For Now....

This morning I awoke with a sore throat and lots of coughing, with a small nuisance headache behind my eyes. The sore throat always gains attention because it has become a sign unto me that the good ol immune system has kicked into overdrive and needs additional assistance and that has come to be rest. Rest has been a difficult thing to acquire lately with Buddy. So, kind of like with a child you takes the rest when they choose to rest. For now...with Buddy on my lap, choosing rest was the best option.

With the homegoing of a beloved friend and attention needed for the back porch construction, being able to write about the luncheon at church on Thursday kind of took a backseat. But it was well done and so enjoyed by those of us in attendance. We enjoyed the presence of many who are unable to come to church on Sundays anymore. Several of the ladies are in their early hundreds. Wow! The meal is prepared by loving volunteers who have the regarded gift of food prep, no make that delicious food prep. So we had meat loaf, mashed potatoes, creamed corn (there ain't nothing like NC cream corn,) green beans, slaw, rolls and banana pudding. If you didn't know Jesus before this meal, you would know Him afterwards. Brenda's mom Robin, ditched sitting with us to go sit with her friends. Yes, somehow and somewhere we will always carry that part of being a teenager with us...don't blame her, that's what I would want to do. So Brenda, Ann, Jennell and then later joined by Dot and Jan had a marvelous time. The stories of growing up in this area mesmerized me. Stories of first jobs and school and the like. I left the luncheon full, not only of good food but thankful for friends and for a good church home. Several told me before we bought the house up here that it would be a rough road to make friends and that is true advice but God in His grace and mercy provided and we haven't become statistics.

It wasn't in the plans yesterday but I ended up in Maggie Valley. The original trip was to an antique store in Waynesville passed by so many times but never a stop. A Facebook market item had drawn my attention to the store. So after a much later start than anticipated, the Buddy no rest adventure, I went to Waynesville. I really wanted to take the car but I knew it would be better to take the truck...just in case I came across what I was looking for. This nixed the "find" but this is what put the malocchio on the trip, also had checks and antique hunting cash. I liked the antique store but it really didn't have the stuff I was looking for. The owner directed me to a place in Maggie Valley so I left but stopped at the hit and miss antique store on the Smoky Mountain Expressway. It was a miss visit so with the threat of rain hanging over the mountains, it was off to Maggie Valley. It has been sometime since I have been in MV and it was enchanting drive through yesterday. Years ago, we briefly toyed with the idea of buying a condo off a golf course there just for summer visits but Roy asked me if I really wanted a condo or just continue with the Biltmore Experience? Uh, at that time Biltmore was the answer and Roy in his accountant way said, well, it is cheaper to do that...which seems counter-intuitive.  Maggie Valley's main drag is quaint motels, local comfort food eats, gift shops and antique stores. Many years ago I remember driving through such an area but couldn't quite place where we had been...it all came back to me yesterday. Of course these quaint motels cater to the bike crowd which means there is such a mix of people and that makes people watching more diverse and interesting. I stopped at the recommended antique store and loved it. Full of rustic, metal, tools, kitchen stuff....it is a definite return. Found a green ladderish kind of thing that will go perfectly on the back porch. When I got home I went through the scrap wood heap and found three boards that will work as shelves. Now to think of what color to paint them. Not green to be matchy matchy or white to be cutesy cutesy. After stopping there that is when I decided to drive through the rest of the way. Found Joey's Pancakes so now we can make a visit. Started back toward home. The old lady that used to sit out on her front porch a lot, almost every time while driving by hasn't been out there for about two years now. Well, maybe she is sick and when she gets better....but yesterday the truth of her absence was verified by the look of the house. The porch furniture has been removed and the window coverings gone revealing an empty house...for now.

I stopped at Dickey's to pick up some brisket for a late lunch and as always...delicious. After eating here it was onto the grocery store for a couple of needed items. Publix had New England Coffee brand on sale, or rather BOGO. Stocked up on butter pecan and some breakfast blend.

Cautiously last night...while watching Singing in the Rain, my eyes were on Buddy. She was starting to do that wander and meow thing. She settled a bit, hung around a bit and then when I went to the bedroom, she followed, jumped on the bed and got into her little bed. Just that in itself cut out several hours of fitful sleep.

So the wind is beginning to blow, huge gusts make trees creak and groan. I'm looking at all the lumber in the back yard, unsecured and think I'll go out and make a few adjustments. The more sun we have in the space of clearing between systems will either make this something to be very concerned over or it could be some rain that isn't too much of a problem.

So now, while finishing up this post, I have stopped coughing for a bit, Buddy is on my lap again and the wind has stopped blowing, for now.