Who'll Stop The Rain?

Buddy and I have been sitting on the porch listening to the rain, she in a sleep stupor and me with a book. The view is tempting and draws my attention away for moments at a time because there is a constant change going on. The rain starts slanted in one direction but the next time you look it is coming from another direction and maybe not as slanted. The metal roof accentuates the audible hits of rain  but the water coming from the drainpipe on the second floor nearly can drown out the rhythmic and soothing sound. Several cardinals topped out on the fir trees which I call bird condos because many nests can be found among the branches. A bright yellow goldfinch sat on the top of the swing stand for a good while before flying off to places unknown. Buddy has slowed down quite a bit and while the chirping, singing and sounds of birds still intrigue her, she's not all that interested. She spends a lot of time sniffing as if taking in the fragrance of the rain cooled air is something she wants to commit to memory. OK, I am waxing poetic there, she probably just doesn't sniff as good as she did before. Evenings seem to be the hardest time for her. She meows quite a bit and even looks like she's confused and doesn't know where she is or who I am. After a bit she settles at the end of the bed. I did some research this morning on how to help her have an easier time and tonight I will begin some of those suggestions and see if they work.

With this being the second rainy day of several in the forecast there are things that I have been putting off that are getting taken off the to do list. Then I read and maybe write a little, then go back to a project. No schedule or appointments to worry about. The biggest thing today was getting the trash can from by the road up to the garage. Thankfully it wasn't raining when that chore was done. The Feral Fam or those who are around have been fed and with the rain no one is lurking or lounging about on the deck waiting for the next meal. Saw Cali yesterday briefly but it looks like she has found a higher and drier abode on up the mountain.

Again there is the learning curve of living someplace kind of new. I know all the low spots that flood in Houston. When streets are named I can picture most of them or at least picture them on a map. Here, that hasn't kicked in all the way. Still learning the counties and some exit numbers off the freeway because those are used more than street or road names. It is keeping my brain young and that I don't mind. Well, it is keeping it working on new things. This past year, especially in the winter, was a good time of going through mental and emotional things and keeping the ol' brain working by sorting through all the junk that no longer needs to be apart of life and realizing there are still things to learn and also to change.

You know how you start a search on the internet and just by the nature of looking up things the search once focused widens out and soon you're looking up all kinds of things. Today I was thinking about my Grandpa B and wondered when he died. Of course his obit is so old that I'd have to buy a subscription service thing to access to all kinds of newspapers, but I only want this one fact. By looking at all the short snippets from the obits of that day, I saw the year he died and that was fine by me. Then I saw that my Grandma B hadn't been born in Illinois as I always thought but in Kansas. Then I started looking at information about the city I was born in and some of the famous landmarks that I remember. Read histories of buildings and universities and businesses. Looked at Google Earth to see familiar parks and playgrounds, where grandparents lived and the like. Then I found a newspaper article, a remembrance of sorts about the bank my grandmother worked at and in that article there was her name. Next thing I am looking up the writer of the article to see if she is still living and it looks like she is and I had thoughts of emailing or contacting her but decided not to do that. But to see my grandmother's name and her job was a special surprise for this afternoon when the rain keeps on coming. That was a nice little nostalgic trip.
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Tonight was the children's musical at church. Very well done. The kids talented and looked to be having fun.

We had a few breaks from the rain and I decided to take advantage to run a couple of errands and get away from the house...not that I was bored...never but I wanted to see The French Broad River. It is running high and fast. Came home and took it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Our salesman from the Ford dealership called and asked how we were enjoying the convertible and I said, we aren't. He was shocked but then I added cause of the rain. I took the truck everywhere today not knowing what I would encounter.

I think Buddy has gone upstairs and I will do likewise.

Mustang Sam

For about six months we have been talking about getting a second car for NC. We bought our truck in 2015 and we have put a whole lot of miles as we run errands or go off to explore the sights. It has been over a year since it has gone to Texas and back, so that helps. Also with the Colonial Pipeline breaks last year we also realized if it were an extended period of time it would be better to have two vehicles to rely on instead of just one. So, as we are prone to do, we talked about it a lot but never was active in a car pursuit. We finally got to the internet search and around Easter we went to a couple of dealerships to see what was out there. All along we have been leaning toward a convertible or something in the fun to drive genre. Just like Goldilock and the Three Bears, one car was too small and others were too shrouded in mystery...couldn't get numbers, not even a ballpark figure from the sales staff. Then we stopped our pursuit once it came time for my ablation and then recovery time. One dealer kept calling acting like we had been talking all along...and this call wasn't even coming from the original sales person. Finally after several calls, yes I did this, I threw the I have been in the hospital card down and mentioned a three month recovery. Now that was not an untruth, the three month thing but it isn't as intensive as I made it sound in the tone of my voice. The calls stopped. But the Mustang....it was just right. I hadn't forgotten my Three Bears analogy.

We have loved Mustangs for a long time. While Roy was finishing up after law school, clerking and studying for the Bar Exam, he used Am Ex points to rent Mustang Convertibles several times for us. Our time together so limited as well as money...so this was something fun to do and we had tons of points to use. Then, when it came time to buy a new car, we decided on the Mustang Convertible since we had so much fun when we rented them. Funny, while we were car shopping we went to one dealer who tried the pressure tactic and then saying this car might not be on the lot if you tally. Uh, it had been there about six months...we were in our late 40's and that tactic had only worked when we were much younger. Roy told him we would take our chances. We did not buy from him.

Mustang Sally was such a fun car and it was sad when we traded her in for Sequisha, the Sequoia. At Christmas we would put the top down, wrap everyone up in blankets, stop at Starbucks for hot chocky and then drove around looking at Christmas lights. The closest thing to an sleigh ride in Houston. When the nieces were in town around the holidays we did that and several years the King girls and I would do that as well...thus aptly named The Royal Ride.

We were coming home from our trip to Otto, Highlands, Cashiers and Brevard when we decided to drop by the dealership for a look see. Front and center in the showroom was a Mustang GT, a black one. We used to be blue vehicle people but black has become my favorite color for vehicles. Now we didn't need a GT but it was good to get a sense of the seats, cause we be long legged, and the ease of in and out. How I got in and out of Mustang Sally is now a mystery to me. Much better now with new knees. We talked and Sean, our salesman, pulled up a car that looked to be what we were looking for. I have gotten used to blind spot indicators and the like. We knew we needed to discuss away from the dealership and thus, the next day when we were in the High Country of NC, we texted Sean and told him we were interested and how did the next steps need to be taken? So with the spotty WiFi up there we got info to him and said we would be in Saturday afternoon.

For years I haven't been involved in the whole car shopping process. Roy would test drive a car, bring it home for me to look at and then he would proceed from there. Back in the day I was all about the music system in the car and maybe a sunroof...now, I want safety features. We ordered SequishShawn, so this was a first for me on Saturday. I thought it was just to do paperwork etc... Roy felt sure we would be bringing the car home with us. In the past few days before Saturday, I was trying to think of a name for the car. Truthfully, I was leaning toward Mustang Salad but in the end chose Mustang Sam. Salad sounded like Sally to me and thought it would honor the memory of a good car. But Sam is a more practical name.

