The end of July is coming to a close. This summer has gone by quickly but August holds Barbers Orchard opening and all the goodness contained there. Lora and I have made tentative plans to meet there for a peach/apple slushie and who knows what else? Oh apples, yes. Well, not so much in the beginning. But by the end of August the honey crisp are ready and available for purchase. Yahoo!
We looked at one song last night in choir from our Christmas music. It is an enjoyable song and fun to sing. All the music we worked on last night was so good, several songs we have sung before and a few new ones, well new to me.
Just looked over the first fall reading list from Square Books. Now all of these lists are online but I remember checking the mail with the hopes the latest Dear Reader would be in the mailbox. When the anticipation was nearly taking over, there it would be. Slowly, I would go through all the new releases and circle books that I was interested in. This is before Amazon and before local bookstores carried little known genres. I would order from Square Books and when that box came, it felt like Christmas and nostalgia wrapped together because the books were wrapped the individually with brown paper. Square Books is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. For so many years we made a detour to Square Books in Oxford MS on our way to Nashville or to Asheville. Such a fun detour, at least for me, and throughout those early years I've experienced stories from their local Mississippi authors that were probably self published thinking about it in hindsight. That is where I found Augusta Trobaugh novels that are such delightful, thought provoking and funny reads. Ya gots to love good stories that have all the elements needed to flesh out characters and the dailiness of life.
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I found myself on some back roads yesterday in east TN. The rolling hillsides, all manner of crops, dairy cows and the like certainly drew me in. From time to time I had to stop and enjoy the view. A good smattering of old farmhouses mixed in with newer construction. It was one of those times where the view is committed to heart not a camera. Numerous fields with hay in preparation for baling. There is nothing like the sweet fragrance of hay in the air.
Last week a friend and I were commiserating over the decline of customer service at The Nord. The Nord in Charlotte since my first visit there has been referred as the sub par Nord. The selection, the restaurant and finding someone to help with a purchase is a constant consistent. Sounded like from my friend's observations that the Nord near her in Texas is experiencing the same problems. That prompted me to go online and see if this was a universal problem or we were just fortunate to have the sub par experience. No, it seems like the general consensus is huge decline. The Nord has a great online presence but traffic in the stores has decreased. Now you'll find most sales people looking at their phones and standing around. One interesting comment from a review that Nordstrom's problem is lack of training for their personnel, nothing like it has been in the past when training and service were recognized by those in the industry and those outside of it. I had also heard that the stores are taking more of a Nordstrom Rack mentality...which is great at a Rack store but not so much in a signature store.
Our class finished up with the study of David by looking at Psalm 23. There is so much in that Psalm for daily life. We begin looking at Solomon this week and it's funny, after talking to my friend Carole yesterday she mentioned her class's study of Ecclesiastes, it looks like in a couple of weeks we too will be spending a Sunday in that book. They had twelve weeks, so feeling pretty good about just the one. We are looking at wisdom and how God blessed Solomon to rule with wisdom this coming Sunday.
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We might get some rain this evening. We got enough yesterday that I didn't have to water anything. Don't want the wind gusts though.
It is a good thing I got new glasses today because I wore navy leggings with my black and white dress. Oops. The navy discovery came though while still wearing the old glasses. Oh well... So that meant I didn't cross my legs today at the funeral of Shirley Israel. I didn't know Shirley very well but she had always been kind to me. So, I got my new glasses, ate Mexican food for lunch, ran over to Marshall for a quick stop, came home and then went to church.
Well, I should fix supper...thinking of a Cuman D tomato but no runny eggs on the side.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Sunday Night Top Off
Buddy wants out on the back porch. She hasn't a clue that it is 1:15 am. Who knows what creeps around at night and maybe a screen wouldn't be enough to keep her from harm. This is hard on both of us and I can only hope that she will soon settle down and sleep a couple of hours. I am torn on whether to take her to the vet or not. She needs her nails trimmed, although she let me trim them a little without any fuss. She could probably use a steroid shot but after the last one which caused her such stress and over a week to recover, I hesitate. This little Buddy will be fifteen in a week or so and these past few months have been difficult for her. I used some organic lavender to calm her down a bit knowing that essential oils can be hard on cats. She finally went back downstairs and went to sleep. Meanwhile I was wide awake. So, all in all I think I got about three and a half hours of sleep last night. Two hard nights in a row of sleep deprivation doesn't make me that alert.
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Well, the above was several nights ago. Buddy did well two nights in a row and then last night was a rather sleepless night. So it makes Sunday truly a day of rest for me. Even with a good dosing of meds yesterday the dementia fought through the fog and Buddy was chasing invisible foes altering that with some blank stare time. We went downstairs around 2:00 am, gave her some treats, set the Dwell app on the book of Luke and waited for Buddy to settle, get on my lap and fall asleep.
My hair appointment was changed this week, so I went Thursday afternoon to a new stylist, to me, at the salon. She and I hit it off and we are happy with the new association. Christine is doing a lot of seminars and classes, really cutting back...haha...on her chair time. Before the appointment I had lunch at La Cantina and did a little window strolling through Biltmore Village. They are fixing the brick sidewalks not to be such a tripping hazard.
On Friday such a delightful afternoon with friends from Houston. They had been in the area and we met for lunch and then came back here for a bit. We did a little drive by sightseeing and ended up in Marshall. Always love a trip to Penlands and there is a fried pie lady from Burnsville that brings fried pies to the store during the week. She had brought 54 of them and when we were there Friday afternoon. four were left. Got the strawberry fried pie and it was really good. The girls left for their cabin and I began writing out the lesson for Sunday. It felt like it would be a little different than usual in the prep this week.
It pays to go to choir practice...well, sometimes when you get homegrown tomatoes from a friend and another friend is inquiring about an Asian cuisine lunch sometime. It's all good.
I am hoping for a good sleeping night but I'm not too sure. Buddy is downstairs starring at the wall. I will go get her in a few minutes if she doesn't come upstairs soon.
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Well, the above was several nights ago. Buddy did well two nights in a row and then last night was a rather sleepless night. So it makes Sunday truly a day of rest for me. Even with a good dosing of meds yesterday the dementia fought through the fog and Buddy was chasing invisible foes altering that with some blank stare time. We went downstairs around 2:00 am, gave her some treats, set the Dwell app on the book of Luke and waited for Buddy to settle, get on my lap and fall asleep.
My hair appointment was changed this week, so I went Thursday afternoon to a new stylist, to me, at the salon. She and I hit it off and we are happy with the new association. Christine is doing a lot of seminars and classes, really cutting back...haha...on her chair time. Before the appointment I had lunch at La Cantina and did a little window strolling through Biltmore Village. They are fixing the brick sidewalks not to be such a tripping hazard.
On Friday such a delightful afternoon with friends from Houston. They had been in the area and we met for lunch and then came back here for a bit. We did a little drive by sightseeing and ended up in Marshall. Always love a trip to Penlands and there is a fried pie lady from Burnsville that brings fried pies to the store during the week. She had brought 54 of them and when we were there Friday afternoon. four were left. Got the strawberry fried pie and it was really good. The girls left for their cabin and I began writing out the lesson for Sunday. It felt like it would be a little different than usual in the prep this week.
It pays to go to choir practice...well, sometimes when you get homegrown tomatoes from a friend and another friend is inquiring about an Asian cuisine lunch sometime. It's all good.
I am hoping for a good sleeping night but I'm not too sure. Buddy is downstairs starring at the wall. I will go get her in a few minutes if she doesn't come upstairs soon.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Weather, Psalms, Cats and Gardening...It's Tuesday!
