And Life Goes On...

It has been awhile since I last published this blog.  In fact, it was very early spring.  Since then, the summer has disappeared, and we are in the last weeks of fall.  In fact, I anticipate a first snowfall before the next 30 days have passed.  It will be light and will disappear quickly, but will nonetheless be a snowfall, a harbinger of the months to come.

So, what has gone on lately?  Hmmm...life has just unfolded like it has a propensity to do.  We have had visitors...Mama, Paula and Bill, and Jim and Eileen; as well as our annual Big Chill.  I attended my 50th, yes 50th high school reunion (I know that most of you can't possibly imagine that I am that old), and Jim has had hip replacement surgery. I spent a very busy summer growing a very bountiful garden, and preserved much of this bounty for the winter months.  Two granddaughters graduated from their respective schools (elementary and middle), and another was a member of a little kick ball team.  I celebrated my 68th birthday, for which my two Texas granddaughters sang "Happy Birthday" in Chinese.  Too cute.  I will try to post it, but am not sure if I can.

Happy Birthday, MiMi

So, that's my life...happy, busy, and awash in good things.

Mama came up for her birthday as I chronicled in my last post.  She came again in May and we spent a pleasant few days just hanging out.  It is always good to see her feeling well as that has not always been the case of late. While she was here we grilled some meat and while we were cleaning the grill the smoke came in an open window and set off the fire alarm.  Mama became very agitated, but I closed the window, and problem solved!



Two of Jon's daughters graduated from their respecive schools in early June; Katelyn from Holy Trinity Middle School, and Lauren from St. Gabriels Elementary School.  I was struck by the large turnouts of extended families for these events.  It is possible to consider these events silly and small in the larger picture of life; but as I reflected it occurred to me that attendence at these events sends a powerful message to a young person; that of importance.  It is a way to say "You have done well.  You are important, and you will accomplish great things."

The Riggsbees celebrate Katelyn's graduation 

Lauren with MiMi, PapaJim, and Daddy

We have always tried to support our grandchildren's sporting events as much as possible.  We managed to get to several of the games this summer played by our Charlotte grandchildren, but were not able to get to Avery's kick ball games in Texas (distance being the primary factor for this inability).  Adam did send some pictures, though, and we were able to join them vicariously.  We did go to Asheville to see Katie's school field hockey game.  Of course, she was the star of the show!

Get ready to run!

Did you see that?

As usual, we shared our beautiful place with friends and family as often as possible.  My sister, Mary came and we canned beans.  She and my other sister will return in a couple of weeks for a weekend of brunswick stew making!  Our SC friends, Jim and Eileen; our Greensboro friends, Joe and Karen; and our Winston-Salem friends Paula and Bill all shared some time with us this summer.  One of the richest pleasures in life is in the fellowship of good friends.

Karen and Joe like S'Mores

Bill and Paula at Dry Falls

I did go to my 50th high school reunion in late September.  I graduated from Grimsley High School, in Greensboro NC in June 1964 along with about 600 other people.  The turnout was good and we had a really good time.  And, may I say, I thought I looked pretty good!  And so did everybody else!  I was great seeing so many people with whom I have had no contact in all this time.  I do keep up with many of them on Facebook, though, which I think is a real blessing!  There was some talk about having a 70th birthday party in a couple years when most of us turn 70.  That should be fun and maybe some people who didn't come this time can come then.

And speaking of friends, we had our annual Big Chill last weekend.  This is a weekend with the college friends that all ran around together while we were at Western Carolina.  I think we have been doing this for about 15 years, though we did take a couple years off while our new house was under construction.  We ate, sat out by the fire, solved all the world's problems, and caught everybody up on our latest health issues!  I remember wondering why my grandparents talked about their health so much.  Now I know...it's your life as you age!

