Putting Plan B Into Action

The plans were to get up really early this morning...those plans didn't materialize but that's not a problem. Plan B now goes into effect and that's not too bad of a plan either. The fog this morning is burning off quickly. While Dena was here, fog seemed to be the theme. No brain fog just the real stuff. Whether it was on the Parkway or Grandfather Mountain or the local roads, we encountered the misty clouds just about everyday. In the same thought The Farmer's Alamac just released their winter forecast. They predict that this will be a cold, wet and snowy winter. Better start loading in the pop tarts for those long winter days. In Houston, the hurricane tracking maps put out by the local TV stations, had pop tarts in the food supply picture of things to have on hand in case of a storm, thus now with the change of scenery, make that supplies for winter storms.

Yesterday in Publix, I saw a short woman trying to reach the top shelf for chips and as I am wont to do, I offered to get them for her...well, what do you know? It was my neighbor Nancy. We seem to meet in Publix quite often. When you see a friend in the grocery store and stop for a little visit, in my book that says you are at home where you live. As Dena and I left for Charlotte Monday, a big moving van came up our one lane road and continued up past their gate. Finally, their things shipped from Hawaii had made it home to them. Nancy said there are boxes everywhere but after a longer than anticipated wait, she's not too upset about that. Now comes the fun job of consolidating everything into your new home.

Life around here is slowly returning back to the normal routine. Last night I spent about two hours watering all the flowerbeds that have been neglected the past few weeks. The front bed was especially dry and I might have lost a couple of lilies, but we will have to wait and see. The sunflowers and zinnias by the driveway are hitting their stride of full blooms. What a beautiful sight to behold.
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Thursday is beginning like most August days, fog, although it is beginning to burn off. The plans for sleeping in a bit changed when the phone rang. Roy wanted to read an email to me and help him with some wording. Good thing I was kind of awake cause coming out of a deep sleep and trying to help isn't very successful most times.

Yesterday, I made a return trip to Mountain View Country store to pick up a few things. They were out of their gourmet snack mix which was deeply disappointing. I did find yellow eye beans which I experienced a few weeks ago at Blue Rooster. Absolutely delicious! Then being only twenty minutes away, I headed toward the Kroger in Johnson City. Okay, it it more than a twenty minute drive but around here most say, oh...yes...everything is twenty minutes. Dena got a kick out of that and as we took the back roads toward Johnson City when she was here, she was kind of getting nervous about the journey. She would say, is this the road to Kroger? I would respond, it is a road that takes us to the road that will get us to the Kroger. So yesterday, it was a beautiful drive as usual, but it wasn't as fun.  The Kroger in Johnson City is near the campus of East Tennessee University, so it is busy at all times. No exception yesterday but I did find just about everything I was looking for. Dena and I went through a lot of peach Perrier water so I needed to restock. So far, Kroger is the only place that I have seen it. Did an Academy stop, came up empty, then onto Barnes and Noble. Now, I had just been the day before in Asheville but yesterday B and N had all their pens, pencils and markers 50% off. Candy store time for me...I do not need anymore of those kinds of things but 50% off with the additional 10% off for being a member, score! I got back home around 4:00 and had enough time to semi unload the car, eat a salad and then head over to church for the Sunday School training. We watched a DVD called Sunday School Matters....last night the topic was curriculum. The guy said it so much you could have made a drinking game out of it...oops, Baptist church, well, coffee drinking game. Next time we meet, Ben Pritchett is the speaker in the series. I haven't ever gone to Wednesday night church since moving here but since I was there, it seemed like a good idea to stay. Pastor Victor taught on the disciple Matthew. His talk and information was so interesting. I might make a return trip to Wednesday night church.

This time last week we were beginning to make our trip to Charleston. That was a fun little jaunt to the coast. Most of our time was taken with official things which were interesting and fun, but another trip there is in the cards. With the afternoon fading away last Friday, we began making our trek back to the mountains. We got home later than expected and decided on a Sonic stop for supper. We had been invited to Brenda's for breakfast on Saturday but asked for a rain check cause we knew we would be super tired come morning. It was a good thing we had done that because most of Saturday morning and into the afternoon events at home for Dena took her attention and energy. As we have learned in our individual lives, you just do the next right thing. So, she was checking on flights to Houston for Saturday evening or Sunday morning and getting her things put together and packed just in case we needed to make a quick exit. When we learned she could finish up her vacay like planned, we headed out the door for those last minute and rearranged schedule shopping and a late lunch at Stony Knob. By Saturday evening we were both exhausted and so sitting on the porch was a relaxing way to end the day. Funny thing, like I began this post, Plan B went into action yesterday and then on last Saturday. Sometimes Plan B turns out to be better than the original plan.