It must have rained off and on all during the night and you'd think I would really be knowledgeable about that because it was another long night with Buddy. Around 2:00 am I got up, came downstairs and let her sleep in my lap. Sleep didn't come for me so I read and listened to scripture. Finally, after a little over an hour, I went back to bed only to be awakened around 4:00, 5:15, 6:20 and then finally getting up around 7:00.
The first time I read about Dwell was on Twitter. So to the app store to check it out. About $30.00 a year with a seven day free trial. What I like about it is, different voices can be chosen for the reading as well as background music. There are playlists, like I listened to all the parables last night from the gospels. Then started the book of Mark. Such a wide range of choices. Usually I keep away from audible because my attention strays and then if a book, I have to re-listen cause I have lost a huge chunk of the story. The playlists are divided up by subject or by the book. Think Dwell is sticking around after the seven day free trial.
This Sunday we are studying Psalm 23 as we take our last look at David's life before moving onto Solomon. Sometimes teaching very familiar passages is harder because they are well loved, often memorized and our attitude, while not with malicious intent, we can skip over meaning and new meaning just due to familiarity. Yesterday, while working on the front bedroom and getting things together for a Goodwill run, I thought about the 23rd Psalm, remembering maybe my first memory of it. Seems like my cousins and I were given children's Bibles by our grandparents. The cover was Jesus with all the little children. Inside the cover was Psalm 23 and the back inside cover was The Lord's Prayer. So it must have been around the second or third grade being at my grandparents for part of the summer and being able to go to VBS at their church. It seems we were studying Psalm 23 and by the end of the week we were to have it memorized for the all important star by our name of completing memory work. Upstairs, in the bedroom I slept in while there, I remember sitting by the window gazing out on the gas station on the far corner and memorizing the Psalm. When I got to the part about, "yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, Thou art with me..." back in the day the King James version is all we had...but somehow I began to think that the cedar closet in that bedroom was the shadow of death. We weren't allowed to open that closet door and with my grandmother reciting the poem, Little Orphan Annie...which is complete with goblins, before I fell asleep each night, the closet became shadow of death...goblin home. I do remember that I memorized the Psalm and was so happy it was on the inside cover so I didn't have to thumb through the thin pages to find it each time I did memory work.
I am trying an experiment today. The little family, Strawyer, Punky, and Mr McBeavy come into the garage now and then when their food is being prepared. With all the rain from last night and trying to make the screen around the porch not be too attractive to investigative scratching, I left the backdoor to the garage open. Punky came in and guess Straw and the Mr have come in as well. Trying not to bring attention that it could be a big deal being in the garage out of the rain. It is just so stinkin' wet and almost have had three inches of rain. They are looking for a dry spot so they are getting an option other to hanging off the ledge around the porch. **Update** It looks like at least for now, Nancy'sark I mean garage is closed for business. Punky and the Mr just left for the great outdoors and Strawyer, he might still be asleep in the garage but I will go check in a little bit. **Update** Strawyer wasn't asleep in the garage and had probably gone out wandering before Punky left the friendly confines.
Just read an interesting article about the new CEO of Barnes and Noble. He has been successful in turning around bookstores in the UK. With the recent closings of Lifeway stores I read the article with those closings in mind. I avoided Lifeway stores if at all possible. They were stark, cold, full of junk and the arrangement of the books didn't facilitate browsing. I had found better selections at the nearby Barnes and Noble store. It might happen that B and N will warm up a bit in tone and arranging books for more browsing opportunities. This will be interesting to keep tabs on.
I broke my vow of not assembling anymore furniture but it wasn't too difficult. Ordered teal chairs to go with the dining table on the porch. Most of the time metal chairs come assembled, but not these. It was a quick assemblage before the rain and storms came last evening.
Before the sun came through the clouds and after the rain it was a brief attempt at weeding the front flowerbed. It is overgrown with grass and weeds in the very front part. I'm thinking of making up some of that vinegar, Dawn and Epsom salt mix to spray carefully around the plants. I worked till the sun made the temps too difficult for work. Even in the low 70's with a breeze cannot compete or overcome the sun at this elevation. As evening draws near, I will get back out there and get the weeds that did get pulled into trash bags.
Wrapping this up and thinking and studying Psalm 23.
The first time I read about Dwell was on Twitter. So to the app store to check it out. About $30.00 a year with a seven day free trial. What I like about it is, different voices can be chosen for the reading as well as background music. There are playlists, like I listened to all the parables last night from the gospels. Then started the book of Mark. Such a wide range of choices. Usually I keep away from audible because my attention strays and then if a book, I have to re-listen cause I have lost a huge chunk of the story. The playlists are divided up by subject or by the book. Think Dwell is sticking around after the seven day free trial.
This Sunday we are studying Psalm 23 as we take our last look at David's life before moving onto Solomon. Sometimes teaching very familiar passages is harder because they are well loved, often memorized and our attitude, while not with malicious intent, we can skip over meaning and new meaning just due to familiarity. Yesterday, while working on the front bedroom and getting things together for a Goodwill run, I thought about the 23rd Psalm, remembering maybe my first memory of it. Seems like my cousins and I were given children's Bibles by our grandparents. The cover was Jesus with all the little children. Inside the cover was Psalm 23 and the back inside cover was The Lord's Prayer. So it must have been around the second or third grade being at my grandparents for part of the summer and being able to go to VBS at their church. It seems we were studying Psalm 23 and by the end of the week we were to have it memorized for the all important star by our name of completing memory work. Upstairs, in the bedroom I slept in while there, I remember sitting by the window gazing out on the gas station on the far corner and memorizing the Psalm. When I got to the part about, "yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, Thou art with me..." back in the day the King James version is all we had...but somehow I began to think that the cedar closet in that bedroom was the shadow of death. We weren't allowed to open that closet door and with my grandmother reciting the poem, Little Orphan Annie...which is complete with goblins, before I fell asleep each night, the closet became shadow of death...goblin home. I do remember that I memorized the Psalm and was so happy it was on the inside cover so I didn't have to thumb through the thin pages to find it each time I did memory work.
I am trying an experiment today. The little family, Strawyer, Punky, and Mr McBeavy come into the garage now and then when their food is being prepared. With all the rain from last night and trying to make the screen around the porch not be too attractive to investigative scratching, I left the backdoor to the garage open. Punky came in and guess Straw and the Mr have come in as well. Trying not to bring attention that it could be a big deal being in the garage out of the rain. It is just so stinkin' wet and almost have had three inches of rain. They are looking for a dry spot so they are getting an option other to hanging off the ledge around the porch. **Update** It looks like at least for now, Nancy's
Just read an interesting article about the new CEO of Barnes and Noble. He has been successful in turning around bookstores in the UK. With the recent closings of Lifeway stores I read the article with those closings in mind. I avoided Lifeway stores if at all possible. They were stark, cold, full of junk and the arrangement of the books didn't facilitate browsing. I had found better selections at the nearby Barnes and Noble store. It might happen that B and N will warm up a bit in tone and arranging books for more browsing opportunities. This will be interesting to keep tabs on.
I broke my vow of not assembling anymore furniture but it wasn't too difficult. Ordered teal chairs to go with the dining table on the porch. Most of the time metal chairs come assembled, but not these. It was a quick assemblage before the rain and storms came last evening.
Before the sun came through the clouds and after the rain it was a brief attempt at weeding the front flowerbed. It is overgrown with grass and weeds in the very front part. I'm thinking of making up some of that vinegar, Dawn and Epsom salt mix to spray carefully around the plants. I worked till the sun made the temps too difficult for work. Even in the low 70's with a breeze cannot compete or overcome the sun at this elevation. As evening draws near, I will get back out there and get the weeds that did get pulled into trash bags.
Wrapping this up and thinking and studying Psalm 23.