Big Chill Attendees, Jim, Jane Teasley, KenTeasley,Marti Shope, David Shope

And speaking of health...for about the last 6 months, Jim has become increasing immobile with arthritis in his hip.  After a couple visits to the doctor, it was decided that the arthritis was so bad that it was time to get rid of it.  So, Tuesday last he had a total hip replacement.  I'm thinking this was damn near a drive-thru surgery as he was discharged from the hospital about 8 hours after the conclusion of the operation.  We had it done in Charlotte (by the same doctor who did my knee several years ago) and spent the night there Tuesday night, returning home the next day.  On the way home he wanted to stop at the grocery store to get some grapefruit juice.  As he hobbled in on his walker, he discovered those little motorized carts  which just seemed perfect for his condition.  He happily motored himself around the store for about half hour.  I think he just liked to drive the "bumper car". Arranging home care service was a bit challenging as having surgery so far away from the service area is, apparently, like fitting a square peg into a round hole.  Jim is doing pretty well, though.  We did try to push it a little too much yesterday and his afternoon and evening were a little rough.  He is better this morning and I think he will mend quickly.  He has graduated from a walker to a cane, and seems pretty comfortable with it.

Waking Up

Back to Work

Graduating to a Cane

The fall has been somewhat muted here this year.  Peak weekend never really arrived as we had some terrible storms here and lost many, many of our leaves.  Still, it has been pretty and there are spots of stupendous color!

I leave you with a "porch portrait" of sights across the mountain.  Come enjoy them sometime!

We hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving that you enjoy with friends and family!  Love to all.

Spring has Sprung...Maybe

I think that spring has finally come to the mountains.  Well, I thought it has come last week, too, but we have just spent 4 nights during which I lived in fear that my newly planted garden and my newly planted summer flowers would freeze.  However, thanks to a weather phenomenon called "cold air draining", the below freezing air  slipped away down the ridge and settled in the valleys.  Spring comes quickly here when it gets started.  The pics below were taken between May 8 and May 18.  See the difference?  It's amazing!

May 8, 2014

May 11, 2014

May 18, 2014

Life has unfolded smoothly the last couple of months.  We finished a new patio and I bought new pots for use on it.  Pots are expensive and we had to paint the insides to seal them so they won't freeze in the winter.  Did you know that if you put packing peanuts in the bottom instead of rocks it will keep the plant roots from plugging up the drainage hole?  That also helps eliminate the danger of freezing and cracking.  I love these pots.  They're the prettiest ones I've ever had since I usually just do plastic things.  My favorite is Harold...he's a frog....and you can't see him very well in any picture! And we're not through with the area yet, but it's a start!

The Texas Riggsbee's came for a visit during their spring break from school.  I love them!  Well, I love the Charlotte Riggsbees, too.  We finished up the fireworks that we couldn't do last July 4 because the rain was so torrential, and cooked marshmallows and made s'mores.  Up to now I have used coat hangers for cook sticks, (like we did when we were kids), but today's coat hangers are so flimsey that they make roasting hard.  After the girls left I found some roasting sticks online.  They extend to appropriate lengths and are sturdy so the marshmallows won't dip into the fire and melt before they make their way to the chocolate and graham crackers.  Are these girls, Gracen and Avery, cute or what?

I took myself to Charlotte one Saturday to see a ball game.  The Charlotte grandchildren are very involved in sports and each of them plays some kind of game every weekend.  Jim and I don't get a lot of opportunity to see them, but I went to Stanley, I think it was, to see JJ play a baseball game.  It was cloudy and cold and his team lost, but it was good to see everyone.

My mother turned 90 about a month ago.  She and my sisters came up for a visit for a few days and we celebrated this milestone with a little party.  She is doing well now after having some scary health issues a while ago.  My plans are to go to Greensboro later this week for several days to see her and do some things for her.  I usually go about once a month and always look forward to seeing her.  I hope she will agree to come back to the mountains with me.

Celebrating 90!!!

Mama and the Girls
Judy, Mary, Mama, Lynn

This past weekend, our friends Jim and Eilleen came for a visit.  We haven't seen them in a couple of years and they are always so much fun!  Eilleen and I taught together in Charlotte.  Our children are about the same age and the two families became good friends.  We stayed that way even while they moved around the southeast.  They currently live on Lake Marion in South Carolina and spend their time on the lake and killing armadillos!  Though it was  cold and rainy (mostly) we entertained ourselves playing bridge, watching "The Property Brothers", and eating.  Lord, it's a good thing we don't eat like this all the time!