Yep, Roy was correct, Mustang Sam came home with us, in the pouring rain...  Later in the evening we did get to grab a short top down drive about the countryside. There at the dealership they gave us a crash course in new technology...I have a bit of studying to do. Ford stuff is opposite of Toyota stuff, so there is that learning curve.

So, now with a fun car, it rains and delayed gratification must take hold. It will be fun to hit the roads with the top down and music playing. Roy is looking forward to being able to grab quick pics from the confines of the car, but he will still get out and wander off. All good photographers do that in search of the picture. He is contemplating a three wheeler motorcycle for future adventures of picture taking. Uh...okay...but maybe let's see of Sam here can do the same thing. I am so grateful for such a generous husband who probably thought we should go practical but decided a little playfulness isn't all that bad.

Anything I Want To Do...No Need To Do

It was a dark, misty and foggy morning. Very few cars were on the road with us which made driving less stressful but as soon as we hit the freeway, we were joined by other early risers. We left home a little before 6:00 am. We stopped in Morganton for breakfast and continued making our way to Charlotte. We were fortunate in having no rain going and coming back. Since it is a holiday weekend, there were state troopers and all kinds of police and sheriffs on the road. Before getting home, a stop at Target for a few items. Contemplated going onto the grocery store but decided home was the destination. There have been alerts and threats of rain all day. I just heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. The skies bright to the north but it looks a little overcast to the southeast.

This past week has been busy but fun. We had some days where we were able to get away and we had days where projects and to do lists took priority. On Thursday morning we did a little role switch. Roy stayed home to do more work on the front porch and deck and I took the truck for the 5000 mile checkup and oil change. Jimmy's only took a little over an hour to do the work and I was out and on the way to the grocery store. Came on home and picked up Roy to go eat lunch at Turkey Creek. Delicious as usual.
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As much as I wanted to finish up this blog post last night, the tireds hit hard and this one had to go to sleep. Last week there weren't too many days of easing into the mornings. We have a gentle rain this morning but reading the weather updates we could have quite a bit of rain accumulation by Thursday. Something that we never thought about coming from the Gulf Coast is preparing for hurricanes in the mountains of NC. We knew they can affect inland areas with lots of rain and wind but landslides never crossed our thoughts. When a weather alert came across yesterday afternoon, hurricane preparedness Nancy went into gear. Filled up the truck's gasoline tank and picked up a few groceries. Those were things I was going to do anyway but the time table moved up. Living on the Gulf Coast most of my life keeps me a tuned to slight turns or increase of speed or gusty winds. When the alert for possible landslides went out and I did the preparation for a storm it made me think, how does one prepare for landslides? Guess one doesn't. It doesn't seem likely here because our home is located in the dry ridge....that doesn't mean we can't have deluges of rain but that happens mostly to the south of us. We didn't know that at the time of purchasing the house but we are thankful that we weren't interested in the area of south Asheville or even around Hendersonville. Of course when we need rain here for the grass and flowers....we are saddened when the rain breaks to the east and west of us and we are left high and dry in the middle.

Roy worked on his Toastmaster speech he will be giving on Wednesday. Loved watching the fine tuning process and how his delivery became more easy going and prepared. He has another speech in two weeks on giving evaluations. He parlayed his biscuit making and baking lesson from Brenda Saturday morning into use when he gives the evaluation speech. Brenda told me last night that he was a good student and thinks he will have this skill perfected soon enough. Yes, this wife is very happy he will have acquired this skill. Love me a good biscuit! Love me a good husband! Love me a good biscuit making husband!

My friend Carole has booked her fall flight for a return visit. This news makes me very happy.

We bought a lot of fruit this past week. The SC strawberry season is drawing to a close but the SC peach season has already began. We sliced and diced and froze fruit all week. While I was getting the truck worked on, Roy worked on the fence on the side part of the yard. It is more decorative than useful and the honeysuckle looks picturesque draped across the rails but that fence denies access to the water faucet that we use for the front yard. I have written about this previously but I do not like that part of the yard...and I have to cross the deck with the uneven stairs. So Roy was able to move the fence post, thankfully not cemented into the ground, and make a clearing for access to the faucet. Hallelujah! We took one of the bamboo garden coverings and put it across the end of the front flowerbed to make it easier and not as muddy entrance. 

Lisa asked me today what are you going to do today? The standard response of anything I want to. But really the response today is anything I need to do...so vacuuming and laundry and the like are slowly but surely being taken care of.

Travels in TN...My Spelling Ain't That Good So I'm Using The Abbreviation

Today after our visit to the dump we were off to TN. We headed toward Johnson City mainly to go to the Kroger but we stopped at Barnes and Noble and Best Buy first. I had a $70 gift rebate card from buying our tires in October that needed to be used by June. So we decided to stock up on a few things that we can find at Kroger but not our local grocery stores. We were even prepared with our cooler just in case we found something that needed to be refrigerated and yes, thank you, we did. I cannot keep up with Roy's Dr Enuff consumption. So we bought a whole bunch of those...we can get them here but heck, a $70.00 gift card seems to call for someone to have his favorite drink around these parts.

Our plan to have lunch at The Farmer's Daughter, so we took the back scenic way. We had a delicious lunch and then headed over to Mountain View Store to stock up on goodies we like there. When Carole was here, we took a little jaunt on some back roads to Jonesbourgh and saw several places I wanted to take Roy to for him to take some pictures. So after we ate and shopped we prayed that the rain would hold off and we were on our way. I had seen these two churches so close together complete with the cemetery that interested me. So today we pulled into the parking lot and Roy began to take pictures of the two churches. An older man was mowing the lawn and asked us if we would like to see the inside of the church...and we asked oh is this a newer part and he said oh no, these are two separate churches but they used to be one. Both Presbyterian and one is USA and the other one PC. They split back in the 1800's over paying a pastor. The church with the bell paid the pastor. So here are two churches side by side. We learned quite a bit of history about the church and how to get up to the bell...believe me it isn't easy. He said he had climbed up there twice and then told them no more. I said, well you went up once too many times.

We went to the general store that is now a BBQ place and the food looked really good. We are going to return and eat there on another visit. Then we took the beautiful drive over to Limestone TN and that is where Davy Crockett was born. Not too much of the town now but Roy took pics of the old train depot, the downtown where nothing exists and a great picture of a garage filled with all kinds of junk.

One of our favorite produce stands is open, so we stopped in for a quick visit and we left with some fruit...watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries. So we were busy in the kitchen upon getting home and also doing a bit of watering outside even though it should rain tomorrow.

Nathan and Andrew came by last evening and placed the sod around the new flowerbed and then placed some crushed white rock in front of the swing. Man, we appreciate those two hard working men.

We have a full day tomorrow so I'd better start settling down for the evening. Part of the Feral Fam was around this evening. Always nice for a drop in and dine.