Tuesday, But I Started Writing On Monday

Another trip to Charlotte is in the books and it can be a sad ride but just when I feel rather low those lovely mountains pop up on the horizon and yes, let it be said, they make me glad. It was 93 in Charlotte today. Ugh!

Our Chihuly Night at the Biltmore was wonderful. Not as many people as when Lisa and I went but it was almost about as warm. Knowing how Lisa and I had gone down into the garden to see the displays wore me out for the floating garden Chihuly, so Dena and I did that first after we went through the downstairs of the house. We were betting that with school beginning today it might be crowded but not with lots of little ones running about. No, it was all of us older folk making sure of our steps and hoping against hope we would not fall down or trip. It was a full moon last night and that and the regular features of the Biltmore took my attention. You really only see the house at night during Christmas so this is a rare treat. Before going over to the Biltmore, we stopped in at Turkey Creek for a quick bite of supper. We split a burger and it was so good!
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Because I needed to get to bed early last night, blogging stopped early too. It was a 5:45 am wake up call. It was a very foggy morning and it is also the second day of school, so that slowed me down a bit. Got to Dr. Burgon's office for the quick look see at the implants and the abutments they worked on before going to pick up Dena. This was scheduled early in order to get over to the dentist office where the first few steps of winding this up this project begins. I made it to the dentist office with one minute to spare. After Dr Hodges looked at everything he made the decision that my mouth needs another month of healing before the finishing work begins. I'd rather do that than have problems and it seems like every implant I have ever had encounters set backs and problems. No worries, we were able to get the follow ups scheduled. That put me out and about around 9:30. Went to Home Goods and Barnes and Noble, then a quick stop at Ingles.

With all the fog and school buses travel became a bit precarious. A mama deer and her two babies jumped out onto the road in front of the old French Broad School and collision was avoided. A bunch of ducks and geese took their time crossing the road a little ways beyond the deer encounter. Then the turkey family crossed the road a little farther down from the ducks and geese. It was a beautiful pageantry of nature.

I truly felt like an old lady this morning at the oral surgeon's office. My Dr is not there on Tuesdays so his associate looked at the results of the work and the healing caps. He seemed hesitant to release me but thankfully, I am in good hands with my dentist. Just a couple of things I said and the reaction therein, brought on the old lady feeling. Truly, even in the rehab hospital for my knees with several occurrences did not make me feel as old as I did today. Such a random thing, really. There are days I wish we could just wear granny clothes like our grandmothers did cause it would make getting dressed decisions much easier. Although, I'm not quite ready to wear Aunt Bea kind of clothes all the time. Right now I am older than Aunt Bea was on the Andy Griffith Show. Really it is bring on aging and I am writing this for about the tenth time, the wise words of Roy Monarch. On our way home from the Inn on the Biltmore Estate one year, while passing through Jackson MS, he said you deal with looks at one time or another in life. When younger, if beautiful, many things fall right into place for these people cause their appearance has bought them favor that most of us don't get. Then when they get older, there is a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with the facts and not fantasy. You see it in men and women, they stop in the glory years, continue to age but their clothes and hair might say...I am in my 20's. When you are not particularly attractive, this I am so much more familiar with, you deal with your looks much better as you age than in the "prime of life," As a young woman, you know and there are so many who remind you often, you're not pretty...oh maybe cute, but no one is going to turn a head unless they want to make fun of you. But now, being beautiful is not high on my list. It fades away and nothing is more sad than watching an old lady flirt, playfully, with younger men. Now I will admit my personality has bought me favor that others haven't received cause I hate to admit this, but there have been many times I have said things that no one else would get away with, without a ruffled feather or job write up.

So much to do and so little interest in getting it done, but chores await. I was telling Lisa P that my August has been overwhelmingly wonderful with her visit and with Dena's. Just icing on the cake to the friends here that are such a joy to love, be friends with and do life together. God has gifted me throughout life with some of the best friends and love that He is faithful in that in NC too.