Monday, July 22, 2019
It's Beginning To Look Like Monday
This lesson on David and Bathsheba is not taking the expected direction. Oh sure, we will discuss the obvious but in the past few years the old way of telling the story is taking a different direction with many biblical scholars in the 'me too' era. Not that I heard this Bible story often growing up...you can kind of put it in the category including the woman with the issue of blood and any cutting off of foreskin Bible story. Those aren't the kind of stories to tackle with children but when you get into junior high and high school, the David/Bathsheba story is usually used as a lesson to thwart those raging hormones during the discussion of how far can we go before we are sinning when dating. Do they even discuss this kind of stuff anymore? But of course, I digress.
The lesson takes the turn in II Samuel 12, when Nathan is sent by the Lord to see David and confront him...only with a story. One of the few uses of parables in the OT. So Nathan starts out telling David an animal story. I don't know about y'all but that animal care commercial where dogs are in the snow, chained to a stake, cats trying to keep warm...all get to me so much so I have to turn the channel and this particular commercial must be one of the longest commercials time wise cause I flip back too soon. Not only does Nathan tell an animal story, but he tells a sheep and lamb story...of course, the sure way to a shepherd's heart. A rich man and a poor man round out the story except for the traveler that is mentioned who comes to see the rich man. Rich man doesn't take a sheep out of his herd to feed the traveler but takes the poor mans one little lamb. Of course David is livid, says the rich man should be killed and replace the lamb fourfold. Then Nathan says, Thou Art The Man....What has pulled my interest is the word traveler. Everything I have read concerning the usage of this word in reference to the story means, of course one on a journey, wayfaring man, one walking on a road or path. The traveler is also a reference to David, so he is a rich man and the traveler is the thought or process causing him to sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, baby and the soldiers killed in battle with Uriah. There are also variations on the depth of the word traveler known to those living in that time. The meaning could be one that passes by, then it becomes one who stays from time to time and the final stage is taking up residence. David was quick to confess his sin when confronted after about nine months of keeping his sin hidden. We can read Psalm 51 to gain insight into his heart. But sadly his best days are behind him as his family begins to fall apart and they are repeating the pattern of his sin where David doesn't or can't say anything.
The front flowerbed needs so much attention because the weeds are taking over the front part of that bed. I also need to check on the ginger gold apples because they are the first apples of apple season. Last year that little tree produced about 50 apples but production doesn't seem to be that many this year, although the apples look bigger than last year. One of the peach trees died so I need to get another planted, maybe in the fall or do I wait till spring, I don't know but I will find out.
From the window I am watching a mockingbird protecting his perceived territory on top of Mary Joyce's house. He is marching on the roof line like a soldier. Quite funny to watch. It used to be that the bird feeder in the back ran out of food before the front yard feeder but guess feral cats keep visits to the back at a minimum. Think the blue birds and woodpecker have moved on because almost anything that remains in the feeder is meal worms.
I have been thinking about the 50th anniversary of the moon walk in 1969. I watched it on a black and white TV. It seemed so unreal yet so monumental. It was the summer before starting high school. I had that anxiety riding in the pit of my stomach all summer, not about the moon... I already knew and knew from the first question in the interview I had not made it into the Rebelettes. Rebelettes were the drum, bugle and fife core of my high school, being before dance squads. The first question of the interview was, if you don't make it into the Rebelettes, would you play volleyball? So this being back in the olden days, tryouts would happen after school began. What if I didn't make it? Well, I did make the team and even before starting high school had my first official car date. Yep, in the summer of 1969 things were looking up for me after men walked on the moon.
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Monday morning is overcast and gray. We are under a flash flood watch and the rain is forecast to begin this afternoon. I might try and get out this morning for a couple of errands. Tomorrow the temps are to be in the 70's. That's a welcomed relief.
This weekend I watched two documentaries and learned about the theory that a Secret Service agent accidentally shot President Kennedy in the heat of trying to defend him and then last night about the rampant drug use for WWII beginning with Germany's usage. Never even heard of either of these things.
After church yesterday I went to lunch with Brenda and her cousin Jackie. Jackie loves books just about as much as I do, maybe even more. We had a lovely time and nearly closed down the lunch rush of the restaurant. I came home and took a much needed nap. I felt the beginnings of a sore throat Sunday morning and that is a sign I need to take a rest break. This past week I decided to finally tackle a few things here at the house that I have been putting off too long. Didn't go to choir last night cause still felt fatigued and Buddy was enjoying the back porch so much, didn't have the heart to bring her in early. It rained during the afternoon enough not to have to water the front flowerbed last night. With the break in the temps from the rain cooled air, the little family of three kept together in the backyard. Strawyer joined in the rollicking play of Punky and Mr McBeavy. He usually watches stoically. I found one of Riley's toys in the garage and brought that out for the Mr. He played with that for a solid thirty minutes. As dusk overtook the sky, it meant it was dark enough to play red laser light and Punky still enthusiastically plays.
The lesson takes the turn in II Samuel 12, when Nathan is sent by the Lord to see David and confront him...only with a story. One of the few uses of parables in the OT. So Nathan starts out telling David an animal story. I don't know about y'all but that animal care commercial where dogs are in the snow, chained to a stake, cats trying to keep warm...all get to me so much so I have to turn the channel and this particular commercial must be one of the longest commercials time wise cause I flip back too soon. Not only does Nathan tell an animal story, but he tells a sheep and lamb story...of course, the sure way to a shepherd's heart. A rich man and a poor man round out the story except for the traveler that is mentioned who comes to see the rich man. Rich man doesn't take a sheep out of his herd to feed the traveler but takes the poor mans one little lamb. Of course David is livid, says the rich man should be killed and replace the lamb fourfold. Then Nathan says, Thou Art The Man....What has pulled my interest is the word traveler. Everything I have read concerning the usage of this word in reference to the story means, of course one on a journey, wayfaring man, one walking on a road or path. The traveler is also a reference to David, so he is a rich man and the traveler is the thought or process causing him to sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, baby and the soldiers killed in battle with Uriah. There are also variations on the depth of the word traveler known to those living in that time. The meaning could be one that passes by, then it becomes one who stays from time to time and the final stage is taking up residence. David was quick to confess his sin when confronted after about nine months of keeping his sin hidden. We can read Psalm 51 to gain insight into his heart. But sadly his best days are behind him as his family begins to fall apart and they are repeating the pattern of his sin where David doesn't or can't say anything.
The front flowerbed needs so much attention because the weeds are taking over the front part of that bed. I also need to check on the ginger gold apples because they are the first apples of apple season. Last year that little tree produced about 50 apples but production doesn't seem to be that many this year, although the apples look bigger than last year. One of the peach trees died so I need to get another planted, maybe in the fall or do I wait till spring, I don't know but I will find out.
From the window I am watching a mockingbird protecting his perceived territory on top of Mary Joyce's house. He is marching on the roof line like a soldier. Quite funny to watch. It used to be that the bird feeder in the back ran out of food before the front yard feeder but guess feral cats keep visits to the back at a minimum. Think the blue birds and woodpecker have moved on because almost anything that remains in the feeder is meal worms.
I have been thinking about the 50th anniversary of the moon walk in 1969. I watched it on a black and white TV. It seemed so unreal yet so monumental. It was the summer before starting high school. I had that anxiety riding in the pit of my stomach all summer, not about the moon... I already knew and knew from the first question in the interview I had not made it into the Rebelettes. Rebelettes were the drum, bugle and fife core of my high school, being before dance squads. The first question of the interview was, if you don't make it into the Rebelettes, would you play volleyball? So this being back in the olden days, tryouts would happen after school began. What if I didn't make it? Well, I did make the team and even before starting high school had my first official car date. Yep, in the summer of 1969 things were looking up for me after men walked on the moon.
