The Best Kind of Friend; Sister Date; and The Greening of the Mountains

Karen and Joe

When I was in high school my best friend was Karen.  We did not go to the same school, but attended the same church and were totally inseparable.  She married Joe (a boy in my class and school) when we were about 20.  I was in her wedding and wore the prettiest green dress...the best bridesmaid's dress I ever wore!  Joe was in school at NC State and after their marriage they moved to Raleigh.  I saw her several times after that, the last time being when she was pregnant with her first child.  I'm not sure about the time line, but Joe joined the Air Force, and they moved to somewhere far from home.  Her parents left Greensboro for the beach, and with them my connection to Karen.  I did not see or hear from her for about 44 years.  I have never seen her children, nor she mine.  On Christmas Eve, with only JR and I at home, I began to think about her (as I have done many times in the past 44 years) and decided to Google her.  I found her in Greensboro!  After I found where she lived, I used Whitepages.com to find her phone number.  I just couldn't wait!  Even if it  was Christmas Eve I was not going to be deterred.  I called her and we both talked as if we had only talked the day before.  Since that was a family time, I called her the next week and we chatted and giggled just like we used to.  We made arrangements to meet for lunch when I was in Greensboro, but I had to cancel when my sister was hospitalized in Charlotte.  Last week we finally met!  Oh, how wonderful!  We picked up right where we left off, talking non-stop, laughing, giggling, sharing our families, remembering our deceased parents, and all the myriad topics that are the stuff of never-ending friendship.  Karen is the best kind of friend...the kind that never leaves your heart.  Welcome back to my life, Karen!  I won't ever let you leave again!

Worst BBQ Place in NC

Zach of the Red Hair

My sister has twins who are almost 18 years old.  They are juniors in high school and are, of course, beginning to think about their plans following graduation.  With that in mind, Ana, decided to go to open house at UNC-Asheville.  ( I don't think it hurts that her boyfriend is a student there.)  Since we don't live too far from there, we journeyed east to spend a little time with Mary and the "kids".  We ate an early supper at the worst barbeque place in the state, but the company was good and we had fun.  After we left the restaurant, the kids went somewhere and Jim, Mary, and I just drove around Asheville in the pouring rain trying to see the sights.  We did drive past the Grove Park Inn, but that was the extent of the sightseeing.  JR went to a bridle and tack store to get a horse shoe to hang over his garage door (for luck, I guess) and Mary got a new pair of red boots.  You know how it is when you get older...your feet get bigger, and she had outgrown her old ones.  Now she has a pair of shiny new red cowboy boots.  Ana says she is going to "marry" Asheville.  I think the family "hill" blood may run in her veins.  Above and below are some pictures taken last week.

 

The Love Birds:  Ana and Justin

I told you in my last post that it has been an extraordinarily warm winter with very little snow or brutally cold weather.  I have been thinking since October that we would have a big snowfall accompanied by really cold temperatures.  So far, that hasn't materialized.  In fact, I believe that spring is here.  We usually have our last snow around mid-March, though the cold weather sticks around for a lot longer.  But we haven't had any temperature (even at night) below freezing in weeks.  The canes on blackberries and raspberries are leafed out, the blueberries are budding, the wild cherry trees have stuck out their little green noses; in the lower elevations trees are in full early leaf, and the flowering trees and shrubs are dressed in their full regalia.  We usually don't get here until late April or early May.  I am itching to get my hands in the dirt, but I've been burned before, so I'll try to hold off until Mother's Day!  I will plant my cool weather crops this weekend...cabbage, spinach, broccoli, onions.  Ummm...can't wait for that first tomato!

Mountain Daffodils in Early Bloom

I am going to Biltmore House in Asheville with Shanna's mother on Friday.  We are going to see the new exhibit "The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad", and will probably be able to take in some of the spring flora, also.  Enjoy your weekend and if I don't post again before, have a Happy Easter!

The Texans Visit; Snow Update

My cousin, Chuck, and his wife, Jaxine, came to visit God's Country.  Chuck was born either in Charlotte or Jacksonville, FL (I think).  He is the son of my mother's younger brother, David and the oldest of three boys.  At some point the family moved to Baltimore where (I think) Mike was born. The family moved to Texas when Chuck was about 11, and Bill was born in Dallas.  Thus, Chuck is really a Texan after all, he wears cowboy boots), having resided there for most of his life.  He lives in Corpus Christi and works for an oil refinery there.  Bill lives in Arlington and works for the federal government.  Mike died at an early age.