If Our Memory Goes Awry

There has been limited time to blog because the days are filled and conversations and laughter fill in any empty spots. Truthfully, there are few empty spots cause we just keep rolling along. Having Lisa visit a few weeks ago and now with Dena's visit winding down, the summer ends on a happy Houston note and September begins happily with a Roy note. Dena and I have had busy days and times but thankfully we have had a few days that accommodated us easing into the morning.  We've been to the mountains, moved through fog, dodged a few raindrops, delighted in shared meals both prepared at a restaurant and those we prepared or maybe rather assembled ourselves. We've laughed at the antics of the remnants of the Feral Fam as well as Buddy. We've laughed at ourselves, our new stories, our old stories and everything in between. We've discussed serious concerns, biblical topics and solved life's problems once again. Sometimes we have made future road trip plans and other times we both kept our cool and patience in Charleston trying to find the ever loving parking lot for the hotel. Yes, seriously, three times a charm. I have probably gained back some weight that I had lost and maybe she has too but we both rejoice in the fact the calories were worthy of consumption. We both delighted in the fact we only ate half of our respective desserts Thursday night. Our Charleston road trip and our other various trips to the mountains gave us the chance to coin a new term for our travels. We have snackage. That means we have put together snacks in a package to consume together...our great invention; various types of candy corn and French burnt peanuts. Delicious! It was a pleasure to go over to Charleston for Dena to celebrate the venture of her former boss and founder of Mustang Engineering with Forbes, book publishing division. The new book is a book on culture and having the right culture for business, church, school or any group activity...no silo mentality but much crossing across the usual lines that can divide. Bill Higgs is a servant leader! He's about people and making other people heroes. In those two Charleston days much was celebrated and remembered. I finally got to meet Heather B who Dena has talked of many times in her years at Mustang. She and her family now attend church at Houston's First Baptist Church's Cypress Campus...and the pastor is who I worked for at the Loop location of the church. Gave her a few stories to tease him with when she sees him next.

When asked how long and how did Lisa P and I become friends...we don't know...it just happened and we are so glad it did. When Dena and I are asked those questions, we can chart the start of our friendship in 2001. We both know in our heart of hearts the difficulties we overcame as our friendship transformed itself into a beautiful tapestry. No matter what, the friendship was more important than the misunderstanding and that proved to make our friendship into a successful, fun and meaningful one. There was work involved and we were willing to do the work.

This year I have been selfish in sharing my friends when they come to visit, although I have shared them a tiny little bit. The first part of this year was a very soul searching time for me and I kept activities and such at a minimum while processing emotions and thoughts. So my reward has been spending quality time with these friends who are so kind to travel here, going to the places we love, seeing new things and encouraging one another along the way. Experiencing the freedom that we share in our friendships and dare I say the phrase I don't care to use much, but making memories that we'll cherish and maybe even ponder for time to come...if we keep in our right minds and remember one another by face and name...or maybe we will feel like we have made new friends if our memory goes awry.

Driving Miss Dena

The wonders of North Carolina and Tennessee have been full these past few days. I still marvel at the fact so many beautiful places are within an hours drive. The temperature change between WNC and Charlotte is huge! It was in the high 90's when I picked up Dena from the airport on Thursday.

Thursday morning before leaving for the airport I had an appointment with the oral surgeon. Everything looked good, almost too good because my own bone had grown and encased the bone grafts that had been put in almost a year ago. That caused a little more work and thus a little delay in leaving for Charlotte but Dena didn't have to wait too long and besides I had promised to take her to eat some of the best pizza she had ever tasted. I did not break that promise. We also stopped in at Marilyn's Sweet Addictions. We decided to head toward home but ran an errand before arriving at la casa.