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Monday morning is overcast and gray. We are under a flash flood watch and the rain is forecast to begin this afternoon. I might try and get out this morning for a couple of errands. Tomorrow the temps are to be in the 70's. That's a welcomed relief.
This weekend I watched two documentaries and learned about the theory that a Secret Service agent accidentally shot President Kennedy in the heat of trying to defend him and then last night about the rampant drug use for WWII beginning with Germany's usage. Never even heard of either of these things.
After church yesterday I went to lunch with Brenda and her cousin Jackie. Jackie loves books just about as much as I do, maybe even more. We had a lovely time and nearly closed down the lunch rush of the restaurant. I came home and took a much needed nap. I felt the beginnings of a sore throat Sunday morning and that is a sign I need to take a rest break. This past week I decided to finally tackle a few things here at the house that I have been putting off too long. Didn't go to choir last night cause still felt fatigued and Buddy was enjoying the back porch so much, didn't have the heart to bring her in early. It rained during the afternoon enough not to have to water the front flowerbed last night. With the break in the temps from the rain cooled air, the little family of three kept together in the backyard. Strawyer joined in the rollicking play of Punky and Mr McBeavy. He usually watches stoically. I found one of Riley's toys in the garage and brought that out for the Mr. He played with that for a solid thirty minutes. As dusk overtook the sky, it meant it was dark enough to play red laser light and Punky still enthusiastically plays.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Lessons From Nature...Reacting And Responding
July mornings must be practicing and getting ready for August mornings. The past two mornings have been foggy ones. The fog burns off as the sun breaks through and in August we begin to keep a count of foggy mornings because the folk lore is, foggy mornings in August equal snowfalls in winter. It is an inexact science because some areas are foggier than others. A drive down the road tells that story, but it is beautiful as the fog lifts yet lingers on the tops of the mountains and gently lies in some of the valleys.
How did I celebrate a good eye exam? By going to the Mexican restaurant and having chalupas. It wasn't so much the food as the restaurant leans to the dark side, not evil, but lighting. With dilated eyes and a bright sunny day, the choice was easy. I was hoping to make one stop on the way home but even with sunglasses, the best decision was to come on home.
Yesterday, a friend showed me her time lapse photography of a Monarch butterfly breaking free of the chrysalis and through metamorphosis becomes a butterfly. After emerging the wings on the butterfly look to grow right before your very eyes. All this wonder happened in her very own garden and she has seen this process more than once as the spring and summer goes by. When I got home I Googled it up to learn more and it is fascinating reading.This week in our own garden the butterfly bushes and the pollinator plants we planted in the spring are full of butterflies. This week I saw my first two Monarch butterflies. In Houston, I don't think any caterpillars ever crossed my mind as being good. They were the enemy of our plants and must be eradicated sooner. Here, I do research on the bugs and the like before declaring war on them. I can say with confidence that fruit flies are my mortal enemy because they cause havoc in this bountiful season of produce stands.
Nathan and Andrew came yesterday to chop up the fallen portion of the maple tree. We also discussed the fall plans for the backyard. I loved seeing Nathan's face when he saw how good the flowers are doing in the side bed by the driveway. The black eyed Susans started out as three small plants last year and they have flourished and taken over a good portion of a corner in the flowerbed. The queen Anne lace has just about played out in that flowerbed but the ones right behind the porch are still blooming. I asked Nathan why the tree split from the bottom and his interesting answer is this, with all the rain we have had since last year, the established trees have taken in about all the water they can hold. July is typically a dry month here and so far we've had two major thunder showers along with a few moderate ones. The maple tree had taken in all it could hold and thus the split happened as it expanded from within, something had to go.
It dawned on me last night that both of these phenomenons of nature, of God's creation, have been taking place in this creation named Nancy. It does help to have married into the name, Monarch. There is transformation and a shedding off of things that can't and aren't maintained because of growth, internally and externally. With God's Word there is always transformation when we allow it to dwell and reside in and with us. I am looking at these changes through the eyes of moving and decorating our home here. Many things that I thought were important to the house when we first moved have found other homes. I thought every bedroom should have a desk in it because I thought people will want to look at this view and write...no, that's just me, not many guests. Desks have been moved and given away. As a comparison my brother's taste runs mid century modern which is a sleek and minimal look. My taste runs in, cram as much into the room that it can take....it might be a short duration or it might be a long period of time but eventually, room contents begin to thin out. I think that is what's happening now internally and externally in me. Over the course of my life I have crammed this and that into my heart and spirit and have kept all this stuffing compartmentalized fairly successfully. But some of this has to go.... Living a much simpler life with more fun distractions is making the disposal or re-purposing easier of the junk I needed to live life in Houston. So much of what mattered there isn't even a blip on the screen here. Likewise, things that matter here might not make a dent on the top ten list of things needed to live in Houston.
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Once again the forecast is for rain this afternoon. We received a little shower but nothing measurable in the rain gauge. Semi tough night with Buddy but better than other nights. She has stopped sleeping in our bed which in one way is kind of sad and yet, it is freeing. She hangs tight in the winter to keep her little paws warm but there must too much warmth in the summer.
Yesterday afternoon I spent a good amount of time reading a Blue Ridge Parkway book, things to see, things you might miss and how to schedule out time. They offered advice on a 14 day trip beginning in Washington DC to long weekends or just a day trip here and there. The book even takes you beyond the parkway and into the Smoky Mountain National Park and into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
***********
Fri-Yay, Thursday got away from me and I never got back to the post. I also had to let this set for a couple of days and let good sense overrule hurt feelings. I took out the portion of this post telling about a phone conversation and the resulting hurt, then anger and then finally some calm. As a rule anything that has a spontaneous burst of hurt and anger is transference from hurts long ago and rears its head unexpectedly. I have the choice to respond or react. This time I reacted and my impertinent response made some work for me. I have to think that this friend's digs at things that are important to me here or about a change in me due to living here has to come from a wish that I was still a running buddy in Houston. Knowing that the aftereffect of digs or bullying me to do what they want will be a bit of distance in my future emotions and response to them, I try not to take the Roy approach and just be done and move on. The transference happens from being told in childhood that things I loved, writing and creating, were things I was not good at and would NEVER be good in doing. I believed those lies for too long. So sometimes when I least expect it, after hearing what I consider to be a dig, I react but love those times when I respond, being in control. Hopefully the next time will be response.
How did I celebrate a good eye exam? By going to the Mexican restaurant and having chalupas. It wasn't so much the food as the restaurant leans to the dark side, not evil, but lighting. With dilated eyes and a bright sunny day, the choice was easy. I was hoping to make one stop on the way home but even with sunglasses, the best decision was to come on home.
Yesterday, a friend showed me her time lapse photography of a Monarch butterfly breaking free of the chrysalis and through metamorphosis becomes a butterfly. After emerging the wings on the butterfly look to grow right before your very eyes. All this wonder happened in her very own garden and she has seen this process more than once as the spring and summer goes by. When I got home I Googled it up to learn more and it is fascinating reading.This week in our own garden the butterfly bushes and the pollinator plants we planted in the spring are full of butterflies. This week I saw my first two Monarch butterflies. In Houston, I don't think any caterpillars ever crossed my mind as being good. They were the enemy of our plants and must be eradicated sooner. Here, I do research on the bugs and the like before declaring war on them. I can say with confidence that fruit flies are my mortal enemy because they cause havoc in this bountiful season of produce stands.
