Check- A -Roony

 Let's see, shop on Wednesday at Publix to get the "wisdom" discount-check. Roy leaving the cart, Houston friends, or the buggy, NC friends, in the middle of aisles with a lot of cranky wisdom types looking for an opportunity to snag a BOGO item-check. Okay, last week I slipped but only slid while opening the back door to bring the kitties their supper and now Roy has decided I cannot do that on my own for the time being. Let's see, I have done this way over a hundred times, one kitty, Beanie, gets under my foot and thus the slip sliding away happened so quickly. Although Roy does run interference quite well. So, that's a check a roonie as well. Oh yes and two days before my birthday I set off the panic alarm on the house and our wonderful neighbor saved our doors from the EMS break in and looking for The Boys outside in the wild. Old lady move-check. 

Now it is Thursday and Roy is on his way to the dentist office. The Boys and me, well, we are here at home. Most of them mostly napping with one on bully patrol or rather waiting for an opportunity bully patrol. Outside, Cutie has moved her kittens to the cleft of the rock and the sisters Coco and Chanel are spending a lot of sister time together. This heat is draining the energy out of all the Fam. We are keeping them supplied with water and treats. Some of their beds are in very shady areas of the yard and being under the coolness of trees with a little breeze is wonderful to battle warmth. Of course our heat is nothing to compare to what Houston and Texas friends have been experiencing. Nonetheless, it is usually not this hot at this time of the year. I just noticed Radley sleeping on the rock that has the cleft. He better be up to good rather than no good. Since he has become the alpha cat after ridding us of King Herod, he is becoming like King Herod. 

I've been recovering from a bit of the flutter this week, so add in the heat and it is a low energy week. I have been getting more reading done, yay! I have opted to give just a few minutes to Lamentations  and then onto the Intro of Mark. Next week we begin in earnest, chapter one. I am also finishing up one of the I Love Lucy books I bought myself for my birthday. Interesting and I keep seeing the nuances when I watch an episode. Vivian Vance is brilliant in her response with great timing reacting to Lucy or Fred or a situation. 

We just finished cutting corn off the cob to make creamed corn. In the oven and just about done. We also got some corn cleaned and ready for the freezer. Roy's green peppers are producing and I found a recipe for stuff green peppers that are easy to freeze. Look at me, being all domestic minded. Told Roy is we don't get stuff like this done in the morning...I am out of energy by the afternoon. He did a lot of work on the corn and for this I am very thankful. We will let the creamed corn cool and then put it in freezer bags for individual servings. 

Just think, ten years ago I would have not been too excited about growing tomatoes and peppers. Having apple, peach and plum trees as well as blackberry bushes...nor would I have been too excited about having sunflowers, four o'clocks, zinnias and snap dragons in the flowerbeds...oh yes and cosmos. I am thrilled with a quiet life after living life in a constant state of anxiety, chaos and busyness. Too wrapped up in what others thought, sometimes obsessively, yet other times what others thought of me, well it was quite amusing. Been snubbed by the best yet truly, most snubs are not that well disguised...it is obvious almost to the point of wanting to be called on it so that this person can vent or be aloof. No thanks, not going to give them that pleasure. Gosh, there was a lot of that in Houston cause it seems to be accepted that this is a way of life. Several predicted that I wouldn't make it here and would find myself right back in Houston. Even when we were to stay home during the pan...mic, never bored. Sometimes I think it is a sin to tell God we are bored in this wonderful world He created. As Roy says often, there is always something to do. Of course he could be talking about chores or daytrips around and about. Mainly chores. As we begin to study Mark I can only think that Mark jumped right in without adding his background, or the sorrows he had seen, been snubbed and rejected by Paul, taken in by his cousin Barnabas. Peter had him around and he soaked all that in. He wrote the earliest gospel and Matthew and Luke used his writing to tell their stories too. Mark appealed to the gentiles and Romans in his writing. We should be no different than good ol John Mark. Yep, we all have stories and they are important but not so important to woller around in them. We don't need to get stuck on but what about my reputation? Well, we all have reputations but we might think about them more than others will. Mark got those vivid insights into Jesus' life and he includes them although we pass right over them. He didn't need to include his history, just that this gospel is about Jesus and emphasizes Him serving. 