Friday, I had a rescheduled hair appointment and so Dena and I headed over early enough to procure parking from tourists and had breakfast, make that a delicious breakfast at Corner Kitchen. While my much needed hair needs were attended to, Dena was able to walk about Biltmore Village to so some shopping and try to get a pedicure but alas, all the appointments for Friday morning were full. With new color and coiffure we made a Target run and then stopped in for a quick bite at The Baked Pie Company. The cheese enchilada quiche is muy bueno! We made it home in time to watch most of Brother John's service at Houston's First Baptist online. It was long but good. We needed to get ready for our evening out and about on the town so we had it playing in the background and in the truck as we drove to church. Yes, a church night out on the town in Franklin to see Jeanne Robertson.  She is so funny and kept us entertained and laughing. Dena and I parked in the paw paw patch, so we had a little wait to get out of parking area. All of us had supper at Shoney's beforehand and had our own little laughfest. Here is a word of advice and I should have taken it...don't eat crawfish at Shoney's in the middle of the mountains...the first one had an odd coloring to the meat, so I used the other two as a demonstration of don't eat the yellow...cause the yellow is crawfish poop. Otherwise it was a delicious dinner. We got home around 11:00 and a little wired, so it was nearly 1:00 am before I was able to fall asleep.

We kind of had a leisure morning with places to go but no real tight schedule. So, we were able to take our time easing into the morning. This weekend is the Leicester Studio Art Tour. We hit a couple of the studios, but we began at Addison Vineyards cause Dena needed a nip of courage and downed a bottle of wine....no, no, no...Our favorite blacksmith is there and the quilt lady, Dort Lee who makes beautiful pieces. We ran into Dot and Lorraine who were shopping there too. Then off to the broom maker's studio and this year he had the Biltmore Blacksmith out there doing demonstrations. It is so beautiful out that way in Big Sandy Mush. We dropped off all our goodies and headed over to Mountain View cause I had ordered peaches. Once we got those we went over to Old Pilot Hill General Store and had lunch. We met Callie, our waitress...I don't want you to think Cali of the Feral Fam had found a job in TN. I don't think they let cats serve food, but I believe Mississippi does. Anyway, we had a great time talking with her as she is our sister in Christ and as soon as Dena ended our meal time prayer, Callie said amen. Now, this is the real fun... Dena will drive through some of the toughest areas of Houston and she does not bat an eye but get her out on a rural road or some other lovely pastoral place and she gets nervous. So, we take the back roads to Johnson City and almost every time we turned Dena would ask, is this the road to Kroger? Uh, no but it is one of the roads to get over that way. We weren't really going to stop at Kroger but it was on the way to Academy. So, I think she pulled out the how many more curves and I might be getting woozy strategy trying  to get me to answer her. I love our road adventures and laughs and as we came back into civilization, her nervousness and wooziness diminished somewhat. A profitable trip to Academy but neither one of us bought anything at Barnes and Noble. Our drive home produced lovely views and Dena even shared a small little bite of pretzel with me. She bought two huge ones from the Mennonite girls who everyone thinks is Amish. Ah yes, I am remembering a trip with Dena to Amish Country south of Nashville when Dena flirted with the idea of becoming the bride of an Amish man but I reminded her that would mean no flat iron using cause no electricity. She came to her senses.

We ate salad tonight for our supper with a slice of watermelon and we have both had a little dessert...no really, dessert was small.

Tomorrow holds more adventures but we aren't quite sure what they will be but we know they will be fun.

Three Days of Catching Up

It has been a multi slacking day with a few bursts of productivity thrown in for good measure. How Roy knows I am on my way to Walmart is a phenomenon that defies logic.  It has been several months since I had been there and it is the closest place to get some of this junk. It was not a waste of time because who and what are around come this fall and winter that belong to some part of the Feral Fam have a new tent of napping and playing. The one out there now has become a little worn with the wear and tear of play. Now to keep pool noodle prices or rather clearance prices is the next thing. The cashier at Walmart asked if I was going camping...because along with the tent I found some fold up chairs for a good price. Uh no, camping days are over, to tell you the truth they barely began before they came to a stop. The Walmart looked like winter storm or hurricane shopping had gone on the weekend before. So many shelves were empty, of stuff you wouldn't think would be depleted. They must be short handed because an announcement was made for workers from other stores to get their travel vouchers at 2:00.

Our interim pastor at church sure can preach and teach. His sermon yesterday was on Romans 12 and spiritual gifts. The past two Sundays have touched my spirit and at times a few tears have fallen. Not sad tears but happy ones.
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Oh Tuesday, you have already been full. I tried to get out the door earlier than I have been and almost accomplished that. A couple of quick errands and I got home to make green sauce and to start the process of preparing blackberries for freezing. Such a fun time of year.