Nathan and Andrew came yesterday to chop up the fallen portion of the maple tree. We also discussed the fall plans for the backyard. I loved seeing Nathan's face when he saw how good the flowers are doing in the side bed by the driveway. The black eyed Susans started out as three small plants last year and they have flourished and taken over a good portion of a corner in the flowerbed. The queen Anne lace has just about played out in that flowerbed but the ones right behind the porch are still blooming. I asked Nathan why the tree split from the bottom and his interesting answer is this, with all the rain we have had since last year, the established trees have taken in about all the water they can hold. July is typically a dry month here and so far we've had two major thunder showers along with a few moderate ones. The maple tree had taken in all it could hold and thus the split happened as it expanded from within, something had to go.
It dawned on me last night that both of these phenomenons of nature, of God's creation, have been taking place in this creation named Nancy. It does help to have married into the name, Monarch. There is transformation and a shedding off of things that can't and aren't maintained because of growth, internally and externally. With God's Word there is always transformation when we allow it to dwell and reside in and with us. I am looking at these changes through the eyes of moving and decorating our home here. Many things that I thought were important to the house when we first moved have found other homes. I thought every bedroom should have a desk in it because I thought people will want to look at this view and write...no, that's just me, not many guests. Desks have been moved and given away. As a comparison my brother's taste runs mid century modern which is a sleek and minimal look. My taste runs in, cram as much into the room that it can take....it might be a short duration or it might be a long period of time but eventually, room contents begin to thin out. I think that is what's happening now internally and externally in me. Over the course of my life I have crammed this and that into my heart and spirit and have kept all this stuffing compartmentalized fairly successfully. But some of this has to go.... Living a much simpler life with more fun distractions is making the disposal or re-purposing easier of the junk I needed to live life in Houston. So much of what mattered there isn't even a blip on the screen here. Likewise, things that matter here might not make a dent on the top ten list of things needed to live in Houston.
**************************
Once again the forecast is for rain this afternoon. We received a little shower but nothing measurable in the rain gauge. Semi tough night with Buddy but better than other nights. She has stopped sleeping in our bed which in one way is kind of sad and yet, it is freeing. She hangs tight in the winter to keep her little paws warm but there must too much warmth in the summer.
Yesterday afternoon I spent a good amount of time reading a Blue Ridge Parkway book, things to see, things you might miss and how to schedule out time. They offered advice on a 14 day trip beginning in Washington DC to long weekends or just a day trip here and there. The book even takes you beyond the parkway and into the Smoky Mountain National Park and into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
***********
Fri-Yay, Thursday got away from me and I never got back to the post. I also had to let this set for a couple of days and let good sense overrule hurt feelings. I took out the portion of this post telling about a phone conversation and the resulting hurt, then anger and then finally some calm. As a rule anything that has a spontaneous burst of hurt and anger is transference from hurts long ago and rears its head unexpectedly. I have the choice to respond or react. This time I reacted and my impertinent response made some work for me. I have to think that this friend's digs at things that are important to me here or about a change in me due to living here has to come from a wish that I was still a running buddy in Houston. Knowing that the aftereffect of digs or bullying me to do what they want will be a bit of distance in my future emotions and response to them, I try not to take the Roy approach and just be done and move on. The transference happens from being told in childhood that things I loved, writing and creating, were things I was not good at and would NEVER be good in doing. I believed those lies for too long. So sometimes when I least expect it, after hearing what I consider to be a dig, I react but love those times when I respond, being in control. Hopefully the next time will be response.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Rainy Days and Monday...Yep, That Was Yesterday...Once More
Taking a break this morning studying for the lesson on Sunday. That lesson be, David and Bathsheba. Ironically, several times this morning when looking out into the backyard, Strawyer and Punky seem to be recreating, you can also take this as a pun, the story of David and Bathsheba, but really no baths involved cause cats generally don't like water. Yesterday, we looked at 2 Samuel 9 and the kindness of a king. So we go to the high mark of David's kingship to the lowest point...which is coming up Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.
The several time delayed Sunday School party happened on Saturday afternoon. We had such a good time and honestly, such good food. We went with salads and desserts...not a bad combination. A no guilt meal. It was the first official party on the back porch and what a great way to break in the porch. Lots of laughter in between bites of our delicious dishes. We were trying to think of a way to make this our Sunday School gathering off campus but decided we would all show up Sunday morning and give this more thought.
When the weather people say pop up thundershowers I kind of dismiss them because we rarely are recipients of the needed rain. We live in an area known as dry ridge. Rain coming from the west many times splits before getting to us and goes north and south only to meet up in the Black Mountain area a little bit later. I checked the radar several times during the afternoon and that famous split looked to be on track....only...it didn't split. I was in the living room reading and Buddy was asleep out on the back porch. The room keep getting darker and brains here finally checked into the reason why this was happening. Dark clouds from the north gathered, the wind picked up and the air definitely had cooled off from 88 degrees. Thunder in the distance but how many times have we heard it and not see a drop of rain...well, it was a new day because the rain came tumbling in and it was raining very hard. Soon the waterfalls formed in the backyard and the river under the porch was rolling. I was talking to Roy on the phone when we both heard a horrible cry, more like a panic squeal. It sounded like a pig but no one around us has pigs, so I knew it had to be one of the cats. I ran out to the porch frantically looking around for where the noise came from, nothing. Roy thought it was Buddy. Buddy was sitting on my lap but that sound woke her up. In an hour we got almost three inches of rain, so I am thinking that maybe the water had reached wherever the cats were seeking shelter and that is why that horrible cry had been made. As the rain tapered off, Punky came out of her hiding place on the gravel road and she began that frantic cry that she makes for her kittens. She searched and looked while calling with no response. The fearful thought of a hawk getting Mr McBeavy (another name change for Bevo) frightened me that had taken place. Did some quick research and hawks can carry 60 lbs of victim....so now Strawyer could be in the mix. About fifteen minutes later, Strawyer strolled into the backyard. Still no sign of the Mr. The lightning had moved southeast so I went outside to check all the regular hiding places...no sign. My mood was sad and I trudged down to the road to get the garbage can. It is then I discovered that our maple tree had lost a significant piece of the tree, broken off from the bottom. The sound of chainsaws filled the air coming from up and down the road. Later that evening I went out on the back porch to check on Buddy. I heard a little bitty meow as a little white and orange face came out from underneath the grill. Mr McBeavy was present and accounted for. Took some food out and the family of three shared a little snack together. The life of a feral cat is so up and down. You don't see them for days and then they show up and hiss at you...well, that is mostly Mama Cat. After looking a bit closer at Strawyer, he was a little worse for the wear and looked as if he had been in a scuffle. When the mystery cat showed up later in the evening, I figured that the two of them got in a scuffle and that was the horrible noise we heard.
The frantic late afternoon deluge and cat missing in action was enough excitement for the day.
The several time delayed Sunday School party happened on Saturday afternoon. We had such a good time and honestly, such good food. We went with salads and desserts...not a bad combination. A no guilt meal. It was the first official party on the back porch and what a great way to break in the porch. Lots of laughter in between bites of our delicious dishes. We were trying to think of a way to make this our Sunday School gathering off campus but decided we would all show up Sunday morning and give this more thought.