Lots of Driving Around the Countryside

This day has held a little bit of everything beginning with an early start to the day. We got up and moving and out the door before 8:30 am. I have seen the FB ads for Bryant Antique Mall in Otto, NC. So with the threat of rain later in the day we headed that way. We were in for a treat because the scenery is over the top beautiful. So many blooming plants and shrubs. With all the rain this past week the trees were green, no greener, no the greenest I have ever seen around these parts. We saw several little shops and places we would like to return to at a later date. We only did one of the buildings and it is filled with such unusual things. More to see than most antique malls. We only bought one little thing, a wood carving of a modern shepherd. There is an antique architectural place just down the road that looked very interesting and we considered a quick look see but the gray churning clouds kept us focused to continue moving on. We did stop at a produce stand because it is produce stand season and it is just so much fun to do stop and shop a bit. We headed over to Highlands and Cashiers. My orthopedist is from that area and he talked so fondly of growing up there. Our route took us through a tad bit of Georgia, although Georgia hadn't been on my mind. We only were able to stop at one scenic overlook for Roy to take pics. The rain kept us from making any other photo op stops.

We made a stop at Brevard College to look for white squirrels. We found only one that would allow photographs. All the construction and detours are gone now but then I realized I hadn't been back to Brevard since 2015-2016 or so. We also stopped at another antique store and another produce stand. Since we were overdue for lunch we stopped at Twin Dragons and enjoyed Asian cuisine. Still no orange chicken but I am not discouraged in this daunting search. While we were out and about we made a "secret" shopping stop. Then began the journey home.  On the way we stopped at the auto repair shop we use. I had scheduled an appointment for next week but the confirmation gave the date of this Thursday. So, we needed to know which it would be and we went ahead and opted for this week since Roy has a few things to do around here and the A/C guy comes back to fill the coolant level of our old air conditioner to keep it running until we have the new Carrier Heat Pump installed. Thank you Jennell for the message and the advice that was so helpful in making our decision.
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Welcome Wednesday and our itinerary today took us to Grandfather Mountain. This is the first time we have been there in spring and I think I like it better than the fall. Y'all, it's all good. Anyway, we hit the road with our first stop being The Italian Restaurant and the food delicious. Roy finally got the chance to experience the pizza while I did the regular of ravioli. We stopped at a church along the way, got down on my knees and pretend to pray....no, that's what was playing on the radio when we stopped at this little church that catches my eye every trip up that way. It looked Episcopal to me but it is a Presbyterian Church. Just so beautiful! The little wooden church is surrounded by rhododendrons in full bloom. We went straight to the swinging bridge this trip and it was a beautiful and windy day. The road to Blowing Rock has been compromised by all the rain last week, so lots of detours but that didn't affect us any. After spending a good amount of time there, we did our usual stop at Valle Crusis to check out the Mast General Store. We both tried to buy shoes that had been marked down but alas, shoes didn't fit so well. We began our trip home because we had a few chores to take care of before calling it a day. Mike the Mower Man had made it today so the yard looks great all nice and trimmed. We watered the flowerbeds and the flowers on the deck. Also Roy set up the back hose to use when we get the flowers beside the driveway get planted. We worked on lots of outdoor things and came in for supper. Dessert, one of Roy;s delicious smoothies.

While we were in the high country we got a call from the AC people. They were coming by today to fill the refrigerant up till they get here and install the new unit. Haynes Heating and Cooling is the best! With them doing that, it frees up our afternoon tomorrow. In the morning I am taking SequishShawn to get oil changed and Roy will be working on the deck and a few other things. Now with our afternoon free, we will try and get out and enjoy this weather.

All the Feral Fam has been around tonight. It's nice having them back but Mama Cat threw a fit with Camo.

An early morning awaits....

A Monday Recap

A foggy Monday morning greeted us and so did Camo, part of the Feral Fam. Roy brought me coffee upstairs and also announced I had a cat waiting for breakfast outside. Meanwhile Buddy had already worked Roy for two sets of treats. Our lives are consumed with the bidding of cats.

This morning the A/C guy comes and does the spring tune up for the A/C. Later this afternoon we take Buddy to the vet office for her steroid shot and mani/pedi. In between we will hopefully get a few errands taken care of.

On Saturday morning while most people were watching "the wedding" I was preparing to leave for Charlotte. It was a quiet and non-eventful drive with plenty of time of thoughts and thinking. Sometimes the timing of an airport pickup is difficult but this time went smoothly. Just had a little bit of time in the cell phone lot and I put that little bit of time to good use since I brought my notes for the Sunday School lesson I taught yesterday. Even the pickup at the arrival area wasn't fraught and chaotic...well at least not by Charlotte standards and with that we were off in record time.

I had seen an ad on FB for a store in Lincolnton, Vintage Rescues. So Roy and I stopped in downtown Lincolnton to see the store. Really well done and didn't have that junked up feeling that some antique stores have. There are maybe three or four really cute stores close to one another and we would have gone into several more but the rain caught up with us. We felt like we should start for home. Like all long time married couples....well, short time do this to, but we did the "where would you like to eat lunch" conversation as we headed to I 40. We had several options but it came down to time and tiredness. Roy had been awake and moving since 3:00 am. He was feeling it. So we took our last on the list option, Cracker Barrel. Lunch was good and we were on our way in no time. We made a Publix stop too before heading home.

It hadn't been in my plans but I made it to our Joy class fellowship Saturday night...just a tad late and with no favorite pasta dish in hand. Roy suggested I bring an empty bowl and say I brought my favorite pasta dish, now to fill it. Everything was delicious and Judy and Vivian planned out the time well. We laughed and had such a good time hearing stories that some knew by heart but loved hearing the telling of them again and we heard some new stories that will join the repertoire in years to come.

2010 is the last time I taught a Sunday School lesson partly my choice and partly by opportunities passed to others. Leading a core group in Community Bible Study helped satisfy the itch to teach though. Still frustrating at church not to be used and that is when I knew this had to be laid down at the feet of Jesus and leaving it there for real. Hard to do but it was so freeing and then when Roy suggested we buy a home in NC to retire here and for the meantime have me stay for most of the time due to health reasons, the decision was easier because I didn't have any real ties to hold me. So, here at church, when Gale and Judy asked if I would like to teach in our class once a month, I almost said no because I thought I was being obedient to the Lord, cause you know this love had been laid at the feet of the Lord. But, I said yes. That story is for another post. So yesterday was my first Sunday to teach. What I loved is the preparation, the study and research. During the week things that might have never been noticed now seen in a new light of the topic from the quarterly for May 20th. Details and instances that would have escaped notice made themselves noticeable.  The lesson was on Once Greedy, Now Generous. Gale is so generous in her encouragement and gracious in asking me to participate. The class being so gracious to switch prayer request time to the end since I had to leave early to go to choir.

Our interim pastor preached on hearing God from Psalm 19. Great sermon! Since Roy has become involved in Toastmasters, he notices presentation more than he did before. And he was impressed because pastor's thoughts were organized and he said a whole lot in a short period of time. It really is refreshing. After church we had lunch at Twisted Laurel and I can recommend the fried shrimp. Very tasty! Then we went to the Farmers Market for strawberries but the delight was finding South Carolina peaches. So happy that peach season has started. Once home Roy sliced up two gallons of strawberries and froze most of them for smoothies. We cleaned out the freezers and then he relaxed and I went to choir.