It looked like we had some fraudulent activity with my email and a grocery delivery service. I have checked everything and it all looks good. I did come across a 200.00 debit that was a mystery. The fine folks at the bank did some research and then it dawned on me to check an account and oops, I made a math error. Silly me and math. I had been keeping Roy informed and when he called he told me all the lights had gone off in his building downtown. What? He then asked, have you been playing around with Excel? That was our joke when I worked and called upon him for expert Excel help which meant he put together a spread sheet for me while he ate lunch. It was a dead giveaway that I didn't do it because the spreadsheet produced results...which is way beyond my Excel knowledge. Also, many times, they didn't want the true numbers that go with evaluation. They would rather count one person twice on Sunday attendance if someone attended two classes. Ah church world, glad to not work in that anymore. Anyway, think we got it all figured out and no groceries should be delivered...or charged to any account.

This morning Cali was out back sitting on one of the big rocks. I came out with food and she began to meow loudly...gee, I can't ascertain cat language. She began looking around the rocks and of course I thought, oh no Riley is stuck or something. Put out the food and decided to see what happened before I began rock climbing in my jammies. Sure enough, she was looking for Riley who comes out from underneath the deck and that silences Cali. My only lessons in animal talk is from watching Lassie and Lassie is a dog, a special dog who can bark out instructions. 
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It is taking too long to finish this up, so  guess I'll just finish this up. I almost caught a family portrait of Cali, Riley and Big Sissy Daddy this morning, but Cali blends into the background and can't really see her. Getting ready for another visit from a friend. Have the last work to be done by the oral surgeon tomorrow and let the crown making begin...the last of August. Next week will finally be the follow up appointment for the procedure in March at the cardiologist. Another foggy morning so who knows what the winter holds...some say warmer but others say colder and wetter. Who knows? I sure don't but I do know the trees and flowers are beginning that journey into fall with a few hints thrown about the countryside.

Memories of Kittens to Cats

November 2017 is when the Feral Fam came into our lives. Mama Cat and her three kittens played under the fir tree on the gravel road behind us. Through a series that began with me taking food up to them and then realizing they would come down here to eat, getting them a tent of napping to keep them warm on cold days, and putting rugs up there to help keep their little paws warm, those little buggers made their way into my heart. How I was so concerned for them on those cold snowy days when they didn't come around and keeping them fed and providing some warmth for them when they did. I have taken a million pictures and videos of their antics and probably my favorite is the playing in the snow videos. What pure joy they experienced. What wonder I had as they played so hard in that snow.

The tent of napping and playing moved to the deck and then the tube and cube came next as Cali introduced her kittens to me one morning. It took me by surprise. She brought them to the deck, made sure I saw them and then she whisked them away. Several days later she moved in with those kittens, there were three of them. One was black and white, one was orange and one was a mix of black and white with a few calico markings. The little black and white one was snatched by a hawk, the little orange kitty fell ill and could not recover, but Cali still has Riley. Cali is a smart cat. She hid those three kittens under a storage tub when she felt danger was near. When we moved some old wire fence to the deck she used it to keep her kittens safe as she put them under it while she ate. Seen but not easy to get to. Her suspicions were aroused when I took an interest in the orange kitty, to catch him and get him to the vet. She never let him out of her sight and one time when I reached down just to pet his head, it's the only time she has ever done the deep growl that cats use when they mean business.

Meanwhile Camo had four kittens of which I only saw once, at dusk under the living room window. There were three solid black kittens and one mixed....I never saw them again. Mama Cat would come around in the mornings and some evenings, but it has been weeks since I have seen her. She looked like she was with litter but if she was nearby, she would still come to eat. MJ has shown up but not often. He looked so old to be under a year old. He would rest on the front porch rockers many an evening. He had fur missing on legs and his tail and the last time I saw him, his right eye looked like it had been scratched. MJ didn't move with his quickness he once possessed but a few times he seemed to be hanging with Cali more as a protector than a suitor. Cali has always eaten in my presence while the others usually stayed back. Many a morning and evening I stood outside only for Cali to enjoy a meal since her siblings and mother pushed her around. She was the runt of the litter.

