road that looked like it had seen better days, like in the 1950's. We knew we were on the right road because we saw the sign that said to 281. We drove past Christmas tree farms and just regular farms. The telephone and electrical poles were nearly bleached white. Roy told of his time working at Western Electric in the summer during high school and college and said, those poles have been out here a very long time without replacement. I think we were both a tad nervous but didn't let on but we both were quick to notice 'life indicators' along our way. Oh look a school bus sign...oh a lived in house...there were plenty houses and trailers falling in on themselves. We got the bright idea to use GPS to find the nearest gas station to see if we were still on the correct road. That gave us some assurance because by that time we were only four miles away from  Jimmies Gas and Go. Yes, in Canada NC we found 281 which took us to Cullowee and past Western North Carolina University. There was a baseball game going on and it was tempting to stop and watch it. A beautiful campus though. By this time we were needing a snack and we blew off downtown Sylva. We found a Shell station/Dairy Queen, filled up SequishShawn and we got ice cream. While waiting on our ice cream I watched a police traffic stop happen. No I was not videoing it or anything but the officer did call for backup so he could search the guys truck. I was ready to move on and just about that time here came Roy with the ice cream. Goodbye Sylva, see ya later. 

When we got home we both vegged for a bit. Riding for that amount of time in the truck without a stop had my hip hurting and Roy was ready to sit in front of the TV. So, I will sound self righteous and let you know I finished the book I was reading, Dime store, by Lee Smith. It is kind of an autobiography only it is done in short story form. I am going to reread it again this week. 

A Rambling Kind of Thursday

So, we have had an exciting day...yawn...  Slowly but surely we are getting things taken care of around here and one of the things we can check off the list is, having the house pressure washed. Well, we have a bid and an appointment set. Coming from the Gulf Coast and not knowing all the ways of home maintenance in the mountains, we kind of overlooked the instruction from the  previous owner when she gave us the phone number of the house washer she used. Well, after seeing our east side of the house told us why we need to have the house pressure washed once or twice a year.

Roy and I hit the road as soon as the guy left making a brief stop at the post office and then to Zip's Car Wash. We have broken even this month on car washes. We had lunch at The Stony Knob Cafe. Delicious as always, stopped in at the vet to pick up Buddy's new food...why does food from the vet always cost a pretty penny? Then off to Sam's. Yes, I know right now everyone is so jealous. We got there before the Easter lunch prep crowd. I think we got everything on our list and then of course those unplanned list things.

I got a text from my hair stylist here yesterday letting me know she had a cancellation tomorrow and would I like the appointment? Yes! I mean as it stood I have an appointment May 18th and that being the first opening she had on the calendar. So, at first Roy was going to go with me and we planned to go early, eat breakfast and do some shopping in Biltmore Village but when I saw today that she has time to do partial highlights, he decided not to go and will stay here and get some other things marked off the to do list. There is always something to be done around here just like any home.

Michael, the one eyed cat, had a little gift for us today, a dead baby mole. As per my usual routine I stand at the edge of the yard and scan the area for sticks that could be snakes, mulch that could be a mouse or now a mole...so after determining it was safe to walk to the bird feeder...bam...Michael drops a dead baby mole in front of me. I have tired to explain to this cat we have befriended no gifts are needed...that I can't have this kind of surprise dropped in front of me because I am recovering from hip replacement surgery. Thankfully, Roy was quick to my side with a shovel to scoop this thing up and he thought about tossing it onto the gravel road area, but he felt that Michael would just go get the stupid thing and bring it back...would that be considered re-gifting? So, he traveled down the granite road and probably he was very happy to have an excuse to walk the full area since the previous owner sold her place and the new owner has not moved in, and deposited the gift there among the ruins of an old shack.

Tuesday afternoon Roy and I took out to the road for some picture taking. Well, I missed the turn we wanted and we decided why not go ahead and drive up to Hot Springs. Up is the operative word here. Soon our rolling hill drive became a steep, winding and curvy road that seemed very narrow. It did not help that Roy kept pointing out to me how high up we were and the view... I could not even afford to take my eyes off the road for one second. I was really rather nervous about the whole thing and when we were out of the cellular service area, I grew even more worried. We saw a few farms for sale and during the winter with ice and snow, you would have to be committed to cabin fever or being away from your farm for a while. Finally, we leveled off a bit only to discover we now had to go down the mountain. I was happy to see Hot Springs although we did not stop. We saw where the Appalachian Trail crosses into town and there looked to be some interesting places, an old hardware store and the outfitter store looked interesting too. We didn't get out and explore but I think we will go back. Thankfully, we returned to our home the less mountainous way. Roy didn't take any pictures but he did see a few places he would like to go back to. I would do that drive again and maybe the second time around I wouldn't be as nervous.