Looks like the downstairs heat pump/AC needs to be replaced. They have sent us three bids so far but our other unit is a Trane and we'd like to stay with the same brand. So they will send that tomorrow. Buddy had her steroid shot this afternoon which both Roy and I think we will change vets. You can't beat their hours but there is so much we don't like about that vet. I'm checking into a mobile vet that has great reviews and was at the Appalachian Animal Hospital that we thought about going to several times. So we shall see.

We had a Lowe's run and dinner at Sonic...well from Sonic at home. We are all tired and it looks to be an early night for all of us.

Friday Night Catch Up and Confession

It is a gentle rain now but earlier the sound of the rain striking the metal roof was rather hypnotic. I believe that is why I slept nearly to 9:00 am, which is not a usual practice for me. Also in the back of my mind I knew there is no agenda for today except for cleaning the house which isn't an agenda thing for me most of the time. It seems like it will be more of a touch up since the is mainly clear, well at least my definition of clear, and just has a few odds and ends that need to find their rightful place here in the home. Nathan was here earlier clearing up the branches that remained from the red bud and plum tree. He and I sat on the porch and visited for a bit but that mainly was conversation about the flowerbed next to the driveway and the flowers I would like to see in it. He came up with a great design of perennials and annuals. It is going to be beautiful!

Looking at the rain gauge we might be at three inches of rain or so since last night. The greens of the trees, shrubs and flowers pop against the grayish white sky. Also the trees have filled in with new leaves and vitality along the fence of horse farm  above us. The layers of greens also make the red roses and whatever those yellow flowers are out there radiate a colorful brilliance that keeps drawing my eyes to gaze out the back windows. In the back of my mind I am kind of keeping a watch out for any of the Feral Fam looking for eats and treats.

Looks like we got three inches here since last night. Got the birds fed and Camo and Mama Cat. MJ and Cali must be on a bender. The birds have been especially cheerful, maybe they have watched Singing In The Rain recently. The flowers out in the front bed in the yard are looking particularly happy after all this rain especially the snowball bushes.
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Friday afternoon is proving to be more of clear skies than earlier anticipated. We got two more inches of rain last night into early this morning. It woke me up and that is difficult to do with a ceiling fan going and a small fan for noise on the nightstand.

I worked out with Taylor and then ran to the post office. I came on home and have tons of last minute things to do but I am not that motivated at the moment...things will get done and what hasn't been I am sure will be forgiven. Really it is just piddling things because I have kept up with the bigger stuff.

All the blackberry blooms are gorgeous. Even with three years of pulling ours out we still have a few showing up...which isn't a bad thing. Driving along the river road the side of the rocks have little flowers everywhere. I love spring here in the mountains.

So, I decided to rearrange furniture yesterday afternoon back to the summer arrangement. Roy is happy I was able to do this myself. Getting stronger everyday or something like that. Buddy is not a fan of change and she wasn't too happy to see the desk moved nor the chairs but it needed to be done. 

Yesterday, I had so many things that came to mind to write about and now....gone. But, I will leave you with this little story. During the time I had the upper respiratory thing going on, I got in the middle of the night to put some nose spray up my nose. Without my glasses I felt like I would pick up the right thing. Well, as luck would have it, I did not pick up nose spray but toothpaste that is in a container shaped somewhat like nose spray. Really, I don't need to go into what happened but my nose hairs do look a little brighter these days. 

Roads, Ferals and Bird Conversations

The work on our road began this morning. I don't know exactly what they are doing and I was barely able to get out onto the main road with all the scraping and trucks and beeping noises. Almost was late to workout but made it with one minute to spare. I was looking forward to working out today because of a freaky thing that happened on Friday. Instead of doing a lot of core work, Taylor concentrated on my legs and hips...especially stretching the muscles. So it meant a lot of leg lifts and the like and then we moved onto bridges and bug. A little cramping around my hips but that is not unusual. It was time to go to the machines and when I stood up both legs cramped up...and it hurt like the dickens. Taylor thought if I walked a bit the cramping would ease...it didn't it had come to the point that I could not feel my left foot which was totally weird. That only lasted a nano second but from that point on I took it easy. Didn't have a problem for the rest of the day or even that night. He did use the DMS machine by my knee where my nerves have only been coming back with feeling from the 2013 ablation. He must have woke those nerves up and they decided to protest. Nothing like that happened today for which we were both thankful and we continued with the work of balance and strength.

Not only is the road getting worked on but so is the post office parking lot. They were out there last week looking at the shifting going on that is making the fence buckle and the poles pull loose.
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This morning no Feral Fam, not even Mama Cat. They were around last night and I witnessed something that even if it isn't special, it was special for me. You don't see the Feral Fam like they used to be when the kiddos were kittens. They ate together, nicely, for the most part and traveled in a pack. Cali is the runt and they treated her differently but that little Feral Fam doesn't realize that so much of the goodness they experienced over the winter came from my deep affection for that little Cali. Last night, after putting out food and milk, Cali and MJ ate some and so did Mama Cat. As it was beginning to become night, I could see MJ keeping guard in front of the tent of napping. I could see that a cat was in there and it looked like Camo. MJ and Camo have always seemed close. MJ would sit there and then stick his head in the tent...which made me wonder, oh my is someone giving birth to babies? MJ changed positions and got up on the railing of the deck, with his head low into the bird bath attached to the deck. I thought, he is falling asleep and his head is going to go right into that water. But he wasn't asleep, that cat was on point. I looked out in the direction he was studying and there was a big, looked like a Maine Coon, cat attempting to come up the deck stairs and partake of supper. Before MJ could run and pounce on this big ol' cat, I stood up and looked over him behind the window and that stranger cat ran across the yard and up the embankment to the gravel road. MJ looked at me and his look had a thank you in it....or maybe that was just my imagination. About then it was Cali who came out of the tent of napping, not even aware that her brother had been keeping watch over her. She stretched, looked at the food bowls and then headed under the deck and house. Camo came onto the scene and little chunk cat Camo ate up the rest of the turkey and giblet gravy wet cat food while her brother kept guard, even long into the night after she had eaten and moved on. He has four white stockings in his coloring and when he sits, you see all black but last night he had one foot in the ready position to push off and make a leap. MJ stayed out there a long time and then he was gone...  A little later the sound of paws running across the deck got my attention as I saw just the curls of their tails as they moved over to the other side of the yard and that is the last I have seen of them. It seems like they go off and then come back after a while, maybe when they are famished. They hang around a day or two then run off again to find their fortune or most probably love...or a one night stand...whatever cats do. Truthfully, Cali looks like she is in the family way but I'm not sure about that. When the Feral Fam came into my care many friends suggested writing a book about them from Buddy's viewpoint. Well, her attention to them is short lived and doesn't pay them much mind unless they haven't been around for a while and she looks out the window and watches for them. On the other hand I have learned a lot from this little fam. Of course there is always the wish for the happy ending where they let me pet them but it is looking like they haven't chosen that ending. Oh well, I keep on hoping.