Last night I thought Cali had been killed by the three dogs next door. I was in the living room and Buddy out on the porch. I heard this horrible scream of a cat. I ran out to the porch to check on Buddy thinking maybe Cali and Riley were on the open part of the front porch. No, Buddy was sound asleep but the dogs next door were in a frenzy. They bark a lot but this was a blood curdling sound. When I looked over that way I thought I saw them just barking at the fence, they do that a lot but what I saw next will never leave me. The three of them had the cat in their mouths and they ripped that cat apart. I burst into tears because the back legs of that poor cat are the same markings of Cali. Coming inside frantic knowing I could not watch those dogs anymore, I frantically called Roy and through the tears and sobs he began to understand what I was saying. Knowing that this is the kind of thing that throws me into afib, I settled down. Poor Brenda, she called to see if I was home from Charlotte and she got more than she bargained for... in the midst of the settling and I told her what I thought had happened. It was near the time to go upstairs and I went over to the living room window to close the curtains because there wasn't any reason to have them open because there wouldn't be play time under that window. A flash of white caught my eye and there was Riley. She was looking around and then got into the attack position of a cat and there from under the deck came Cali. There was great rejoicing in the midst of this place.

That still meant a cat had met the end of its life by those huge dogs next door. I don't think the cat was Big Sissy Daddy, Cali's boyfriend, but either Camo or MJ. I'm thinking it was MJ but it probably more likely to be Camo since MJ hasn't been around. Either way, out of the Feral Fam of Four, only Cali and her kitten Riley are seen here on a regular basis. It makes me sad to think that these cats made it through a tough and cold winter but summer has been the downfall.

The lessons these cats have provided...my view has changed and so has perspective on so many things. Each morning when I hear the sound of paws hitting the deck I smile, because it is Cali and Riley. Cali is playing like a kitten with her daughter and it is so fun to watch because her siblings didn't play with her much, unless they ganged up to attack her. Mama Cat rebuffed any interest Cali had in being with her. Those lonely moments in cat life made her a strong one and a survivor. She wanders but she also sticks close by.

This afternoon Riley has been playing in the side yard while Cali is sleeping under the deck. Buddy watches them but if she is able, she moves out onto the front porch and sleeps away the afternoon. Before leaving for church I made sure Buddy was well supplied and I fed Cali and Riley. Cali hissed at me but it seems like she does that out of some cat code, cause I have never done any harm to those cats. Then she meowed as she waited for me to get everything ready and laid out for their morning's energy boost.

I think that the Feral Fam is no more and for now it is just Cali and Riley...oh and sometimes Big Sissy Daddy. He came and ate yesterday morning. I have loved those cats through tough and easy times. I noticed the tent of napping has a slit in the top, so soon enough I'll go back over to Walmart and get another tent and put in winter insulation materials...pool noodles when they go on sale.

A Fabulous Birthday Week

The forecast didn't seem to call for rain but this evening while getting things out of the truck the sky to the north looked mildly dark and maybe full of rain. The roll of thunder in the distance and the beginnings of light rain hit the deck and ground, not enough to produce a beat, but enough to know there is moisture in the air. I was glad to be home and Buddy sound asleep on the porch. Rain has been hanging around all week and made appearances in the afternoon or late afternoon. It worked with our schedule though.

It has been a fun and full week. Lisa P flew in Saturday and I went to pick her up in Charlotte. We had been planning for weeks and I didn't mention it to anyone until I had to. Since Saturday was my birthday and her arrival was the celebration it was a very good way to start off the new birthday year. Although there was a little scare to the story because American Airlines cancelled her flight but with phone calls and persistence Lisa was booked on an earlier flight. We were all thankful for that. Our first stop was Good Wood Pizza in Lincolnton. Don't go if you want table cloths and silver but if you want delicious pizza and fun conversations with the fine folks making the pizza, you'll love it! They grown the wheat and millet that makes the crust and it has beaten out gas station pizza as my favorite pizza. After delicious pizza we made our way to Marilyn's Sweet Addictions...the name is perfect because there are plenty of addictions to choose from. Lisa and I made some good selections and then went back into the downtown area to check out The Meating Place and to look through Vintage Rescues.