When the weather people say pop up thundershowers I kind of dismiss them because we rarely are recipients of the needed rain. We live in an area known as dry ridge. Rain coming from the west many times splits before getting to us and goes north and south only to meet up in the Black Mountain area a little bit later. I checked the radar several times during the afternoon and that famous split looked to be on track....only...it didn't split. I was in the living room reading and Buddy was asleep out on the back porch. The room keep getting darker and brains here finally checked into the reason why this was happening. Dark clouds from the north gathered, the wind picked up and the air definitely had cooled off from 88 degrees. Thunder in the distance but how many times have we heard it and not see a drop of rain...well, it was a new day because the rain came tumbling in and it was raining very hard. Soon the waterfalls formed in the backyard and the river under the porch was rolling. I was talking to Roy on the phone when we both heard a horrible cry, more like a panic squeal. It sounded like a pig but no one around us has pigs, so I knew it had to be one of the cats. I ran out to the porch frantically looking around for where the noise came from, nothing. Roy thought it was Buddy. Buddy was sitting on my lap but that sound woke her up. In an hour we got almost three inches of rain, so I am thinking that maybe the water had reached wherever the cats were seeking shelter and that is why that horrible cry had been made. As the rain tapered off, Punky came out of her hiding place on the gravel road and she began that frantic cry that she makes for her kittens. She searched and looked while calling with no response. The fearful thought of a hawk getting Mr McBeavy (another name change for Bevo) frightened me that had taken place. Did some quick research and hawks can carry 60 lbs of victim....so now Strawyer could be in the mix. About fifteen minutes later, Strawyer strolled into the backyard. Still no sign of the Mr. The lightning had moved southeast so I went outside to check all the regular hiding places...no sign. My mood was sad and I trudged down to the road to get the garbage can. It is then I discovered that our maple tree had lost a significant piece of the tree, broken off from the bottom. The sound of chainsaws filled the air coming from up and down the road. Later that evening I went out on the back porch to check on Buddy. I heard a little bitty meow as a little white and orange face came out from underneath the grill. Mr McBeavy was present and accounted for. Took some food out and the family of three shared a little snack together. The life of a feral cat is so up and down. You don't see them for days and then they show up and hiss at you...well, that is mostly Mama Cat. After looking a bit closer at Strawyer, he was a little worse for the wear and looked as if he had been in a scuffle. When the mystery cat showed up later in the evening, I figured that the two of them got in a scuffle and that was the horrible noise we heard.
The frantic late afternoon deluge and cat missing in action was enough excitement for the day.
Monday, July 15, 2019
A Feral Update Of Sorts
Oh happy Friday! Well, truthfully, almost everyday is like a Friday but it seems that I should keep that regular view that we develop in our working life...unless one works weekends, then Friday might not be the Yay Day.
A lot has happened cat wise in the past week and with that comes mixed emotions. Thursday morning Roy could only remember seeing Bevo or as we started calling him, the Beav, at breakfast. Didn't see any of the gray and white kittens all day and when the evening rolled around, no kittens were playing in the backyard. By Friday morning, I had pretty much accepted that those kittens are probably not around. On that Wednesday night while sitting on the back porch I watched the kittens play on the driveway and even in the dark, all that white fur was accentuated by the black asphalt. The thought came to mind that Punky should gather those babies up and take them under the front porch. She had also just started taking them up to the fence near the gravel road. That didn't seem like a very good idea either but hey, cat world and cat thinking...are foreign to me. The paw under the fence game reminded me so much of Cali and Riley. They played that game for great lengths of time, never seemingly tiring of it. The loss of those three gray and white kittens hit hard. They were in the backyard earlier than any other litter. I had helped Punky rescue them several times and I had been able to pet them. They had restored joy in the cat world for me. Last Wednesday evening Bevo didn't seem particularly interested in playing and that probably saved his life. Punky called for those kittens and searched every nook and cranny, and by Saturday seemed to be accepting of the fact, they were no longer here. She and Strawyer watch over Bevo, but not like helicopter parent cats. Mama Cat comes and goes. Camo shows up and then is gone for days that is until recently.
The other night there was an uneasiness in the backyard. Strawyer and Punky sat near one another keeping their eyes glued to the upper corner of the yard, near the gravel road. This was whatever day that it seemed like Bevo had disappeared from the loving confines of the yard. Up on a rock sat Camo and her two remaining older kittens. This reminded me of the change of guard when Cali lost her kittens to rescue efforts and Camo took over the back forcing Cali and Riley to look elsewhere for shelter as Camo brought Punky and Strawyer to set up residency. One of her kittens is the spitting image of Mr Meany in the face, so that always unnerves me a bit. They watched everything that was not going on or going on in the yard. Camo's second kitten sat farther back near the fence. It remained this terse line of power till dusk. Camo and her two went back into the dense vegetation that is found along the side of the gravel road. Here is the shocker. Under that cover of darkness a black and white cat moved stealthily among the firs. Because of all the white around the neck, for a moment the brief thought of Riley came but no white tip on the tail. This cat has a mostly black face with a bit of white. It made me go back to pics of MJ to see if it was him, although I saw him get killed by dogs. This morning the black and white cat came very close, must be male cause his interest was in Punky, much to Strawyer's annoyance. I shooed him off. Where did this black and white cat come from?
Last night only one of Camo's kittens hung around the top rock. Camo seemed annoyed with its presence and took swipes at it. Camo didn't bring or nudge that kitten to come to the food. Now, I have decided not to do much with Camo's latest brood but dang...that sad face and that hungry look tugged at the heart strings. I shouldn't have done this at all but I took a little food up to where the kitten hides, not thinking at all of proper footwear and I hadn't changed my clothes. so I am out there climbing up that slippery incline, cause it rained all afternoon, slipping and sliding on pine needles with my casual shoes and linen outfit while making my way up to where the food needed to be placed. Only thing, I think Camo ate most of it.
The mole population is on the decline around here. When any of the cats look like they are playing soccer, I know they have a dead mole. The Beav had an especially good game last Friday with one of those little mole things. They'll bring them close to where they eat but I am so thankful they have stopped gifting me with the mole beside their dishes.
This morning they were all waiting for breakfast in their regular places. All of them...well except for Mama Cat and Mysterious Black and White cat. I took my time taking out the food cause Camo had been aggravating Buddy through the door on the porch and I don't take kindly to that kind of thing.
*********************
As it happens, cat world changes at the least little thing. Saturday, when the Sunday School class was over for a party, all the cats were on display. Camo's gray and white kittens stayed on the upper corner, Punky, Strawyer and Beav kept their presence in the backyard. Sunday comes, only the little family of three is around and it is the same this morning. Camo has probably moved on for a bit but will be back like always.
In previous posts I have said how much I am learning from watching and interacting with these feral cats. Each generation is different but the fact still is, feral life is hard, even with help.
A lot has happened cat wise in the past week and with that comes mixed emotions. Thursday morning Roy could only remember seeing Bevo or as we started calling him, the Beav, at breakfast. Didn't see any of the gray and white kittens all day and when the evening rolled around, no kittens were playing in the backyard. By Friday morning, I had pretty much accepted that those kittens are probably not around. On that Wednesday night while sitting on the back porch I watched the kittens play on the driveway and even in the dark, all that white fur was accentuated by the black asphalt. The thought came to mind that Punky should gather those babies up and take them under the front porch. She had also just started taking them up to the fence near the gravel road. That didn't seem like a very good idea either but hey, cat world and cat thinking...are foreign to me. The paw under the fence game reminded me so much of Cali and Riley. They played that game for great lengths of time, never seemingly tiring of it. The loss of those three gray and white kittens hit hard. They were in the backyard earlier than any other litter. I had helped Punky rescue them several times and I had been able to pet them. They had restored joy in the cat world for me. Last Wednesday evening Bevo didn't seem particularly interested in playing and that probably saved his life. Punky called for those kittens and searched every nook and cranny, and by Saturday seemed to be accepting of the fact, they were no longer here. She and Strawyer watch over Bevo, but not like helicopter parent cats. Mama Cat comes and goes. Camo shows up and then is gone for days that is until recently.