This afternoon I made a tuna fish run over to Fresh Market. Since it was after Mother's Day their roses had gone down in price, so I brought a bunch home. For the smaller vase I cut some of my yellow roses and put them in it. I'm sitting on the front porch watching the sky and wondering if the rain that is in the area will make its way here. So far it is doing the split thing and going around us to the east and west.

I'm also engaged in a conversation with Mr Cardinal. Using my bird songs on my phone. It is an interesting thing to do. Usually, these conversations are with Carolina Wrens but since we cleared out the front flowerbed, they stay in the back.

Needing The Rest And So Much More....

It is a beautiful day, sun brightly peeping through clouds and a slight breeze keeping the temps manageable. I was outside earlier this morning planting some zinnias, some white flowers whose name escapes me right now and finding a couple of spots for hanging baskets with coral colored dahlias. Mike the Mower Man was here today and he took care of a lot of the weeds that have overtaken this part of the world on the gravel road above us...that leads to groundhogs and a colony of feral cats and who knows what else.
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I knew if I went out to the yard and watered plants last night that we would get rain today. Yep, we got about a 1/2 or so here. The plants are looking good out there. I have perfected a new system and it seems to work because I didn't return to the house worn and tuckered out...well, more than normal.

Early morning since my hair appointment was at 10:30. Even went earlier than usual and cars in the pay to park lot...hardly ever happens and it was packed out at Corner Kitchen. Thank goodness it was a beautiful day because the outdoor seating was full with a waiting list or getting a seat inside would have been difficult. My hair appointment took longer than usual because with the color this time we did...like I did anything but sit there and read...this great treatment. I have an at home version but the salon one is stronger. Most times there I learn something new about this old hair. We went back to a very simple highlight/low light formula and because my hair tends to be on the warm side, no matter the blond highlights, they did a different glaze. I love that my hair doesn't have the harsh blond look that can come from years of color.

All this hair attention made the appointment go long so I left directly and headed but to Madison County for Margie's funeral. Margie, was in our Sunday School class. Had a great smile and was one of the kindest people I have ever met. It was a wonderful service for a faithful one. Our class represented well. It doesn't matter whether you are in a huge worship center or the small chapel of a funeral home, there are those universal things that happen. The funeral people have such attention to small details and they move about in that concise movement. They took extra care and time as they fixed everything around Margie before closing the casket lid. I guess when they do that, it has been closed for the last time. Her nephew did a wonderful remembrance of his aunt and her love of the Gospel. Pastor Gene and Angela did a wonderful job as well. Sweet quiet Margie, with that mysterious smile. We will miss her but I am grateful to having known her on this side of heaven.
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Saturday afternoon. Alexa is playing KHCB and it is by request afternoon. The past two weeks a woman has subbed for the regular guy and me thinks that some of those by request songs you could set a watch by might have been his favorite songs. The past few weeks totally different songs throughout but mainly to start things off. No matter it is good background music and I have heard several Houston's First Baptist recordings.

I got my grocery shopping done yesterday and also picked up my watches from the jewelers. I wondered why the parking lot was full...oh yes, Mother's Day. I had plans to get so much done yesterday afternoon but dang if I didn't do much on my list. Needed the rest cause it was a Buddy can't decide to lie still night, so in all I lost about two hours of sleep as she wandered and tramped about. We are in the transitional time when she gets too hot sleeping on my arm and isn't quite ready to make the summer sojourn to the end of the bed and lie in the hollow of her blanket.

Laundry is being washed and dried....it will be up to me in a little bit to fold said laundry. I think I have finally turned the corner on this upper respiratory stuff. Voice seems back to normal and not too coughy. I'll take it!

Morning And Evening...Conversations And Flowers

The first casualty of the storm last night was one of our plum trees. It has fallen and it can't get up. Earlier in the day, it was just fine and this evening, fallen over but only one root is cracked. Roy and I were talking about it when Nathan called to see if we had received rain last night and if not he would be over to water the plants. Funny thing, I had just said his name to Roy when he called...anyway, he will look at his schedule and see when he can come over and cut down the tree. It was a little top heavy even with Roy trimming it this fall. We have plums grow about every other year and the ants, birds and squirrels usually beat us to the fruit. Oh well, I guess the tree was plum tuckered out.
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Each day this cold thing seems to relinquish a little more control. I made it through most of the day without a coughing jag but tonight it hit especially hard. I felt good enough to go workout with Taylor yet the few weeks off and the lack of clear breathing hampered the workout a bit. Muscles started cramping up, so he adjusted the workout and finished strong. I ran over to the grocery store to get stocked up again. Came home, ate lunch and then ran to the post office and then made a quick stop at Lowe's for more potting soil. The sky became rather dark and the rumbling of thunder grew closer, so it seemed best to abandon plans to do some plant shopping. The day had tired me and I took a rare nap and it felt good to rest.

Last night Brenda came by with supper and with Brenda, it is as if it is loaves and fishes and it multiplies into several meals. She also brought some dessert, a couple of cupcakes from her famous pound cake recipe. Oh, did I mention she made homemade biscuits? I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that. We talked through the screen door cause I am nervous that someone could get this junk and I don't wish that on anyone.

The afternoon did not turn out the way I had planned yesterday. The all too familiar sound of a bracket coming loose in a closet grabbed my attention and it was one of the ones in my closet. The good thing, it had not broken all the way and I was able to fix it until at a later time. So all my lightweight linen clothes are on that rail. Maybe this is a good way for me to keep going through clothes and getting rid of stuff. Before the church yard sale I had done just that and filled five big bags of clothing. After yesterday's bracket bust more went into a big bag to take to Salvation Army. This inspired me to go through the front bedroom closet and see if there was more to give away and yes there was. Salvation Army doesn't take books or paper goods anymore, they just throw them away, so I will have to be creative. When I was cleaning out things before in the back of my mind was the thoughts and words of the cardiologist nurse that made me go down a path in my mind that maybe I wasn't too long for this world. So it seemed the right thing to do to go through everything with that in mind. Now as we eliminate things off the list of what this could be, I am not thinking so fatalistic. But I did feel like the Lord was saying to me it is time to give this whole having a ton of clothes thing up. It root of this came from childhood because most of my clothes were kind of ugly and I was led to believe from my father that ugly little girls did not deserve nice things. So it has been that "thing" since then I would never be made fun of again because of what I wore. It was an obsession for a bit...okay, for a long time and now it has waned some, but clearly not enough. Who I am is not what I wear and holding onto clothes for a long season, unless it is Flax items cause that is really a prudent practice.
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It is interesting to see the battle that is brewing before the Southern Baptist Convention meets the second week of June in Dallas. Seems like it will be a defining battle for the vision and future of the SBC. Years ago when some of these same players back in the day who took the campaign back to conservatism are now involved as the direction could go more Calvinistic as the choice for SBC President is made. All the political overtones are there and so are the strong personalities. Only this time this go around will have more attention because of social media and "little unknowns" can be as informed or as opinionated as they want to be. During that heyday toward conservatism my crazy friend Debbie, who was not Baptist, asked me about the direction of Baptists and what church would I go to? My answer was always the same, the church with a gym. Now that we are located in North Carolina, particularly Western North Carolina, my answer to Debbie's question cannot be answered in the same way because churches up here don't seem to have gyms. There are a few that do but it just doesn't seem to be a needed thing when you live in one of most beautiful places on God's green earth. The emphasis here is more toward space that will be used for meetings yet big enough for church wide fellowships and most churches around here have shelter covered picnic space...which churches in Houston didn't have that. Our church's picnic shelter has one of the most beautiful views. The other value here is a place to be buried....most churches in this piece of the woods have their own cemeteries. So while those that be are fighting it out in Dallas, we be around here have our priorities in order, enjoying the outdoors, enjoying picnics and knowing we have a space on a hill which to die I mean be buried on.