******

This was fellowship lunch Sunday and it was very fun. Got asked to serve and Tracy planned a taco lunch and it was a hit. When you serve the meal you get to see everyone and visit for a few minutes. Just as the crowd settled down I was able to sit down and eat lunch. I was starting to get hot which means afib is lurking around the corner. Lunch was great and we helped clean up afterwards. I got a nice nap this afternoon and now the rain is coming in a little at a time. 

We made it through the best part of Lamentations and the intro to Mark this morning. Fido wanted to go to church this morning. He jumped into the trunk and then he tried to get in the car door. 

A good book is calling my name. Not the good book but Steven Wales book. I have loved reading it. 

Peaches, Hay and Cats

 Another foggy morning in WNC or at least in our little valley. The builders across the way put in some gravel to be able to get their trucks onto the property. Looks like good weather ahead for building but we are so appreciative of the rain for our plants and trees. 

We were gone most of yesterday and had some happy campers when we arrived home. Food would be served to them soon enough. All the driving around yesterday rendered me tired and useless for the rest of the evening. 

Part of our travels took us on I 26 and it was so nice to use the newly opened lanes, smooth lanes, easier to maneuver lanes.  

*********

The speed of construction across the way has picked up quite a bit. These are small homes, being built close together but after seeing a tractor cutting the field for hay beginning on Thursday, I wonder if the the rest of that pasture is going to be used for maybe just one home. It would be located near the top like the other house being built over there. A large black screen barrier had been place to mark the land before any construction began. If only four houses are built over there, that seems like a win to us. 

We spent most of the day on I 26 only north of the city. We ordered Amish peaches from Troyer's. Originally, we had planned on getting an earlier start, but waking up at 2:00 am and finally being able to fall asleep around 4:20 took a toll on plans. Worked out though. As we made our way through the TN countryside, the fields were planted in abundance, soy beans (maybe), canola, and lots and lots of corn. During the pandemic, when fertilizer was not in supply, those fields were just about empty. Several of the large family farms and houses were for sale. Not the case yesterday and oh yes, we saw several large fields of tobacco. Troyer's was busy but not bad busy. First time ever we didn't buy bakery or snack items. Guess we are finally growing up. Maybe not though. After our haircuts on Thursday we ran over to Publix. The young cashier looked at our items as he checked us out and said, I want to come home with y'all. I love everything you bought which only made me give the standard response, our grocery cart many times looks like a college student's choice. All day throughout NC and TN the fragrance of cut hay wafted throughout. I think that is just about my favorite fragrance. 

Now it is Monday morning. This morning we caught two of the Feral Fam, but one had already gone through the procedure and the other one, Cutie has young kittens. We saw the kittens last week all packed together in a kitten bunch but in the past few days their presence is more noticeable. I put some food out last night for them, and boom they were all over it. Always fun to watch. 

This is the first time except for the Covid year that I didn't go to the studio tour. If I had gone I would have only gone to see the blacksmith. Have many pieces he has created and gave many as gifts. I did go over to Burnsville to Christy's and a quick pop in at Lamp Post Vintage Market. 

*****

Blogging gets interrupted by life these days. I am not complaining, just a fact. So I will end this endless post with this story. This morning, for the first time, Fido was not at breakfast. When Roy came in he looked upset and distracted. Not a usual for him. He said, Fido wasn't at breakfast this morning. I asked if he had whistled the familiar whistle to bring them to meals. No, but he had whistled and called his name. I suggested we go back outside to see if we could call him in. It was a limited crew this morning, mainly cause of yesterday morning trying to get a kitty for a trip to the ASPCA. I began whistling the call. We saw Toupee back on the gravel road and soon a few other Feral Fam came down the steps and into the backyard. Just as we decided to go back in the house, there was Fido. Called out to Roy, Fido is here. Now Roy will try and make you think he is indifferent to the Feral Fam but don't let him fool you. He got Fido's special dish ready for him and I returned inside to give them some time together. Back in the day, Roy would be amused with me when a favorite wasn't at breakfast or supper...he would humor me or give me a difficult time. He said, now I know how you felt when Feral Fam members are absent. That Roy, he is a good man and I love him! 