Jim and Eilleen

I haven't read too much in the last couple of months as I have discovered Netflix.  I have watched House of Cards (27 episodes), Scandal ( don't know how many episodes), and have begun Heartland.  Also, the third season of Scandal is posted, so I guess I can waste more time!  I did try to read Robert Gates' book Duty, but gave up on it.  I usually presevere to finish a book once I begin it, and, indeed, there is only one other book that I couldn't finish (Bill Clinton's memoirs).  It (the Gates book) was so boring that I just couldn't justify my continued attention.  I did just finish a book by John Green (I like him), The Fault in Our Stars.  I read somewhere that there will be (or already is) a movie based on this book.

I end with a porch portrait that isn't.  The rhododendron are blooming and they are beautiful.  I think that because the winters are so stark up here that the springs are that much sweeter.

Spring Rhododendron

Love to all.

Snow, The Unexpected, and a 50th Reunion

The past two winters have been pretty benign up here in the hills.  This winter has been more severe, but still can't hold a candle to the winters of 2009-10 and 2010-11. Those were the winters when I earned the name "Rapunzel", owing to the fact that I was pretty much stuck up here on the mountain. Still, we had about 10 1/2/ inches of snow which is nothing to sneeze at.  The video on the right was taken at the heavy part of the storm.  It snowed like this for many hours. Update:  I don't think this video works and I can't figure out how to delete it.  Sorry!

Before

After

Navigating my driveway is interesting under the best of conditions, but when the snow piles up around the dog-leg, it is treacherous.  It takes quite some time for the snow to melt there due to it being on the north side of the mountain, and to the presence of copious amounts of shade.  It is often a serious impediment to getting back to normal here, so I have decided to cut some trees to allow the sun to more easily strike the surface.  I'm sure the change will be stark, but there's no help for it.  This picture was the early after...it's really different now!

 I did enjoy the white stuff though.  It is very pretty when it is falling, and I've never outgrown the childhood joy of snowman making.  I made a single small snow person, and dressed it in male and female attire, thus creating the first snow person who is also a cross dresser!

Pretty

I am not a particularly sanquine person when it comes to dealing with unexpected crises.  So when, in addition to the snow and to the severe thunderstorms that came shortly after, we suddenly found ourselves out of water and the electronic gate wouldn't close, I became agitated.  The gate was one thing, but being without water was something else.  It happened on a weekend so we had to wait for the plumber.  Water and electricity are two things that are so central to existence that they are used unconsciously until they are not available.  Then, BAM!!  Extreme consternation!  A bushing in the water gizmo at the spring had frozen in the sub-zero cold a few weeks previously.  It was an easy fix, thankfully.  The gate...well, the electronic control board had chosen this time to retire.  Haven't gotten the bill for that one yet.

I commissioned a potter to make 12 place settings and some additional serving pieces for me.  I have been wanting new dishes for about five years, but wasn't sure just what I wanted.  I am not really a person of vision, but I know what the perfect thing is when I see it.  I saw this potter's work at several shops in the area, and everytime I saw it, I could see it gracing  my dining room table.   I picked them up today from her studio in Weaverville.  Aren't they beautiful?  They look like the mountains.  And I love the soup bowl!

Salvaterra Pottery, Weaverville, NC

When I was visiting my son and his family in Texas in December, my daughter-in-law ( a brilliant person) had a new vacuum.  It was the coolest thing...small, light, and perfect for small jobs that involve dog hair.  It has a number of attachments and is easy to carry around.  Not good for heavy duty vacuuming and it works better on bare floors than carpet, but it sure beats getting the big vacuum out for small chores.  It is a Dyson something or another, and generally costs about $400.  Jim found one for me on close-out at Sam's Club in Hickory for $263.  I love to save money.

The Dyson

This weekend we journeyed to Asheville to watch one of our Charlotte granddaughters play in a soccer match.  We were so proud of her!  She punched in one of the three goals that was scored by her winning team!   Lauren is the little one in the green jersey and the orange shoes.  It was a pretty exciting game and it was extra special to see her and her Daddy.  I wish we could see more of them, but families these days seem to be non-stop involved.  I'm sure I couldn't keep up the pace!