Nathan called this morning and we are on the schedule for tree removal on Thursday. He is also going to go ahead and remove the red bud tree beside the deck that will eventually be replaced by a screened in porch. He will also remove a lot of little scrub trees that have sprouted in the past few years. He also has a blueprint of the newly cleared space by the driveway. I would kind of like to make that a tribute or a memorial to my Grandma B and her friend Ruthie. Friends for years with a large field between their houses. When they were younger, they walked across the field to visit and catch up with one another. As they aged, the telephone became their line of communication. They called each other in the morning and evening...to make sure they were okay. I would watch my grandmother sit at her little desk or in her rocking chair so she could look out the window in the direction of Ruthie's home and she knew that Ruthie likewise gazed out her windows at Grandma's house as they talked...it was more like yelling. My grandmother had hearing aids as well as a phone amplifier to be able to hear Ruthie. Ruthie yelled although Ruthie thought she was conversing in normal tones. She had a, and this is what they called it back then, wooden leg and she refused to get hearing aids because she said she had enough fake body parts, she didn't need more. Well, that is what she told my grandmother. Ruthie stopped having the field used for farming purposes and let it overgrow with wild flowers. It was a beautiful sight every spring and summer. We found out later and I know I have written about this before...that those weren't exactly wild flowers....Ruthie had that field planted with them every year and had a provision in her will for the field to be kept that way if she died first, for my grandmother enjoyment. Ruthie said, they couldn't meet face to face anymore because of their age but she wanted my grandmother to have something beautiful to gaze upon as they talked, no yelled, with each other every morning and evening on the phone. So, I would like to see zinnias and dahlias and black eyed Susans...in that area. It will bring much joy to those who look upon it. 

Sunday...Well, It Started Out As Saturday Thoughts

It is looking like a breakthrough is happening with this upper respiratory thing. Coughing is just now in short little jags, runny nose a thing of the past and I am feeling a little more lively than I have felt in the past few days. Recovery seems to be a goal that will be attainable. Not that I am breaking any records for getting things done but a few longtime projects have been taken care of as time around the house seems to be a sustainable thing. No attention span for reading but watching the birds and the antics of the Feral Fam...limited edition has kept me entertained and out of trouble. The thought did pass through the ol' mind to move the desk downstairs that I have wanted to move for awhile and then move the smaller desk downstairs to its new place upstairs but probably in the midst of the move, a nap would need to be taken to restore strength and well, that would be a problem.

My mind wanders back to last week when Carole came for a long weekend visit. We have known each other a long time and we were even trying to remember when I would walk with her early in the mornings at the then call CLC now known as Fitness and Recreation or the Wellness Center...anyway, it was during tennis days and the early morning, think like 6:00 am would be a good warm up then a little rest before going to the University Club and playing doubles or take a lesson or workout. It was all about tennis back then. We haven't ever had much extended time to talk. When my desk was in the First Place office suite, we would talk some then but her schedule was busy and my work was demanding...not in the office demanding way, more like "where are the copies, where is the coffee, why is the whiteboard all messed up....you know those demands from women, learning how to be Christ-like. It didn't bother me, I loved that job...until it got complicated and then I transitioned out of it to be Jason's associate. Like Carole said we must have spoken a million words last weekend and we covered all manner of subjects. Carole is an encourager and on the trip back home in the truck last Monday, our conversations kept my mind company. One conversation in particular has captivated me. She asked why I wasn't doing __________ and I said I laid that down before the Lord several years ago and I have left it there. She then responded, well, maybe you should ask the Lord for clarity in knowing when He wants you to pick it back up. Ask Him to be very clear and open your understanding of the direction He has for you. I had never thought about that because the problem for me has always been the laying it down before the Lord thing and not taking it back with me instead of, you know, leaving it with Him...and this is one of the few things that I did just that, turned and walked away from it and never looked back. But, this week I have started praying that prayer and seeing if it stays on the lay down or if I get to pick it up again.
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Our Sunday morning began with thick fog, a dense fog that has cleared now that the sun is breaking through the clouds. The Feral Fam is back together...the three kiddos that is, but it looks like MJ and Camo have eaten and ran. Cali is still on the deck. She uses the tent of napping the most and spent most of her morning yesterday doing just that. Last evening the beat up and scratched up old black and white cat found refuge in the backyard. He was asleep on a rock. The Feral Fam presence has caused the baby rabbits not to come by for a visit this year and I saw MJ chase off a squirrel this morning. All the happenings in such a small space. I was looking at pictures from our first year here and since our area was in significant drought that year, nothing grew fast but since we are out of drought the vines and ground cover take over things quickly. Until the comparison of the pics, I had forgotten what the back had looked like. Nathan will be working on this soon but several jobs are in front of getting this done. He also is going to come up with a blueprint for the finished worked on the side of the driveway. Wow! Just it being cleared and mulched looks so good.

This morning I do feel like I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. These past few days with this upper respiratory thing has kept me from doing much. Yesterday, it felt like I got past the runny nose portion and the lingering symptom is the cough due to upper respiratory thing. I did a hot toddy last night to be on the safe side of things and I think that is the last hot toddy for awhile. No, thinking it over, the lingering affect of this snotty coughing thing is the wheezing and the noises that my throat and nose make without me even trying. The other night I awoke to a strange noise and thinking it might be a Feral Fam in trouble, came downstairs...the noise faintly leading me to find it...only then did I realize it was me making that noise, not anything else. Now last night when the loud clap of thunder woke us up....I knew it wasn't a throat or nose noise. A passing thunderstorm came through around 2:30 am. Yea! I don't have to water my flowers this evening. It was a brief but heavy rain and other than one more thunder rumble it was a non event here. A lightning strike did hit less than a mile away though.

So, I am easing into the day...I've washed my hair and applied minimum makeup. My biggest agenda today is getting the trash and recyclables down to the road for pickup tomorrow.

Welcome Spring, Landscaping and Good News

So happy to report I came out of mammogram thing unscathed. Got the gown on correctly and everything. My waiting room group were a bit of the grumpy sort. When I came in I said, well, I must be in the right place cause we are all wearing the same thing. Crickets....  Oh well, I was in and out of there in a jiff and being so close to Target, it seemed like a good decision to make a Target run. Then a stop at the ol' Barnes and Noble. The thought of eating supper out crossed my mind but decided a salad at home would be the best option.