The other night there was an uneasiness in the backyard. Strawyer and Punky sat near one another keeping their eyes glued to the upper corner of the yard, near the gravel road. This was whatever day that it seemed like Bevo had disappeared from the loving confines of the yard. Up on a rock sat Camo and her two remaining older kittens. This reminded me of the change of guard when Cali lost her kittens to rescue efforts and Camo took over the back forcing Cali and Riley to look elsewhere for shelter as Camo brought Punky and Strawyer to set up residency. One of her kittens is the spitting image of Mr Meany in the face, so that always unnerves me a bit. They watched everything that was not going on or going on in the yard. Camo's second kitten sat farther back near the fence. It remained this terse line of power till dusk. Camo and her two went back into the dense vegetation that is found along the side of the gravel road. Here is the shocker. Under that cover of darkness a black and white cat moved stealthily among the firs. Because of all the white around the neck, for a moment the brief thought of Riley came but no white tip on the tail. This cat has a mostly black face with a bit of white. It made me go back to pics of MJ to see if it was him, although I saw him get killed by dogs. This morning the black and white cat came very close, must be male cause his interest was in Punky, much to Strawyer's annoyance. I shooed him off. Where did this black and white cat come from?
Last night only one of Camo's kittens hung around the top rock. Camo seemed annoyed with its presence and took swipes at it. Camo didn't bring or nudge that kitten to come to the food. Now, I have decided not to do much with Camo's latest brood but dang...that sad face and that hungry look tugged at the heart strings. I shouldn't have done this at all but I took a little food up to where the kitten hides, not thinking at all of proper footwear and I hadn't changed my clothes. so I am out there climbing up that slippery incline, cause it rained all afternoon, slipping and sliding on pine needles with my casual shoes and linen outfit while making my way up to where the food needed to be placed. Only thing, I think Camo ate most of it.
The mole population is on the decline around here. When any of the cats look like they are playing soccer, I know they have a dead mole. The Beav had an especially good game last Friday with one of those little mole things. They'll bring them close to where they eat but I am so thankful they have stopped gifting me with the mole beside their dishes.
This morning they were all waiting for breakfast in their regular places. All of them...well except for Mama Cat and Mysterious Black and White cat. I took my time taking out the food cause Camo had been aggravating Buddy through the door on the porch and I don't take kindly to that kind of thing.
*********************
As it happens, cat world changes at the least little thing. Saturday, when the Sunday School class was over for a party, all the cats were on display. Camo's gray and white kittens stayed on the upper corner, Punky, Strawyer and Beav kept their presence in the backyard. Sunday comes, only the little family of three is around and it is the same this morning. Camo has probably moved on for a bit but will be back like always.
In previous posts I have said how much I am learning from watching and interacting with these feral cats. Each generation is different but the fact still is, feral life is hard, even with help.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Part 2, A Continuation From Yesterday
Friday morning we were up early and headed to Black Mountain to have breakfast at The Blue Ridge Biscuit Company. We got there right before the morning rush. Loved breakfast as usual. Since Lisa has never been to Montreat, we made a kick jaunt that way. Truthfully, I have avoided Montreat in the summer due to camps and conferences there but traffic wasn't a problem...and finding a parking place, could have been a problem, but we did find one close to the store and Lake Susan. A worship conference was going on that week and two ladies invited us to the 11:00 gathering. We were tempted but had a whole lot to see and do that day. We did a little shopping and walking around, then we headed out to NC 9 to take the back/scenic way toward Hendersonville. The road begins winding and curvy but soon flattens out till it is time to go down the mountain. Wasn't bad at all. We went over to Southern Chicks and we both made purchases. Then we made our way toward Strawberry Hill for peaches, plums and nectarines...oh my! We also got some ice cream while we were there. We drove around, got some Jack in the Box tacos on the way home and went to the Biltmore to shop and to drive around. We headed toward home looking forward to an evening on the back porch. We also knew we needed to get up kind of early cause we had Blue Ridge GA and Mercier Orchard on our Saturday sights.
We hit the road around 9:30 on Saturday. Lunched at Zaxby's in Murphy and then did the remainder of the trip to the outskirts of Blue Ridge, GA. The orchard carries a great cornbread mix. The meal is ground nearby and grits are available for purchase as well. Got some June apples cause I had never heard of them before. Of course apple cider donuts and fried pies rounded out the purchases we made. Such a fun place. We stopped all along the Natahala for pics. Supper was served on the porch, leftovers for Lisa and crackers and cheese for me.
Sunday, the day of rest...we went to Sunday School and church, most of church and then we went to Twisted Laurel for lunch. We had decided that we would hang around the house where I believe we all, includes Buddy, took naps. Lisa and I made it to choir rehearsal and then home. Cause Monday was going to be another busy, fun day.
To keep my hair appointments on schedule and because the stylist and I had conflicting schedules for the coming days, I kept the original appointment. Wasn't all bad because Lisa got to experience the goodness of breakfast that is found at Corner Kitchen. Then while getting my hair cut she was able to stroll about in Biltmore Village. Once again we met on opposite sides of the street, then began our journey to the next stop in Hazelwood. We shopped our regular spots, we added a quick trip to Mast General and by this time we were ready for a late lunch, early supper and of course we went to Blue Rooster. We were able to grab a few minutes of conversation with our friend there. What a joy. We came home with the thought in the back of our minds, tomorrow Lisa would be going back home. What a whirlwind of fun we had. We did a lot but not at a hectic pace. We laughed a lot and we talked a lot. We didn't solve world problems or even our own small worries, but the joy of a good friend, who sharpens you...priceless!
So, Tuesday morning came and we left for Charlotte. I dropped her off at the airport and went to the Barnes and Noble. Found a few good books and bingo....I had coupons. From there it was over to the sub par Nord. It was a necessity because the pants I had on would not stay up. I have lost some weight and the particular style of pants I wore, like other times in other colors, got to be too much of a distraction. So, found a pair of pants, paid for them and wore them around the store and places beyond. I had a margarita pizza at their bistro, went to the Chanel counter for foundation and then over to YSL for eyeliner. It was my first time being helped by a transgender person. I know I was staring but not for the reason you'd think....their skin was so smooth and flawless. The eyeliner color I wanted had to be ordered and it should be at our post office box. Then I pursued the mall and ended up buying two pairs of pants for Roy. I might have found a few things for me too....
I checked into the hotel because Roy's flight arrived at midnight and how wonderful for the Holiday Inn Express to pick him up at that late hour and deliver him to the hotel. I got some reading done and fell asleep. Roy texted from the airport that they were a few minutes away. It was about 1:30 before I fell asleep again. We had ambitious plans to get up early and head over to The Blue Ridge Biscuit Company, but when we awoke, the best decision that we needed sleep more than biscuits was made. The side note to that was stopping at Marilyn's Sweet Addictions and picking up a few things.
For the next four days Roy and I worked around the house. We had planned this because the porch was pretty much done and there was a lot on our part to finish up. We got a lot checked off the to do list and for that I am thankful. Roy even had time to make biscuits one morning. He made a triple batch and I froze the leftovers. Yahoo! I won't bore y'all with all that we got done.
Upon arriving home Monday from Charlotte, I was greeted by trucks in the driveway. It shocked me and I was frantically thinking of what to do and then I saw one truck said gutter installations. The crew was putting the final touches on the work they had done. Now to find or talk to Bruce to see about getting underground lines run out to the front yard to dispatch the water more efficiently.
Today, after spending the day at home on Tuesday, I got out and ran a few errands. It feels so hot at times and then a breeze picks up and makes it better. Got a good part of watering done in the back this afternoon and once it cools a bit, I'll tackle the front yard.
We hit the road around 9:30 on Saturday. Lunched at Zaxby's in Murphy and then did the remainder of the trip to the outskirts of Blue Ridge, GA. The orchard carries a great cornbread mix. The meal is ground nearby and grits are available for purchase as well. Got some June apples cause I had never heard of them before. Of course apple cider donuts and fried pies rounded out the purchases we made. Such a fun place. We stopped all along the Natahala for pics. Supper was served on the porch, leftovers for Lisa and crackers and cheese for me.