I started Lee Smith's autobiography the other night. She is one of my favorite southern authors. She grew up in Grundy, Virginia and I love her descriptions of the place and the people. Her writing is greatly influenced by Louis Rubin Jr, one of her professors and one of the founders of the Algonquin Press. I am reading this book slowly because it isn't very long and again, she has been for the longest time one of my favorite writers.

Wednesday Chatter That Doesn't Matter

Well the snake posts keep a coming on Facebook. Guess it is that time of year when a young man's heart turns to love but his eyes are on the watch for a snake or two...or twenty five as one young man proudly posted with pictures of the rattlers he cleaned out of his deer blind. I cannot help but wonder when someone posts a beautiful scenery picture of the mountains and lakes, just how many snakes are lurking about in that picture? We have been ever diligent as we have worked out in the back and thankfully so far we haven't seen a spring snake and hope to make that a truth for all the seasons.

We have been busy at times around here but we have also taken a laid back approach to things. The new washer and dryer were delivered and what a blessed change in doing laundry. The nicest brothers delivered them. While I was gone for most of the time they were here Roy was able to observe and learn all about installation. I had taken Buddy to the new vet and hopes of a mani/pedi faded because Buddy was way too feisty. This vet office is very into the comfort of the pet which I liked. She gave me some calm pills and I was to give her one several hours before we went back on Monday. It made a huge difference but I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with the fact that I would have to be on alert for two more nights with the long nails being ever so present. On Monday we had a roofer come and fix some shingles on the south side of the house. Tomorrow we have a guy coming to give us an estimate on getting the house pressure washed. Meanwhile we have taken care of those regular chores that need to be done and yet I am happy that Roy is able to unwind and relax a lot.

This morning my friend Brenda came over with an iced pound cake for Roy. What a nice surprise and happily he shared, well he has so far. It is delicious and it was perfect for dessert after we had our lunch. Roy has been marinating baby back ribs and he grilled them today. They were delicious!

Hallelujah! Christine at Wink had a cancellation on Friday, so I will be able to get my hair cut and maybe highlighted. Her first open appointment when I called was May 18th. I think Roy is going to tag along. We will go early and eat breakfast or lunch and do some shopping in the Biltmore Village area. Good thing he has lots of books on his iPad.

The temps have warmed up quite nicely here. We had a couple of nights below freezing but the good news is it didn't damage the peach or apple trees. We even had snow Sunday night. It fell in huge flakes but melted as soon as it hit the ground or roof. The moon was especially brilliant and I attempted pictures from the front bedroom window. The blooming pear trees actually looked like snow covered trees against the steel gray of the sky. It was quite the optical illusion. Our plum trees have bloomed brilliantly and hopefully that means we will have a decent plum crop this year.

Well, I'm off to other things but it had been a while since I had last updated anything....

So Many Snake Posts

It seems all the rage here at the beginning of spring. So many different posts on Facebook all about snakes. How many snakes do you see in the tree? Be on the lookout for snakes hiding in the bottom of strollers or hanging out in lawn furniture and the like. The trying to be all helpful, this is how you tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake which by the way includes looking at the shape of the head as well as the scales on the back of the snake. That is just giving too much time to snake identification. People are posting pictures of snakes asking what kind is it? And then you have a plethora of arguing comments ranging from cotton mouth to water snake. There are all the first hike of spring reports dealing with snakes on the trails or on rocks or whatever or wherever. It is too much. There is the video of the guy feeding white mice to the snakes that are housed in lab drawers. I can't even watch that. This past Sunday I couldn't even catch a break from snakes in Sunday School. Our lesson was on Moses lifting up the bronze snake in the wilderness and all that looked at it were healed from the snakes poisonous bites. I have also learned from all these snake chats that the correct term is venomous not poison and they go on to explain why knowing this matters. I think at this point I am still suffering from Post Traumatic Snake Disorder after seeing a king snake and a Florida black racer snake in the back yard last summer. Now all sticks and dried out mulch must be inspected at a distance because each and every thing could be a snake coming out of hibernation. Our temperatures are supposed to get down to 29 degrees on Sunday and Monday night, maybe that will make those snakes hightail it back to their hidey holes. I think that most of the snake posts are from the Facebook group Appalachian Americans and while they post funny, interesting and useful things, there is a lot of fascination with snakes...