Sunday morning we went to church. One of the reasons I hadn't told anyone that Lisa was coming totally originated out of selfish reasons. She is so restricted when she knows she has to sing and so I came to the decision not to mention her arrival. She did sing in the choir though and it was a joy to have her there. After church we came home and ate a sandwich and then hit the road or rather the parkway. We had a splendid time going up to Mt Mitchell. The day was just perfect for a convertible ride to the highest point east of the Mississippi. I am sure all those on the road enjoyed all our singing along with oldies, goodies and spiritual songs. We had a few drops of rain but nothing that stopped us. We had tickets to see Chihuly at Biltmore, so we headed that direction. La Cantina had a long wait so we headed over to Whole Foods for a little din din. The good thing about that stop is discovering that Whole Foods carries Topo Chico...at at steep price but they have it with a twist of lime.

At the Biltmore I did a first...parked in the parking lot for the shuttle to the house. Since we stayed there in the past at the Inn, we always took the shuttle. Since moving here, I rarely go to the house anymore, so no need to park. It wasn't too bad of an experience but dang, there were so many people. The heat and the constant crowd wore me down. The exhibit is beautiful though.
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Monday morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and Buddy is enjoying a porch nap. Cali and Riley are playing on the deck...it is a quiet morning. No real schedule. Stuff to do of course, but I love this time to think back on this past week and how much it has meant to me. Since Lisa and I had things we wanted to do and see, we didn't build much relaxing time into the schedule but of course we did have time in the evenings to sit on the porch or while we watched one of our favorite shows on TV.

Last Monday, Lisa and I had a laid back morning and then headed over toward Waynesville. We went to Robin Blu and Hazelwood Soap Company. And if it is Monday and you are in that area, lunch is at The Blue Rooster because you know, fried chicken is the special of the day. Deliciousness personified. You might think the best part of that lunch was the food and yes, it is a big part, but since we came after the lunch rush we were able to visit with my friend who works there. What an encouragement and our words spurred each other onward. The Lord is so good even when we don't understand the happenings of life, we can trust Him. After our late lunch, we decided to head out on the parkway instead of going to Barber's Orchard. What a lovely drive. At Devil's Courthouse, we talked to two young women who had just hiked to the top. They were enthusiastic for our hike to see the beauty and we just asked to see some pictures from their time at the top. One goes to NC State and the other young woman attends the Art Institute of Chicago. We left the parkway on 215, stopped at the waterfall and marveled at the beauty that the Lord has created.

Tuesday morning we had reserved places for the Carolina Bison Tour. Brenda was able to come with us as she has been wanting to do the tour just about as much as I have. Very well done and so informative. I drive by there at least once a week and now knowing the lay of the land and their approach to research and providing local sourced products is compelling. The three of us then went to lunch at Turkey Creek, then Lisa and I were off to an exciting trip to the grocery store. Tuesday evening was book club to discuss our read, "Delicious," Good discussion and great gingerbread cake made from a recipe in the book.

Wednesday found us off early to Mountain View Store in TN. I had ordered some things and they were in. We also took the opportunity to pick up some lovely baked goods and snacks. Back home, changed to the convertible and we were off to Grandfather Mountain. First we stopped for lunch at The Italian Restaurant. We went to the bridge first thing upon arriving at GFM. Lisa didn't go over the bridge but she got on it and she made huge progress since her first visit last September. We drove down the mountain to the song Overcomer. Stopped in at the gift shop and got out to the car just in time to put up the top before the heavens declared the glory of God through rain. It was a heavy rain and we drove out of it but encountered it once again in Burnsville. I told Lisa we probably would since that seems to be a rain conduit. We sang once again and prayed through the rain to arrive home safely. For this we are thankful.

Thursday...well, it was a sad/happy day. Sad for Lisa going home but happy to spend a little more time together before her flight. We decided to leave a little early so that we could go back to Good Wood Pizza and Marilyn's. On the way home I stopped in at Barnes and Noble to help celebrate National Book Day. So, I bought a book and a couple of magazines, then returned home to find our book club's next selection in the mailbox.

So, this is a morning's rest but now it is time to get busy around here.

Rain, Houston Happenings, Sleep Deprivation, and Cake

The sound of raindrops greet me after a brief few moments of sunshine. Weather reports say we will get more rain than we did yesterday. We didn't get that much around here but it is enough from keeping me out of the yard to water the flowerbeds. For this, I am thankful. With the news of this being the year of the tick I am most aware. Last night I was looking at my legs, knowing the little red bumps were chigger bites but there for a moment I felt a bit like my father who declared with every cold, ache, sneeze, hangnail and chapped lips that his cancer was back. Scaring myself unnecessarily. I did have one little tick get on my arm and he was promptly dismissed with Dawn soap into tick heaven.