Sunday, the day of rest...we went to Sunday School and church, most of church and then we went to Twisted Laurel for lunch. We had decided that we would hang around the house where I believe we all, includes Buddy, took naps. Lisa and I made it to choir rehearsal and then home. Cause Monday was going to be another busy, fun day.
To keep my hair appointments on schedule and because the stylist and I had conflicting schedules for the coming days, I kept the original appointment. Wasn't all bad because Lisa got to experience the goodness of breakfast that is found at Corner Kitchen. Then while getting my hair cut she was able to stroll about in Biltmore Village. Once again we met on opposite sides of the street, then began our journey to the next stop in Hazelwood. We shopped our regular spots, we added a quick trip to Mast General and by this time we were ready for a late lunch, early supper and of course we went to Blue Rooster. We were able to grab a few minutes of conversation with our friend there. What a joy. We came home with the thought in the back of our minds, tomorrow Lisa would be going back home. What a whirlwind of fun we had. We did a lot but not at a hectic pace. We laughed a lot and we talked a lot. We didn't solve world problems or even our own small worries, but the joy of a good friend, who sharpens you...priceless!
So, Tuesday morning came and we left for Charlotte. I dropped her off at the airport and went to the Barnes and Noble. Found a few good books and bingo....I had coupons. From there it was over to the sub par Nord. It was a necessity because the pants I had on would not stay up. I have lost some weight and the particular style of pants I wore, like other times in other colors, got to be too much of a distraction. So, found a pair of pants, paid for them and wore them around the store and places beyond. I had a margarita pizza at their bistro, went to the Chanel counter for foundation and then over to YSL for eyeliner. It was my first time being helped by a transgender person. I know I was staring but not for the reason you'd think....their skin was so smooth and flawless. The eyeliner color I wanted had to be ordered and it should be at our post office box. Then I pursued the mall and ended up buying two pairs of pants for Roy. I might have found a few things for me too....
I checked into the hotel because Roy's flight arrived at midnight and how wonderful for the Holiday Inn Express to pick him up at that late hour and deliver him to the hotel. I got some reading done and fell asleep. Roy texted from the airport that they were a few minutes away. It was about 1:30 before I fell asleep again. We had ambitious plans to get up early and head over to The Blue Ridge Biscuit Company, but when we awoke, the best decision that we needed sleep more than biscuits was made. The side note to that was stopping at Marilyn's Sweet Addictions and picking up a few things.
For the next four days Roy and I worked around the house. We had planned this because the porch was pretty much done and there was a lot on our part to finish up. We got a lot checked off the to do list and for that I am thankful. Roy even had time to make biscuits one morning. He made a triple batch and I froze the leftovers. Yahoo! I won't bore y'all with all that we got done.
Upon arriving home Monday from Charlotte, I was greeted by trucks in the driveway. It shocked me and I was frantically thinking of what to do and then I saw one truck said gutter installations. The crew was putting the final touches on the work they had done. Now to find or talk to Bruce to see about getting underground lines run out to the front yard to dispatch the water more efficiently.
Today, after spending the day at home on Tuesday, I got out and ran a few errands. It feels so hot at times and then a breeze picks up and makes it better. Got a good part of watering done in the back this afternoon and once it cools a bit, I'll tackle the front yard.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Fun, Chores, Fun, To Do, Laughter and Some Sadness
These past few weeks have held fun, chores, fun, to do list, fun, laughter and some sadness thrown in. Thus when all these things come together it seems like writing takes a backseat to the immediate. Oh from time to time notes were jotted and thoughts were constructed but nothing very disciplined. The evenings held time to write but after busy, long, fun-filled days, the energy to write dissipated thus games of tri peak solitaire and checking on Facebook and Twitter became the only activities on the computer these past few weeks. Today, although there are many things that need to be done, I'll take a little time to blog. I would say this morning but it is already afternoon. I did ease into the day slightly and firstly by waking up at 8:45 am.
Back to the way back, June 25th, I left for Gatlinburg TN. Lisa was there with First Worship at the Worship Life conference. The First Worship Team led the conference's morning worship and several also led breakout sessions during the afternoon. Since I 40 is a nightmare of construction, think I 45 Houstonians, the longer, scenic route called out and I accepted the call, only after checking with a few friends that gravel and narrow roads were not involved. They assured me, curvy, scenic roads awaited...with a few hairpin curves. The hairpin curves did not worry me cause in hindsight, I have driven on a lot more sharp curves but not knowing ahead of time, tight curves are about sixth on the list of top ten driving conditions I don't like. The road trip to Gatlinburg began around noon and the drive was breathtaking and panoramic. This was the first time in several years, in our tourist years, that I have driven through Cherokee and memories of those drives of long ago flooded my mind and soul. Then the drive through the National Park began and it seemed the good thing to put down Mustang Sam's top and enjoy the sights, breezes and fragrances of the mountains. It seemed like no time at all and the descent into Gatlinburg surprised me. Not surprising, all the traffic, both vehicles and pedestrians. Brenda had told me the route would just about drop me at the hotel and she was right. Texted and called Lisa while checking in but hadn't heard anything. So, I decided to go across the street and get a sandwich. Low and behold, right across the street stood Lisa P. Thank you Lord! She was coming back from lunch and sat with me while I gobbled down a sandwich. With a little rest needed from the trip and the heat there, we decided to meet up a little after 5:00 to walk about and have dinner. I hadn't officially checked into the hotel, just getting a parking pass, so when I went to the front desk they graciously upgraded me to a suite...sweet! Had a great view of the pedestrian bridge and the tower that kind of looked like the space needle in Seattle.
We ate our supper at the Cherokee Grill. Wow! The food was not touristy at all but it was fine dining in a casual setting. Our meal exquisite and delectable. I ordered the prime rib special and it was delicious. The desserts, well....fabulous and so tasty. We filled up on good food, maybe overfilled on good food and began our walk about. Inez had told us about a jewelry shop she likes there and we were fortunate that the owner had work to finish up, so she hadn't closed her shop at 7:00. We both found lovely items. We also walked across a bridge we could handle...over a small creek and we sat in an Edith Ann chair for photo ops. Such a lovely evening and the best, the next morning the conference started at 10:30. That is great planning! Met Lisa the next morning for breakfast. We both ordered the same meal, the junior-senior. You had to be under the age of 12 or over the age of 50 to order it. Four mini pancakes, eggs and bacon with your drink included. Now there is a deal!
The worship was so real that morning. I had been able to go to sound check, so I knew the music planned for that morning. Worshiped the Lord in practice and for the real. So powerful! I had been able to see John Bolin the day before and again, on the sidewalk of Gatlinburg. Such a joy to be able to call him a friend. Got to see Dora, David and Emma and made new an acquaintanceship, Ana.
After their set was over, Lisa and I left for home with a few detours thrown in for fun. Of course the drive through the National Park was fun. We tried to do Clingmans Dome with a few thousand of our best friends but the amount of people and the heat did me in and we were fortunate enough to get a parking place to take some pics. Each year I forget until the heat arrives how devastating it is for me. Fall, winter and spring...a walk in the park, feel good, have energy...the heat of summer arrives and my heart is working hard, energy zapped and that all familiar light-headiness sets in. It is the only time I retain fluid, summer. After a month or so I acclimate and thankful that the heat here is nothing like Houston, but it is difficult so many times for me to accept that the heat is my kyrptonite. Lisa and I did experience such a treat, an elk, a young male elk took his leisure in the park along the side of the road and then crossing the road, I suppose to get to the other side. We got pics and Lisa took a video. After taking another detour through Cherokee, we headed over to Haywood Smokehouse for some fine Texas BBQ and some dessert. Ya gots to do that on vacay or staycay on my part. I will stop here for now, better get back to my chores...which are not as fun....
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