Nathan and Andrew are here this morning working on the ground beside the driveway. While at Target I bought a new hose because the one attached to add length to get to the front flowerbed weighs a hundred million pounds and it is difficult to maneuver. It was a good workout but with the yard on a slope and uneven, it was an accident ready to happen. Target had a lightweight hose and it is teal in color so Mike the Mower Man will see it when he mows in case I don't get it put up before he returns. He mowed yesterday so the yard out front is looking good!

Last night when I laid down to go to sleep, a medium high episode of afib hit. It kind of shocked me for it to be that strong and it wasn't easing back into normal rhythm so Buddy and I came downstairs for me to cut a pill in half and take it. After about fifteen minutes everything settled back down into normalcy. They told me to expect a few bouts with afib but they wouldn't be strong ones. So, I'll keep an eye on the situation.
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So Wednesday turned out more afibby than I anticipated. It seemed like my heart was hovering too close to a bad rhythm. I stayed calm and worked around here and took care of some not stressful things that needed to be done. I went to bed early last night cause I was exhausted. I also had the beginnings of a sore throat that turned out to be the size of Texas and it carried into today. Hoarse and stopped up kind of wears one out as well.

Now it is early Friday morning. Once again I went to bed early, coughing and blowing my nose but at least the sore throat is gone. A friend told me it is an upper respiratory thing that is going around. I texted Taylor this morning letting him know I am a no go today. No need to infect others with this junk.

It finally feels like we have turned a corner and leaving winter behind this week. We are having warmer than normal temps which brings out the buds on flowers and the trees are greening up nicely. The birds are plentiful this year and even have hummingbirds coming to their feeder off the front deck. Both times, once when Carole was here and then yesterday, the drives through the rolling hills of eastern TN are delightfully beautiful. Last Friday we took a rather winding and curvy road and yesterday's drive to find the most direct route to the Kroger on State of Franklin Road. Saw some beautiful horses along the way. Along the drive you could tell that the rolling hills dotted with farms became newer homes on maybe two or three acres...then boom, you were on the outskirts of Johnson City.
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My attention span for writing, which is usually good, has been shorter this week. Nothing like hacking up a lung or blowing my nose to distract me from something that I love doing. Really, how much snot can one person have? I'm guess the count so far would be eight gallons. After a long Friday of not feeling chipper, I decided last night to make a hot toddy. It worked! It cut the coughing and the runny nose down to a manageable bit to sleep last night. I thought I had pulled a muscle from all the coughing on my left side of my lower rib cage but thankfully it went away as quickly as it had shown up. This morning, happily not coughing as much and the snot factory has slowed considerably.

I did  have foray into the world yesterday, only for a brief time, to take some stuff to the post office. I totally sanitized anything I touched cause nobody needs to have this stuff. I'm doubtful about church tomorrow cause I don't want to bring illness there and it would be ironic that after avoiding church for most of the winter so I wouldn't get this stuff during the critical dental surgery and heart procedure times.

Yesterday, Lisa called as well as Peggy. Nice to get caught up with them, although Lisa and I stay in contact on a regular basis. Peggy and I grab time every few weeks. She was coming home from Ft Worth.

It was supposed to rain most of the day but that is looking less likely. Hopefully, we get a few showers later this afternoon so I don't have to water the plants this evening. The groundhog that lives off the gravel road was having his supper later last night up close to where the tent of napping used to be. I didn't chase him off because the grass is so overgrown up there but keeping a close eye on his patterns.

So Tuesday was the good ol' mammogram. I had gone longer than I should have in getting one but as I explained it to the nurse, sometimes to the determent of keeping up with regular health requirements, heart issues overshadowed taking care of other things....  The nurse told me that it was not unusual for me to receive a call back for an ultrasound and not to be alarmed. She also said that the results would be available toward the end of next week. So much to my surprise the encrypted email came on Wednesday...first sentence of the letter....no breast cancer! Woohoo! Such welcomed news! 

Thank You Beth Moore

Today, I did what I do quite often and that is having a Houston day here in the mountains. I added a non Houston stop along the way but in the spirit of being a Texan, I explored a new way to travel to what is usually the last stop but was the first stop in Johnson City. I went back to Mountain View Country Store today to pick up a few things I forgot last week and then headed out on the back roads of eastern TN. So beautiful. Even though Kroger is an Ohio thing, it is a Houston thing too because we have a number of them in the area and many times my preferred choice to shop instead of Texas grown HEB.

So, yes today, I found a pretty and much easier way to the Kroger. Did my shopping and then went to Academy...which took off in Houston a long time ago...even the original store being close to our house. After a fruitless trip there, a stop in at Carrabba's for lunch. Carrabba's began in Houston and some of my tennis friends were related to the family. It was there while eating mezzaluna pasta...yum... I read Beth Moore's latest blog entry....and yes, Beth Moore has been a long time Houstonian. So, the Houston day seemed to be enriched by her powerful written words. Engrossed in the words from Beth's heart, a rarity happened...a man came up to my booth and said, you can quit texting me, I've been here all along...What? Of course this man was joking with me but here is the rarity, he was flirting and I think if I had given any inkling of interest, he would have joined me...but no, the response was this, I usually bring a book in to read, but then I don't read it...I look at Twitter and Facebook while eating. He attempted rather lamely I might add to continue the conversation...anything, but I was too engrossed in Beth's blog and too not even interested in him...hello, wedding band on...happily married.... I like eating by myself....  But Beth today in her blog shared to her younger and older brothers in Christ, that have a future of changing the Christian world of women, women's ministry and dare I say, women preachers.

Many conversations have happened over the years being at Houston's First Baptist and then being on staff there when Beth and her family attended First. We watched as she gained confidence in her teaching, went to being a serious Bible teacher instead of being funny and full of fluff inspirational stories. I will always be grateful to Beth Moore because she delivered us from sweet, sickening women's ministry...complete with teas, fashion shows, and silliness. Her ministry changed us to women who wanted to know God and study His Word. Oh yes, there were still teas and table decorations but we were going to leave with a Word and oh some stupid favor that came with the price of the dinner or tea or fashion show. While on staff at First Baptist, I would sometimes stand with young men who were working at the church and going to seminary....they would make fun of the women who came at 3:00 pm to wait for the doors to open at 6:00 to get a close seat at the front with Beth at Tuesday Night Bible Study. Then they would howl with laughter as the pushing
 and shoving began promptly at 6:00. One night in particular these young men were rather demeaning to women's ministry and Tuesday Night Bible Study. I casually said to them, that they were all jealous cause they would never have women or men for that matter, coming early, to get a close seat at the front to hear them teach or preach. Uh, you could have heard a pin drop from these guys.

There were times while on staff that I would be talking with the ministers on staff and Beth would somehow always come to the forefront of discussion.... As they wrestled with business matters of the church...along with their expected teaching to whatever group they were ministers to...I would remind them that Beth delegated to her board of directors and her staff to make most business decisions and her input came when they needed to hear from her but until that moment she was studying and praying and preparing... then I would say, if men did this instead of getting wrapped up in the daily concerns of the church, the seats would be filled and overflow would be needed on Sunday mornings. I thought the closest man to doing something like this was Louie Giglio. He did not have a church at that particular time.