At Least There is That

 Roy has an eye doctor appointment this morning which leaves me with a morning to ease into. Last week, not so much and even though there are appointments to be kept this week and needful things to take care of, I always relish in a morning full of possibilities but choosing the quiet is usually the best remedy to start out the "work" week or the weekdays. 

We are keeping an eye on the dynamics between Mr Mo and Willie. Plain and simple Willie is a bully many times toward Mr Mo. Willie is much bigger, with very long fur and underneath that fur, a mighty girth. Yet, that cat can scootch or fit into just about any small opening, like under a bookcase or between close chairs. Nothing stops him. He has been a little bit more on the calm side. He has even sat in my lap several times and those several times had nothing to do with finding a snack from me that might just appeal to him as well. As we ponder maybe bringing in Fido that might help the dynamics and then again it might not we try to distract The Boys from anger fighting to just roughhousing. Fido is so easy going, like Mr GMoey. Ongoings with the Feral Fam, pretty much status quo except Beanie hasn't been around for a couple of meals and I dreaded what the narrative might be, but lo and behold, right after taking part one of morning meds I glanced out the window and saw him lying on a rock. His attention as well as Toupe, just coming down from the gravel road, fixated on the gate. The Feral Fam has been a little skittish lately. Don't know if it is Radley or an unknown, at least to me, cat looking for a good time. I carefully snuck out onto the back porch, although eagle ear GMoey was not fooled, and gave the kitties outside some treats. I was so delighted to see Beanie. He has been quite the affectionate cat of late, he has always let me pet him, but sometimes after feeding them at night, I sit on a rock and just watch them. Many times he joins me either sitting beside me or sometimes even sitting on my lap. 

Just one more lesson in Jeremiah. Actually, I have learned so much about the book of Jeremiah and well, here is your Sunday School answer, God. I have also learned that we as people or even as people of God can be jerks as well as make wrong decisions more times than we like to think about. Invested in ritual? God can blow that apart quickly and how we respond, well that is a whole nother story. Do you just want God to rubberstamp decisions? Jeremiah is the book for you because we just learned, God isn't in the scrapbook business of stamping or rubber stamping. Want the status quo? Want easy decisions, that might not be the right choice...there is plenty of that in Jeremiah. Want to go back to Egypt? Short answer is don't go! Plenty of biblical examples of what happens when Egypt is the destination but not of God's choice. The life of faith is difficult but it is the best choice day in and day out while here on earth, but eternal rewards, yep, there will be some of those too. 

I ordered three books, yes, I know...but one of them is for Sunday School study and the other two are for spiritual growth. I looked at Ragged this morning by Gretchen Ronnevik and her intro has me hooked. Actually, the first paragraph grabbed me because I have tried but I am not an early morning quiet time person and even though I artfully read my Bible and make notes in my journal from time to time for that early morning hour, many days it doesn't even seem to have an effect on me. Not God's fault but mine, being all distracted or overwhelmed or tired. The author is like this and none of the sugar coated cutesy cutesy women ministry stuff that seems to be all the rage, all the time. Not that this is related but in my mind it is. At the beginning of the summer I started reading a book, fiction, titled Rush. Ole Miss, moms are legacies in the most popular sorority at Ole Miss. Well to do girl and the other is from an ultra rich family. I stopped reading it cause the story is taking too long to develop and the more interesting characters haven't been given enough paragraphs but I digress. The legacy roommates use a designer for dorm rooms in decorating their room meant for three but barely has the room for the two. On FB this weekend I saw a dorm designer, at Ole Miss, who designed the corner room meant for three and actually for the first time ever, three roommates are sharing it. Very cute but wonder if this designer was the one used for the book? May have to pick it back up and see if it is interesting. I believe cute dorm rooms are a thing and fun, but sometimes it is over the top, just for the sake of being over the top. Boy, did I go down a rabbit trail, anyway, I think this book Ragged is just what I need. 