Slowly but surely the cardinals are making a few guest appearances in the backyard. I love seeing that red flash of bird flying through our air space and the touchdown for landing on occasion. I saw my first baby woodpecker and the Carolina Chickadees are making their return as well. I know once the trees begin to really leaf out there will be more birds since the leaves give them coverage. Yesterday, I drove on one of my favorite roads around here and I was fortunate enough for the majority of time not having cars in front or behind me. So I could leisurely drive and take it all in. Off in the distance some trees bore the resemblance of autumn, the rust color against the dormant empty branches and some of the new growth but it is the red bud trees blooming out those red buds of color. The forsythia and bradford pear trees are flowering nicely too. In those hills and hollers nestled in those valleys were other bright flashes of red, these red flashes of barns. Not all barns around here are red. There are plenty white and washed out gray barns across the view. They are just as lovely. Of course you know in all that loveliness there are probably snakes hiding in the corn cribs and in the bales of hay. These barn snakes are probably rat and king snakes which are our friends as they eat mice, rats, chipmunks and poisonous snakes like copper heads.

I think my friend that lives out in the country south of us in Katy by about forty minutes has had the most adventures with snakes of anyone I have ever known. She has stories that you don't want to hear late at night cause you know then you get the twitches and you think that one of those detestable beings might be somewhere nearby lurking and watching your every move.

As it seems another post about snakes was on Facebook right before going to bed and like a not too smart person I read the comments. One lady wrote about finding a snake going under her refrigerator and she womaned up and got that thing out of the house and killed it. Snakey Poo was filled with eggs. She also wrote about one slithering across her feet one night in bed. That's when she told her husband if he didn't fix the hole where they were getting in she would burn down the house. She said he fixed it right away.

I'm sure on this brand new day there will be new snake posts and I am going to have to scroll right past them. I'd rather think of the flowers that are blooming and the trees leafing out.

Getting Lost

The day began rather foggy both in my brain and outdoors. I think I am experiencing second day hangover from daylight savings time. We had a little bit of rain yesterday and we are supposed to have showers this afternoon.

If I had to title this past weekend I would call it the lost weekend. Not like the movies that depict lost weekends as those containing booze or drug infused activities. No, I was lost in the wonder, grace, and thoughts. Of course the lostness of the weekend accompanied my ADD perfectly as I went from project to thing to book and back. Real things did get accomplished with both suitcases put up and boxes of stuff that came back with me somewhat cleared out or put someplace out of the way. Oh there is still a ways to go but I finally feel like I made a dent into the work more than my good intentions.

Even with daylight savings time I made it to church and was even a little early. We had a great lesson in Sunday School and a wonderful time of worship in big church. I came home, ate some lunch and then finished up getting all the trash out into the can in the garage. With a few minutes of rest I headed back to church to meet friends. We went to the Asheville Community Band concert held at Asheville High School.  For those of you who have been here it is the beautiful stone structure near the entrance to Biltmore. What I saw of the inside it is just as beautiful as the outside. The concert was a hymn concert with beautiful arrangements. The first selection was the Navy Hymn which we sang many times in choir years back. Beautiful and a haunting melody. It reminded me of the arrangement of all the Armed Service songs and we also included the Coast Guard song to the arraignment when we sang it in church. In rehearsals those who had served in their particular armed service would stand up while their song was sung. No one ever stood up for the Coast Guard. So, being those fair-minded types, Peggy and I would stand when we sang their song. No we weren't in the Coast Guard but dang it, someone needed to represent. Our pastor and his wife are in the community band. We couldn't see Pastor Jeff in the saxophone section but we could see Donna in the percussion section. They even had a bagpiper for Amazing Grace. I think this is the first time I have seen a woman play a bagpipe and all decked out in her Scottish finery, she is also an bassoon player in the band. Ah bagpipes and Amazing Grace, always brings tears to the eyes. After the concert we headed out quickly or as quickly as our legs would take us to get out of the parking lot so that all the Hillary supporters could get in to hear Bill Clinton in a couple of hours. Asheville High was a happening place yesterday.

I am officially old cause I fell asleep sitting up on the couch. I always wondered how my grandparents could do that and now I know. It doesn't take talent but you need a sense of balance so your head doesn't topple over. My friend and neighbor Brenda was bringing over dinner and she volunteered to help me get the very heavy garbage can down to the road. Oh my goodness, dinner was fabulous. She brought beef tips and rice, also a pork chop in case I didn't like beef tips, carrots, spiced apples, cornbread both regular and jalapeno, black eyed peas, angel food cake with strawberries, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. I have enough for dinner tonight. Wow, I am so fortunate to know all these good cooks. We had a lovely time visiting and then after eating I settled in on the couch to read. All in all a good Sunday. Also Buddy and I made up. She got really perturbed Saturday evening and was so put out with me. I gave her space and she eventually came to bed and slept on her blanket at the end but never once coming up to sleep on my arm. That works cause I get more sleep that way. She started liking me again yesterday and we are back to normal today. She has had a lot of changes the past few months so I don't blame her for acting out. I think I have found a new vet to take her to because she does not like the cat vet we have gone to previously and truthfully, I wasn't all that impressed with her either.