Way back in the day when First Baptist had Sunday Night Alive, Beth Moore was asked to speak along with other upcoming ministers of the Gospel...like Lou Giglio. One of Roy's good friends from Sunday School attended along with his family. When he saw that Beth would be speaking, he gathered his family and scooted them out the door. Roy ran after them, told him they would miss out on the Word if they left and his friend said that he wouldn't let a woman teach him and Roy, surprised at his friend's ignorance, said you are missing out! She is one of the best Bible teachers you will ever hear. He wouldn't let go of that legalism and left. Roy borrowed my CD's from Living Proof to listen while he drove in traffic to work and home. Roy has always been a cheerleader for women's ministry and for husbands to listen to their wives...because women hear from God better than men...his opinion and I'd like to say I am so proud of him for believing and sharing that.

In March, a friend came up from Houston and we went to Boone NC to hear Beth preach. I spend most of my time in Western North Carolina now. Wow! I had forgotten how much I loved being in Tuesday Night Bible Study and in her Sunday School class and to hear Beth. What a joy to be a part of the Body of Believers that weekend. I didn't realize really how much I had back then to experience Beth teaching on a regular schedule.

This weekend another friend from Houston came to visit. Just in our normal conversation, we talked about Beth and her influence and our mutual friend who knew Beth even before she was Beth Moore told some good, but also funny stories of that journey. My friend is a fabulous speaker and teacher as well and such an encourager. Most of her Bible teaching has been intertwined with wellness in a healthy lifestyle and choices. I am pretty sure she might have encountered the same thing...but weight loss seems to be a woman's issue to many a preacher.

It has been my observation that sometimes women in women's ministry are more harmful to teachers like Beth than men. These women know better but are in the position to push a pastor's agenda for women, that might include crafts and recipes...not much Bible. These women sometime enable the men to say or not speak toward women other than in condescending ways. When Beth wrote that sometimes she wore flats as not to be taller than a man speaker or minister and I had to laugh...flats would not help me one bit since I am six feet tall and have towered over many a Bible man....who probably thinks I need better posture cause I bunch up my shoulders trying to be shorter...doesn't work.

Beth Moore doesn't need my amen or awomen from me. She has people in her corner that have a larger audience or platform but I felt like I had to speak up...and ask friends and people I don't know who read Monablog to read her blog post.   She has paid a price for those younger and coming up but I bet she counted it all joy in the grand picture of things for this next generation of leaders not to experience the same thing.

Friends and Ferals

If it is a day that a regular morning routine is not observed, such as wearing deodorant or wearing any lotion above the waist, it must be mammogram day. And guess what? It is... And it is a beautiful sunny day, without the hint of any thunderstorms because I have been known to cancel mammogram appointments when there is a threat of the loss of electricity. Yes, these kinds of things come to mind and plague me with unrealistic fears. 

It has been a week since I have last blogged and it wasn't due to the fact that there was nothing new to report...no quite the contrary, lots of activity and fun. My friend Carole was at Ridgecrest with the Wellness Center staff of Houston's First Baptist Church. She was finished with her responsibilities on Thursday morning, so off to the Baptist conference center I had never been to. Missed opportunities as a youth, so it was a pleasure to drive through the conference center and grab a glance or two of the scenery while maneuvering the winding road. Found Carole and her luggage and they found their way into the truck and we were off for a four day adventure.

Our first stop, Waynesville in the Hazelwood district. Of course it is a must to go to Robin Blu and Hazelwood Soap Company and with that accomplished we headed toward Blue Rooster for a delicious lunch experience. And yes, the coconut cake did not disappoint. The rain returned while we were eating and with that we headed toward home. As we got closer to home, we had a reprieve from the rain and so we extended our trip to Marshall. I loved showing Carol the river road because it is one of my favorite drives...okay, so many roads around here are my favorite drives.  We went to Penland's and the old hardware store where we got the tour and the story of when the building way back in the day was used as a funeral home with a hardware store on the first floor. We made it home and just relaxed the evening away.

The Feral Fam who had all but disappeared must have known that there was a guest to impress, so they slowly but surely began to show up again. Camo was the first and then Mama Cat. By Friday evening MJ and Cali had come back too. So, the addition of their entertaining antics was certainly welcomed.

Friday morning we were able to ease into the day drinking coffee and talking. Like Carole said we must have talked a million words while she was here. We had decided not to do the Biltmore on this trip and since it had been awhile since I had been at The Farmer's Daughter, we were off to Chucky TN for a delicious and unending or at least it seems unending, lunch. Then we went over to Mountain View to do a little Amish/Mennonite food shopping. I think Carole's favorite part of the store was waiting outside in one of their comfortable patio chairs while I brought the truck around. Then we took a drive through the rolling hills of eastern TN. It was a lovely day and when we got back here we tried to see the Watusi cows and elk up close but they were not cooperating by being far out into the fields instead of being close to the fence. We tried on Saturday too but it was a no go for a close up view.

Saturday, we went back to Marshall for a brief look see at a quilt and then headed out for Grandfather Mountain. We stopped for lunch in Newland at The Italian Restaurant. That's what they serve and that's what it is named. Seems like others had the same idea about Grandfather Mountain but being a Bridge Club member, we got to go into the park on a back road that was adventurous. With all the people there, and with the hairpin turns to get up to the bridge, we decided to just to the lower part of the mountain to check on flowers, just buds no blooms and we were off to Valle Crusis. We both found some shoes we liked at Mast General Store and ya have to bring back some candy.

Sunday we went to Sunday School and church. A real treat because the guest speaker just happened to be the man who owns the company that installed our metal roof. Josh was very good and kept us engaged in the sermon. He preached on II Samuel 6, with the ark and Uzzah. Sunday morning was also special because I got to play the tambourine in the choir special and not to be funny. It is the first serious musical thing I have ever done and I am so appreciative to Pastor Gene for letting me do that. Now in rehearsal, it was not so serious and on the inside I might have been playing that way. When we sat down afterwards, the thought came that I had just been given another I Love Lucy life experience. My favorite episode is the operetta that Lucy writes and sings I Am The Queen of The Gypsies. It is always a joy to introduce friends here to friends from Houston and so Carole got to meet many of the people I cherish and love. Carole and I had lunch at Turkey Creek and then went to The Baked Pie Company and picked up the pie for the Fifth Sunday Fellowship. I ordered strawberry rhubarb pie. It was good! We both got a nap in before returning to church at 6:00. 

Of course we knew Monday was coming and Carole's return to Houston. We left a little early so we could enjoy lunch at Cracker Barrel. It was good and then headed onto Charlotte where I dropped her off at the airport. On the drive back home I had many good things to ponder over and take heed to some of Carole's wise words and encouragement. I was so, yes I am going to use a churchy  lefemme term, blessed by her counsel. Just like old times on the third floor of HFBC where my first office was in the First Place For Health office suite. She is planning on a return visit in the fall and I am so thrilled that she wants to return. We had the best time and even though she is an early morning person and I am more of a night, I won't say owl, but a night person, it works cause we are alike in so many other ways.

So on cue, the Feral Fam is nowhere to be seen this morning. So maybe they have gone to wherever they run off to but probably they'll be seen sometime soon wanting some food.