When Roy got home from the eye doctor, we headed out to get some honey crisp apples from Barbers and maybe some apple cider donuts...oh and some corn. Anyway, we stopped at Ducketts on the way home. Lou Lou's fried pork skins are so delicious, so those and muscadine grapes for Roy. Oh yes, Lou Lou is canning greasy beans in smaller mason jars so there isn't any leftovers. That works for us. Beautiful drive home and we got more rain for a little bit of time, so tomatoes and such will all be so happy. We are coming to an end of blackberry season. We have put most in the freezer for tastes of summer this winter. 

********

A successful trap of Coco this morning and off to be fixed this morning. She is still so young but the intact males had kind of started paying attention to her in the past few days. The days of taking kitties to the ASPCA to get fixed will soon be over. Coco didn't even get upset like most, she just kept eating her food. 

Last night beginning around 12:30 am, thunderstorms came through until early this morning. Got lots of good rain and cannot help think about Texas needing rain something awful. We lost power for a few minutes this morning, but not for very long at all. Mr Mo is afraid in storms so we have been paying extra attention to him this morning. Sometimes it is Willie that is his problem, but not so much this morning.  

We punted on our plans today and I think it was the best plan. Hey, instead we used up some of my birthday discounts around the area. So fun, hey I am easily entertained.  I am also thinking the lesson on Sunday is not going to be the Lifeway plans...although I will touch on that last chapter. 

Well, the kittos outside are waiting for supper and Roy put the children's fishing pole together and we will  play with them a little later. A couple of non family male cats came around this morning and were rather disappointed but they did leave with a trip to the food bowls, at least there is that. 

Fog, Construction and Just Stuff

 The sound of construction is in the air. No one worked on the houses across the road yesterday, but this morning the sound of silence is disturbed with the hammering and such. They will probably be adding the second floor today. In all the years here we have never had anyone dump garbage around our trash bins at the side of the road. Waste Pro doesn't pick up bags, only the approved and paid for containers. Roy put the bags onto of the cans. It was a late pickup, so whomever and we all have our suspicions decided to add two more bags. Roy just happened to be back out there to get the bins when a Waste Pro truck slowed down and took the two bags. We think we know who is the culprit but have no proof. 

Wednesday, we headed over to Boone. The wall of flannel shirts is back,$13.00 and I do love flannel shirts, so we returned to some of the most beautiful scenery along the way. We have not been up that way since before Covid. Roy wanted to also go to the Walmart there...yeah, I know, for reasonably priced App State shirts. He was also awarded employee of the day due to his efficient self checkout. I thought while looking at the map app, that a Mexican restaurant was nearby and didn't do any due diligence to actually find it. So all in all, in crowded Boone, App State hasn't even started the semester yet, was a fun little trip. We punted on Mast General Store in Valle Crus so we would have time to stop in Burnsville to see Lamp Post Vintage Market's new addition, The Saw Mill General Store. It did not disappoint and we came home with t-shirts and peach strawberry jam. We ran by Davis Farms for muscadine grapes for Roy. 

We captured a female Feral Fam member and so now we only have one or two females that need to be fixed. The colony of cats in our area includes members that come and go and those who stick around here or across at Mary Joyce's house. 

*********

Happy Foggy Friday! After a day or so of no construction sounds, the sound has returned. Guess all the muddy red clay needed to dry out a bit before welcoming trucks and workmen and workwomen. There is a chance of rain this afternoon so guess they are trying to get in as much as possible. 

I tried the peach/strawberry jam yesterday and it is delicious! Also, we need to get our flannel shirts and t-shirts washed and ready for wearing. Most shirts we have bought on one day in a long time. Just saw on FB they added over 500 flannel shirts to the wall. Looks like another trip to Boone in the future. Not just for flannel but there are a couple of other stops we want to make along the way. With our highs in the 80s, the temp in the Boone area while we were there topped out at 68 degrees. Much apologies for Texas friends having to read that. 