Lauren on the Soccer Field

My 50th high school reunion is this year.  My, has it been that long?  I have only been to one other, but I'm going to this one, so I've been doing some thinking about it.  I wonder how many of us will try to lose weight or will consider a facelift in an effort to recall a half century?  I know that 50 years has certainly changed me.  I have grown from a shy, tentative teen-ager into a strong and confident woman.  I have lived through good times and bad; made my share of mistakes and tried to learn from them; and been successful in every way that matters...in my marriage of 45 years; in the parenting that resulted in the development of two strong and independent adults; in many long standing friendships; and in my professional career.  I have found that in the larger scheme of things, high school makes little difference.  Nevertheless, a reunion is a reconnection to people to whom we may never have been connected except for that accident of residence.  Even though I do not remember all the members of my very large class (and I daresay they don't remember me), my slightly pudgy and somewhat wrinkled self will greet them with a smile on my face and joy in my heart!

Love to all of you!  And, now, today's porch portrait:

The Texas Wild Women and Other Stuff

When I last spoke to you, I was planning a trip to Texas to visit Adam and his family.  I did go and I had a stupendous visit!  The girls, Gracen and Avery, who are so shy around non-family, lose all their inhibitions when they feel comfortable, and can aptly be described as "wild women".  I had such a wonderful time with them and got to spend some precious one on one time with my youngest son.  His wife Shanna and her sister Annie also contributed mightily to my enjoyment!

Shanna and Annie

I used to like to fly, but the hassle of dealing with rude TSA agents has tarnished the magic of "slipping the surly bonds of earth".  They fail every test aimed at stopping a terrorist event, but seem to love the power of being able to treat the traveling public like something lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.  Nevertheless, I got to Austin safely.  The weather was very cold:  so cold, in fact, that  the night before my trip I had to repack my whole bag to accommodate the warm clothing I would need.  Normally, it is much colder in my mountains than in Austin, but that was reversed during this visit and I spent the time in sweaters and warm coats, a completely different feel than the shirt sleeves that were needed here.

Adam was very attentive to me which warmed the cockles of my heart.  I see him so infrequently that anytime spent with him (or Jon) is a precious memory.  We ate lunch out several times, took a tour of downtown Austin, went to a short concert provided by a radio station at the University of Texas, grocery shopped (where, since I didn't have my purse with me, I asked for everything in the store...payback is hell, I hear).  We also went with Shanna to a movie (Catching Fire) at the Alamo (not the historic site, but the eat, drink and be merry movie house).  I have known that those places existed where you could order food and drink while enjoying the movie, but had never been to one.  (It's amazing how little I get out!)  Shanna and I went Christmas shopping for the girls and had a wonderful time.  She is such a sweetie, and I felt really good about choosing gifts for the girls that I knew they wanted.  It's hard to do that long distance, and since I really don't keep up with the latest in child offerings, I appreciated the assistance.

Cookie Monsters

And the girls...what fun!  We did all the grandma things like reading books, snuggling on the couch, and making cookies.  I also cooked "MiMi beans" several times.  "MiMi beans" are what Gracen calls fresh green beans that I cook differently than her mom does.  I took them to school and picked them up most days, and just loved the interaction and conversations that I had with them.  Jim came for part of the trip and Gracen decided that we should have a "fake" Christmas dinner before we left since we wouldn't be there for Christmas Day.  So Adam cooked a small turkey and I cooked "MiMi beans" and we celebrated the season in fine style.  The girls opened a few of their gifts and it was almost as good as the real thing!

The Opening

Just a Few More

Their Christmas decorations were region specific in some ways and they had this wonderful Christmas cactus in their yard.  I loved it, and briefly considered getting one for myself, but then common sense intruded and I resisted the temptation  of ordering one from Home Depot.
 

Merry Christmas!

Mama

My mother, who has been rather unwell for some time, has improved a great deal in recent weeks and we are grateful.  She maintains a good sense of humor and gracefully accepts the vagaries of growing old.  She posed for this picture as a Christmas card.  I messaged it to everybody she knows (mostly) with her wishes for a happy holiday season.









Patti, my daughter-in-law, sent this picture of the Charlotte grandchildren.  Aren't they pretty?  I haven't seen them in a while so am planning to get down there for some ball games pretty soon.

Jonathan, Katelyn, Lauren

We had some friends over for New Year's Eve and, though none of us could stay up until midnight, we made it until about 11:30.  The new year came anyway, and time marches on inexorably.

Chris and Curt

Karen and Joe

Here is hoping that all of you have a happy and successful 2014, being grateful for the opportunity of life and love, and using each day to add to someone else's happiness.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Silly PapaJim

I leave you with a porch portrait taken from Adam's deck in Austin.  Beautiful!