So like this past weekend I plan to get lost today. As we came home from the concert yesterday Velda reminded us we live in such a beautiful place. Lois talked about the beauty of the clouds and sky in these here parts. We can sense the cusp of spring with the beginnings of buds and leaves. there is much to be thankful for and so today I think I will get lost in all these kinds of things.

A Spring Blend From Trees to Coffee

From the weather report last night I gathered it would be a cloudy, overcast morning. The morning greeted us with bright rays of light and a little bit of mist off into the distance. Yesterday when leaving for The Fresh Market I noticed the buds and flowers on the plumb trees and the weeping willow that had just been weeping bare limbs was now spring green with new growth. The Japanese maple and the Bradford pear tree are pushing forth little buds of color. I spotted some yellow blooms on the forsythia in front of the porch.  We are enjoying temps that are ten degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. 

When I was in Katy I think I got to every place I wanted to eat and some of them several times but on that list was to have a steak and we never went anyplace where I would order a steak. Last night I went to Turkey Creek Cafe for dinner. Most go on Friday nights for the all you can eat fish and shrimp but I went for their steak night. This is not surprising but it was a great steak dinner. Marisa is a great owner and chef. They were offering shrimp cocktails for $4.99 and it was delicious. What Roy and I love about Turkey Creek Cafe, other than the food, is that it is local, reasonably priced and you meet a whole cast of characters, if you are fortunate. I did an early dinner since I hadn't eaten lunch but only snacked and at 4:30 the place was halfway filled. I took a small table in the back and brought along a book but I didn't get too much reading done. The food came out quickly and I was also involved with a few conversations with people across at other tables. I love that! When I was back in Katy, my official one week there, I had always thought people in that area were friendly and for the most part they are, but after a few times trying to help someone or just say something to another standing in the Target line reminded me I wasn't in Oz, I mean NC anymore. We were a motley crew having our dinner none of us dressed in our finest and we liked it that way. Two young men about high school age sat down and shared their dinner time with an older man, dressed in cover alls and a plaid shirt. At another table sat a bearded, hardworking grandfather with his looked to be 18 month old grandson. That little boy was a handful but oh so cute. I did have a heart stopping moment when the server called out to them as she cleared the table, hey, you left your gun. But it was a toy camo assault looking type of gun clearly meant for a child. The older couple sitting at a booth nearby seemed to know most in the place and we had a good conversation about boiling shrimp. The wife is allergic to shrimp but not the husband and he was taken aback when I told him about the crab seasoning that is used for boiling shrimp. He thought that boiled shrimp just tasted that way naturally. Hey, he didn't grow up fifty miles from the Gulf of Mexico and just as I have learned things from mountain people that they know just as naturally as I know about boiling shrimp. I remember the first time I went to Turkey Creek and it seemed like Marisa knew everyone and would stop by the tables and visit for a few and I was so jealous of that...but now, she comes to the table and visits and her daughter does too even if I don't sit at one of her tables.

It was a beautiful evening for front porch rocking but before I reposed on said porch I walked around a bit looking at the flowers and trees that are announcing spring. I got my hiking sticks out just to be careful and never left the asphalt. The breeze was from the south so not only did I have a great view of the cows migrating over to the part of the field closest to us but I got a good whiff.  Whew! Cows stink! Lots of cars and trucks going to and fro on Friday night. The sound of them doesn't bother me, in fact merely sitting on that porch and hearing the sound of cars just reminds me of those evenings spent on Grandma B's front porch, shelling peas or working on green beans and I am transported back for a brief moment of some very poignant and happy days. I think even as a child I knew that the time I spent with grandma was special and to be treasured. 

Thankfully Buddy did not get feisty toward morning and we were able to sleep in until nearly 8:00. The last two nights have been sleep consuming. The bonus for yesterday's early morning move to the bonus room was I Love Lucy. Even though Buddy was a happy cat to see us I think this week she is working through her adjustment back to our life. She acted out a few times and she is returning to her level of activity. I know she loved having Bill come see her everyday and I think she misses him but Russian Blue cats are known for their total dislike of change and little Buddy has had a lot of change in the past few weeks. At least she is sleeping at the end of the bed and not on my arm all night long.

The morning is moving on and there is so much to do that I better quit posting and get to working. Okay, I need breakfast first, then work. The coffee this morning is from The Fresh Market, their spring blend and it is good!