We used to see them yearly while my grandparents were still living as the family vacation always included a visit east.  After my grandparents died, we saw less of them as we all got older and more involved in our own lives.  In addition, David died the same year that Grandma did, so the urgency to visit was less pronounced.  Mama and Daddy traveled west on several occasions, but I never went.

Charlie, Jaxine, Mama, Chuck

Chuck and Jaxine came to help us celebrate our first Thanksgiving in our new house in November of 2009.  We had such a good time, and have looked forward to a return visit since then.  They came for a long weekend, and my brother, Charlie, brought my mother up so we had a mini-reunion.  I laughed so hard at Charlie and Chuck telling stories of their exploits around the Texas countryside.  Charlie allowed as to how "I spent a month there one week" in the retelling of a trip to Bandera (where Chuck's family had a weekend place).

So far, they have been here in the winter.  Next visit has to be in warmer weather.  At least we had no snow!!

Biggest snow this year

And speaking of snow...this has been a very, very mild winter...warm and mostly snow-free.  We've had 6 or 7 "dustings", and one snow that was maybe an inch and a half.  After all the yelping I've done for the last two winters, you'd think I'd appreciate it (and I do), but I do confess to missing a good snow.  Well, my motto is to be grateful in all things, and as I write, it is beautiful day with bright sunshine, and a temperature headed towards 60 degrees.  I'm going to sit out in the sun later and try to help my recovery from some obnoxious illness.




Love to all!

New Car and Visits

Lynn's New Car...2012 Toyota Highlander

 I recently bought a new car.  I first started looking for it the day after Thanksgiving.  Jim and I visited a Toyota dealership in Charlotte where we met the poster child of the stereotypical car salesman.  I shall not reveal his name since the following will not be flattering!  In background, I should tell you that he is a few years older than I, so he was reared at a time in which women were 1) not to be considered sensible creatures, and 2) not considered to be able to conduct business.  Therefore, that is the mindset he brought to dealing with me.  The first thing he did was nearly knock me down trying to open the door for me as we went to the lot.  Puh...leez, I can open my own door.  While he was apologizing for nearly tripping me, he explained that he was an "old-fashioned" guy who believed in treating women respectfully.  Well, I'm all for respect, but I should have paid attention and gotten the hell out of there.  During the rest of our negotiations, he treated me just as men treated women when I was a young girl.  To start with he didn't listen to me, preferring to focus his comments on JR..  When he did listen to me, he responded in a condescending manner.  I was not really a happy camper when I decided on a car (which he didn't have in stock because I required a 4 wheel drive).  Then he started the money negotiations by writing all over a piece of paper so that I couldn't make heads or tails about anything he was saying.  I finally did pin him down long enough to get a price.  Then, he told me that he didn't do "high pressure" and immediately proceeded to tell me that we had to complete this transaction that month (it was already the 25th).  No pressure there!  Since that was not a possibility and I told him so, then suddenly it was okay if we did it by the end of the year.  Are you getting the drift?  I left the dealership telling him that I would be in touch.  Never should have given him my phone number because the first of MANY calls came the next day telling me that he had found me a car and it would be at the dealership on December 28.  In the meantime, Jim and I got sick, my mother was not well, it was Christmas and we were having guests, etc. He continued to call me every other day or so.  I finally got so I didn't even answer the phone when it was him on the other end.  While JR and I were sick, we burned up our iPads looking at costs of the same car at different dealerships.  Lo and behold, it became apparent that prices in Charlotte were considerably higher than in other places.  So I called old Doodlehead to tell him that I was going to look around.  That's when he called every other day to tell me that he could do about anything he wanted.  I promised to give him last look (a promise I did not keep).  In late January, I went to Jim Barkley Toyota in Asheville and bought, sans ANY pressure, the identical vehicle for $5500 less than Doodlehead had offered.  Now I know that he would have made up some of that money, and maybe all of it, but he had irritated me so many times, that I just didn't care.  After purchasing from the Asheville dealership, I called him and when he didn't answer, left him a message.  I  haven't heard from him since.  I hope he was irritated.  Jim thinks maybe he learned a lesson about women, but I certainly wouldn't bet the farm on that.  I love my care, though!  Isn't it pretty?