Looking forward to wrapping up Jeremiah. Just a couple more weeks, one for Lamentations and we will soon be in the Gospel of Mark. This week the chapter we are in, yet once again holds lessons for us today. 

**********

I like to look at pictures online of the city where I was born. Most of my memories of the city, not of family, are a little gray. Some places I have vivid recollection, like Joy Land amusement park. I remember a drive from my Grandma B's home over to our grandparents home in the city. There was a stacked but short water tower, it was black, so probably around factories or a rail road yard. Located near a rail road track that the road went under. So in these pics I look for that and I look for no particular reason except I remember that. Most times I look at my grandparents home from street view or Zillow. When I think back about their house, in my mind it was huge! But it was only 1404 square feet. I noticed this time that the Dunn's house just one house down from them has been torn down but most of the other houses are still standing with most of them built in the early 1900s. 

After last week's gob smacking report and a promised referral, it feels like I am on the road to getting this on the way. Heard from the referral dermatology office and have an appointment and...PTL, it is in August, not September or October like I thought it might be. Another plus of an August appointment, the doctor office is near an apple orchard that we love, but haven't been to in a while. 

Thinking back on our trip to Boone I realized that all that road construction past Burnsville is complete and such a nice drive. OOAK Gallery closed last month so I didn't even notice Micaville as we headed toward our destination. Love the three mile cut through road which is really four miles long, very picturesque. Our next trip I want to go to Crosnore, thinking of you Betty, and look around a few other places. The Italian Restaurant is under new ownership in Newland, so I don't quite know what that means. Most Italian food is off the menu for Roy, now.   

Becoming Aware, Reluctantly

 🎵There's got to be a morning after.🎵Yes, the morning after a birthday before a milestone birthday next year. It was such a fun day. We did a lot of my favorite things in and around the area that brought great joy. Barbers Orchard opened this week and honestly, we did not go for the apples, like so many others there, apples plentiful, bakery line long. Only ginger gold, which we have a ginger gold tree here and don't eat the apples. This year, they sold peaches and nectarines from their orchards. So donuts, peaches and nectarines were our purchases. We thought about corn but will return for corn and probably a bakery item or two. We drove by Haywood Smokehouse considering lunch but it was so crowded, onto other adventures. Ducketts Produce, the next stop and Lou Lou had made tomato pie and that's what is for lunch today. Also picked up salsa and greasy beans. Oh, muscadines for Roy. He loves those grapes. Southern Porch was busy for lunch so we decided we would drop by home, to drop off stuff and head out to Mars Hill. We really like Taco Fiesta and that is where we went for lunch. Had the Pollo Popeye...delicious! You have to go to Ingles afterwards especially the weeks the Zero Sugar Sunkist Orange sodas are on sale. We wrapped up the afternoon in Marshall with a stop at Penlands. I got the last copy of a book about a revival that happened in Madison County and then we were on our way home. We were welcomed home by The Feral Fam and The Boys. Not because of happiness of return but supper would be on time. 