The Feral Fam had brunch today. They were later than usual to show up and it was just Cali, Riley and MJ came running in at the last second. Good thing they were served under a bit of covering today because the food would be getting soaked.

I don't think Buddy ate too much of her "doctored" food yesterday because somewhere around 2:00 am, she stirred and didn't settle until about 4:30 which means my sleep is not deep. Just as she settled and I turned to get comfortable...afib...kicked...in. Not bad or it could have been more of a flutter, I started doing some breathing exercises that I was told might help and they did. I did have a little sweet in the early evening and that might have helped trigger it. I have learned that and I keep forgetting so maybe I haven't learned that anything sweet other than fruit in the evenings is not helpful. Well, duh you might be thinking and I would chime right in with you.
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It is now Friday, thus the asterisks. I checked the rain gauge this afternoon and we are nearly at 5 inches. It was a constant rain yesterday and it let up a little in the evening but I could hear the rain overnight. Because it was so loud? No, because at 1:15 am, the electricity and WiFi went out for a nano second but coming back online Alex is talking and things are beeping and thus I found myself wide awake and had great difficulty getting back to sleep. About 2:30 am I was beginning to doze off when Buddy decided she was moving into her normal spot and once again, wide awake as neither one of us could settle. When we finally did, we heard a noise outside and both of us sat up and listened. She went to the window and looked out, I turned on lights. It was probably the Feral Fam Second Generation playing on the deck. Finally around 5:00 am I fell asleep and woke up at 8:30. It felt so good I went back to sleep and slept till 9:30. So in the midst of all the being awake, I could hear the rain.

I have been mesmerized by a story in Houston. On July 20th a prominent cardiologist was shot and killed in the middle of morning rush hour. He rode his bike to work and the killer also was on a bike. From the beginning the police felt it had been a targeted hit and began the work of figuring out who this guy was. They were given security tapes from buses and light rail. Home owners in the area checked their cameras and a pretty good likeness of the man was found. Clues began coming in and although they first thought it was a white or Hispanic man in his thirties, it turned out to be a man that was 62. Neighbors recognized the bike and backpack...the man lived in Westbury...which is the subdivision where I grew up. I began following the story on the alumni page on Facebook because this man went to Westbury High School. He was probably a sophomore my senior year and I didn't know him. But back in the day, the guy was very handsome. He never married or had children. They think he killed the doctor as a revenge killing because his mother died under the care of the doctor on the operating room table in 1997. He had been in law enforcement for about thirty years and moved back into his parent's home when his father died in 2010. It came out in the news that he had been bullied in high school and he told a friend he had a list of people who he was going to pay back for his pain. Suddenly people who had known him in school or had dated him were a little worried because the guy was still on the run. The police had searched his home and found tons of evidence that this was a revenge killing, years of planning and files kept. A false alarm last night when someone in his neighborhood thought they saw him go into his home. Many felt like he had committed suicide after texting a friend he was going to do that. This morning, through a series of events, they found him 3.5 miles from his home...over near the Jewish Retirement Home and was stopped because the park person who tries to keep graffiti at bay, confronted him from a distance. He apologized to the man stating that was what he thought the man was doing, but he looked down and their was the guy's wallet...it was the man all of Houston has been looking for. An officer showed up and confronted the man who would not show his right hand and only when a second unit showed up, the man took his own life. This all happened very close to the last home my parent's lived in. I have watched coverage on and off this morning. It seems unreal to be watching the computer and know exactly what everything is in the helicopter shots.

Nathan and Andrew came yesterday and made a major, major dent into the dense growth that had overtaken our backyard. It looks a little battle scared today but the pruning and trimming are just the beginning of this project. By doing this they can see what is out there exactly that has been covered up by the vine from h#ll. The butterflies aren't going to be too happy but they will be next year. The birds aren't too fazed by cut back.

I missed lunch today so I took the opportunity to go to Turkey Creek Cafe. I was going to get the fried fish but they had their NY strip steaks and that is what I got...along with a piece of coconut cake. Delicious. Now I need to do a few odds and ends and then call it an evening.