My daughter-in-law came from Texas recently for a baby shower for one of her long time friends.  My friend, Jarleth, was up visiting when Shanna's mother, Judy, called and suggested that we have lunch together at the Grovewood Cafe.  This is a marvelous little restaurant on the grounds of the Grove Park Inn.  It was so good to see Shanna.  We don't see them very often since they live so far away.  After lunch we went to examine Judy's new house which they have been building on the Riggsbee construction time frame (slow).  Things are coming together, it is a lovely house, and they think they will be in it by the end of the summer.  The picture above is of the Lunch Girls!

Patti and Katie do a project

I went to Charlotte earlier this week for a dental appointment and visited my sister (who is doing very well after her hospitalization) and Jon and his family.  I took pictures,and here they are! Something was corrupted in a couple of these and I couldn't fix them in Photo Gallery, but they posted just fine!

JJ, the Angry Bird

Reni, the math whiz

The mountains are expecting a winter storm later today and overnight.  We are on the southern edge of the expected snowfall, so it remains to be seen if we will get any significant amount.  This winter has been very warm and mild, and all the snowfall we have had has been minimal.  After the last two winters, I'm NOT complaining!

Love to all!  Oh, just a thought on leaving...play Angry Birds!  It is maddening, but much fun.  Just a warning, though...you can waste a lot of time!

Oh, and one more thing...you know I love to read and do a fair amount of it.  One of my favorite authors is Ken Follett, a remarkably versatile writer.  His current work is a trilogy called The Century.  The first book, Fall of Giants, was published in 2010.  The second, Winter of the World will be published in the fall.  This trilogy is an epic tale of the 20th century.  It's characters move in and out of the vicissitudes of history in a remarkable way.  Fall of Giants, at least, will leave you with a marvelous story, as well as new knowledge about times long past that you thought you understood.

Update

Well, I HAVE WATER!!!  After two months with water that has been skitzzy at best, the pump at the spring has been hooked up and I have "real" water.  Doug, the plumber's assistant, has been up every 4 or 5 days to fill us up.  He must be the most patient person in the world.  Dave, the plumber says that even as patient as Doug is he was getting tired of this job!  Can't blame him.

Some really good news...I have found my very best friend in high school after about 40 years.  We ddin't go to the same school, but we went to the same church and we were inseparable!  Now that one can google people, I did just that and found her...living not far from where we grew up!  I had plans to see her, but my sister (Mary) was hospitalized and I had to miss our scheduled luncheon..  But I talked to her last night and we just giggled and giggled like we did when we were MUCH younger..  You'll get a picture of her when we get together.

Not much else to say.  It is raining like cats and dogs here like it has been doing all month...well, it could have been snow.  I am grateful for small favors!

I will leave you with another beautiful scene from the ridge!  Love to all!

Christmas and "The Young Guns"

Here's hoping that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and that you enter the new year rested in body and spirit, and looking forward to another year's progress in meeting your life's goals.  Jim and I had a wonderful season, though I confess to being glad to be back into a routine.

We actually celebrated Christmas in fits and starts...with my mother the week or so before Christmas; with Jon and his family, a day or two before Christmas; with our friends, the Longs, on Christmas Day; and with my sister and her family the week after Christmas.  It was fun on all fronts, but my tree was up for over a month as were the other decorations, and I was really, really glad to get back to normal.

"Reni Oakley"

JJ "Shooter"

Now a little history is in order.  Jim and our grandson, JJ, love to go to the gun store in Charlotte.  JJ squats down in front of the display cases and picks out guns that he would like to have, so Jim decided that this was the year to give him a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.  If you have ever seen that wonderful Christmas movie "A Christmas Story" you will know what that gun is like.  Anyway, he bought it for him, waited with breathless suspense, and had it under the tree when they came up right before Christmas.  It was rainy and foggy the day they arrived, but the day after dawned crisp and clear, so the game was on!  Jim and Jon took JJ and sister Lauren outside to teach them to target shoot.  The barrel was too long for each of them, but Lauren compensated well by developing a rather unorthodox stance, and became a "Dead Eye Dick"  We started calling her Reni Oakley.  JJ, on the other hand handled a rifle like he does video game controls.  We don't think he ever really hit anything since his plan seemed to be "Fire, Aim, Ready".  Katie watched these goings-on from the inside for awhile and then apparently decided that her 11 year old self was not too good to try this activity.  The gun was not too long for her and she was an equally good shot when compared to Reni.  So now, we have the Oakley Sisters.  Reni asks her dad everyday when they are going back to shoot.  Included are some pics of the "Young Guns".