The birthday date was fine but the week has been a hard one. Had a mole scraped for testing. Didn't hurt until bedtime. Guess the lidocaine wore off. Tuesday, yearly eye exam, prescription changed, probably cataract surgery next year but otherwise, eyes doing well. It was an extremely sunny day Tuesday, so I holed up in the darkest room in the house all afternoon. Then we come to Wednesday, and Wednesday rocked me to the core. I did a truly old lady thing, nothing minor like talking about bag worms or telling some boring story or telling a story once again. No, this truly put me into the elderly category. We were leaving to run a couple of errands and like usual set the alarm. Only I got a notice from the security company, did I want to the alarm to go off...no, thank you I responded. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So we left feeling spritely and youngish only to get a phone call at Publix from our neighbor. She asked if everything was alright. Yes, thank you. She then tells us that there are three sheriff cars and an ambulance in our driveway. They were waiting on the fourth sheriff to be able to break down the door and go inside. She was able to get their attention to tell them we were not home and they asked to talk to me. They kind of gave me something less than a lecture but something more than don't do this again. Why he said the next thing, I'll never know but...we thought an elderly lady with cats was inside, unresponsive. Why gee, why did he think there might be cats? I think I grocery shopped in shock, miffed with myself over not being careful or observant. I told Roy on the way home, today marks a significant journey on getting older. Later on in the day, talked with our wonderful neighbor who also happens to have a beautiful name, Nancy. She said they asked if we were elderly by any chance. She responded well, they fit that category by age but they don't act like elderly people. They are constantly on the go or working in their gardens. That lessened the elderly blow. It is hard getting old. You have to not look old in facial expressions, don't have a trite phrase to say that was funny in your 40s but now, just a tired rendition to both speaker and listener, breath through your nose, don't fall asleep everywhere, remember to keep your symptoms and health to a minimum of discussion and oh there is so much more...that I've forgotten which is a sign unto me, elderly. I have told three people about Wednesday cause it knocked me for a loop and thankfully two out of the three had their own embarrassing elderly moment of recent days that made me feel like I wasn't alone. Almost feeling like the last part of this birthday year, we will give you something to remember. Thursday, I felt confident to just stay home, keep the keys with the alarm button put away. Then we come to Friday being out almost the entirety of the day, but so happy to report, no alarm situations instituted by me. The unexpected result of this old lady escapade is, lots of picking up of stuff that needs to be put away. Roy and I are both pilers but we are different in what we accept and don't accept. We are opposites in this view. We threw ourselves into clearing those piles of books and papers as well as other things. Then lo and behold, I dusted...which is not one of my favorite chores. I take after the thought of Leanne Morgan, funny people don't keep their houses immaculate, cause we are busy being fun. 

Thursday, I did get the report back from the mole and being that I was never in medical school, I hadn't a clue if they found anything or if they hadn't. Usually, it is not good to Google it up on medical stuff, but even Dr Google hadn't a clue what the heck the diagnosis was. There should be a section titled, what this means to the simple minded person, ah yes, that would be me. I sent the report to my nurse niece and she gave some direction. 

That Lou Lou at Ducketts, what can she not do? This year along with her canning of tomatoes, beans, salsa, pickles and beets, yuck, along with her baked goods she has added fried pork skins in four flavors. I am prone to liking pork skins with salt, so that is what I went with...not just any salt, but sea salt. I also had a slice of her tomato pie for lunch. I like this years version better than last years. 

I have studied the lesson for tomorrow. Going to a review and a few points before we get to chapter 36.  

*******

A foggy beginning to the day, Monday. Roy has dropped off another Feral Fam member to get fixed. He or she wasn't too happy about the situation. Roy is on his way to go workout since this afternoons forecast says rain that might be more stormy. I'm going to try and get some purple hull peas at a produce stand in a little bit. 

So now I have a better picture from the mole report. A picture that is a bit cloudy because I am waiting for the referral to go through and then contacted for the next appointment in the process. It was not the report I had hoped for but I am reminded of something that has totally helped me these past few days. I think this is from the Mark Buchannan book, Rest of God, but he wrote about how we need to be mindful that in the process there is a beginning, middle and end. Right now I am in the beginning of this journey. Actually I'm really at the pre-stage of looking at websites, reading brochures and such metaphorically of the journey, so I cannot or rather should not jump over to the end and scary middle. I am hoping the journey will have answers early on, take care of the issue and then I'll keep on. So more like a daytrip in the journey metaphor. I had sent a message to the doctor Friday night on the patient portal, that I wasn't quite sure about understanding the report because of the mixture of scary words in the midst of medical jargon. I sent it Friday night hoping for a Monday response. She responded Saturday morning and I am so appreciative of her taking time from her weekend to do that. 

Yesterday in Sunday School, my new friend Katrin made cupcakes for the class and a cake for me. A strawberry cake, one of my most favorites. This has been a wonderful few days of celebrating my birthday before a milestone birthday next year. In the lesson we wrapped up 35 and 36. I am kind of ready to be finished with Jeremiah and move onto the book of Mark. 

I had better attend to these restless Boys cause brunch is being served later than usual. Roy keeps them on a time clock, I get around to things.