"Katie Oakley"

Snow Update:  We have had two snows since Christmas Day, both very moderate with only about a 1-2 inch accumulation.  Those of you familiar with snow know that this is negligible.  The latest snow came on Monday night.  I had a hair appointment yesterday and JR said that he would take me down and then we would go do some rat killing.  Now, mind you, we have TWO 4-wheel drive vehicles sitting in our driveway.  However, JR decided that we would take his company car (a Ford Fusion) because "It'll be fine."  Yeah, it was fine for getting down the drive, but when we got back the car (after 4 tries) wouldn't go back up.  So, we parked it and walked straight up hill for a little over 1/2 mile.  I was okay, but JR's knee hurt.  I volunteered to go up and get the truck or the 4Runner and come get him, but he had to be Macho Man.  So...I let him walk and declined to feel sorry for him when he complained about his knee the rest of the night!  I had to take him down this morning to get his car...no problem for ye old 4Runner!

Water Update:  I still don't have regular water.  The hold-up now is Duke Energy which has to come up and hook up the power to the new barn.  The water pump at the spring will be run from there, and we currently do not have water that continually pumps from there .  I do, however, have a pump in the holding tank at the top of the drive (see last post) so the inside water is normal acting.  However, the plumber has to come out about once every 5 days or so to top off the tank, which requires hooking up a generator to the pump at the spring and about 2 hours labor.  It's just like paying for water in Charlotte!!  To date, I have been without normal water since November 30.  Do I need to say that I'm over it?

It's beautiful here and I will leave you with a landscape from the ridge.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Above it all on the ridge

The Joys of Construction

About a year ago, JR decided that he would like to build a barn in which to house his tractor and its implements, and to have a workshop.  Just like everything Jim does, it has taken on proportions way beyond its original conception.  Not only is the "barn" bigger than one would generally expect a barn to be (it is bigger than my mother's house, I think), but the scope of the project has taken on a life of its's own.  A trench was to be dug for electric lines to run to the place, so Jim decided that we might as well replace our rather decrepit water lines in the same trench...and while we were at it, why not replace the holding tank at the springhead with a 1000 gallon tank; and, oh, by the way, let's put another 1000 gallon tank at the top of the drive so that if we lose electricity, we can have gravity fed water.

One of the 1000 gallon holding tanks

Now please note that the weather has not cooperated and our workmen can't work in the snow and rain, but Louis did fill up one of the holding tanks, and, guess what, we have gravity fed water (see picture above).  The only issue is that we are now on our 12th day with this tank of water and we are conserving like crazy.  Can't get hot water in the kitchen (not enough pressure to push the heated water from the water heater), so I boil water on the stove to wash dishes.  I have not been doing too much cooking...clean-up is too much of a hassle.  Pressure is too low to use the dishwasher...which, by the way, was full.  It's ripe by now.  I have avoided opening it.  I take a shower about every third day...speaking of being ripe... (though I do a little bird bath routine and brush my teeth).  I am so glad that I was not a pioneer woman.  The very thought of trudging 1/3 mile down a steep hill to the spring head with a bucket and hauling it back up here is just nauseating!

I am going to Charlotte and Greensboro leaving tomorrow and will return Thursday.  I'd better have some water that is delivered with pump power when I get back!  Or else...I'll be coming to visit you!!!


I'll leave you with some "construction sights".

The well-bred always have a potty

The beginning of the barn

This picture of the spring head isn't very sharp, but the white pipe is coming from the holding tank (1000 gallons) and is dispensing cool, clear water.  All this will be eventually covered up and attached to the lines that go to the house...better be soon!

The spring head with all that beautiful water...not coming to my house!

  
Merry Christmas!  


Love, Lynn and Jim

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Jim and me with Jon, Patti, and the Munchkins

Thanksgiving has come and gone, the tree is up, the cards are mailed, gifts are purchased, and I'm just enjoying the season!  We went to Jon's and Patti's for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time.  It was their maiden voyage for hosting the annual celebration, though Patti's mother and I prepared most of the food.  It was so much fun, and we are looking forward to their visit before Christmas to go skiing.  Mind you, I'm not going skiing, but they'll have a good time!

Lynn with youngest sister,  Mary

The elder Riggsbees with Patti's parents, Tom and G with our common grandchildren

We missed the Texas Riggsbees, though.  Shanna sent a darling picture of G and A in front of their tree.  We hope to get there soon.  I miss those little things.

Avery and Gracie

Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever you want to call it!  We love you guys!