Election Day 2020

I am an American.   It is my right, responsibility and privilege to vote, to have my voice heard.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,  indivisible and with liberty and justice for all.  

This flag and everything it stands for belong to every American, not to any political party. 

November 3, 2020 is election day.  Vote and have your voice heard too.   

A Catch Up

 Okay, its time.  All these months of the covid pandemic have taken their toll on all of us.  I know that at times I am frustrated, sad, stressed, lonely and just plain unhappy.  Then at other times it doesn't seem to bother me so much.  My brother and I were talking yesterday and we both agreed that many of us Americans have for way too long had the ability to do as we please when we please.  We have become truly spoiled with having the ability to indulge our wants and whims.  This time of restriction can teach us a valuable lesson.  If our true needs are met (food, shelter, clothing, safety), then all our wants can be adjusted and modified if we will but make the effort. 

I am a quilter.  I have a room full of fabrics, tools, patterns and every other implement that I need or want to indulge my expensive hobby.  Yet, I find myself being unsatisfied at times and at a loss as to how to occupy myself.  Isn't that pathetic?  I'm relatively healthy, have every need met and 99.9% of my wants met, so how can I possibly be unsatisfied?  I just shake my head at myself sometimes.  

Now, on to something more cheerful.  During this period of uncertainty, I cleaned up my sewing room. 

You won't see that cutting table empty like that too often.  Same for the sewing tables. 

See that small lamp on the table.  It has stopped working.  I thought it was the switch so I figured I'd give it a go and see if there was obviously something wrong that I could fix. 

Looks like the base of a lamp, huh?  Way beyond my capabilities because in reality I know zip, nada, zilch about electronics.  I put it back together and then proceeded to do something I know how to do.  I found a used one on dBay just like it and promptly bought it.  Should be here in a day or so.  Nifty, huh?

My husband and I try to go walking several times a week at our local park which is about 30+ acres with the lovely Butternut Creek and Notteley River running through it.  I came across this sight this week and it really caught my fancy. 

Budding engineers had obviously been at work building a rock dam.  Then one obviously had an artistic bent and built that sculpture/cairn.  I swear the top looks like a dancer or angel in movement.  Don't know if you can enlarge enough to tell.  I'm so glad I captured the sight because the next time I was at the park the sculpture was gone and the dam totally rearranged. 

Just another one of those lessons about appreciating what we have when we have it. 

Y'all take care of yourselves.  See you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for in my life.  Mostly good health, family, friends and financial stability.  With those things behind me, I'm allowed the freedom to enjoy a spectrum of activities, some simple and some not so much. 

This morning, my husband and I were simply sitting upstairs in the living room in very comfy swivel rockers facing the fireplace, each with a cup of coffee, talking and watching the many birds out at the feeders.  The sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky.  Leaves were still floating down regularly.  There is no more perfect moment in my mind.   That's the kind of stuff that finds me grateful beyond belief. 

Sunrise from the deck

I hope all of you who visit here take a moment to be thankful for the good things in your life.  I'm also grateful that you stop in to visit me.  

Y'all take care.  

Fall in the Mountains

I wish there was some way that I could share  accurately the breathtaking beauty to be found here in the mountains at the moment.  We don't have as many maples as New England so we don't have as much red color, but the oranges and golds certainly make up for it. 

Every one of these was taken without getting off my porches and deck.  When you look out the windows, you are looking into a sea of shades of gold, yellow and orange.   Sadly, though, this peak color also means that leaves are falling.  We're enjoying them every day because soon there will be long months of bare limbs.   

Winter months provide their own beauty with lacy limbs, sometimes outlined in snow, and allowing views in directions not seen while leaves are on the trees. 

I grew up in northwest Florida where so many of the trees did not shed leaves.  The area is covered by pines and though they do shed needles, they are never bare.  Even the oaks there mostly shed part of the leaves in the fall and the most of the leaves in the spring as new growth appeared. 

For many years I dreamed of living somewhere with rolling hills, hardwood trees and four seasons.  I've got those here and I'm a happy camper.  

Strangely, there are very few acorns this year.  Gonna be a lean year for critters that rely on them.  I'll bet that means that the squirrels will be flocking to our feeders even more than usual.  I don't mind supplementing their food supply, but being the primary source gets tiresome, particularly as their feeding keeps the birds from the feeders.   

Y'all take care 

Today's Treasure

Every day there's something that strikes me as wonderful.  It's time to make note.  Yesterday's unexpected  treat was the sight of three pileated woodpeckers flying over, most likely parents and a juvenile.  

Today it was the sight of a scarlet tanager flying over.  

I've also been seeing an indigo bunting at the feeders almost daily for several weeks now.   

Indigo bunting on left

These weren't taken this week but over past years.  

I also had the treat of a bobcat in the yard a few days ago.  It's the first time we've seen on here and the first I've seen at all in many years.  Don't think hubby has ever seen one before.  These are lousy pictures.  It was a very cloudy day, I didn't have the good camera handy at the time and they're also through the windows and screens. But, it marks the moment.  

Bobcat slinking across driveway toward squirrels 

Good stuff here in the hills.    

Y'all take care.

Time Is Humming Along

I cannot believe that it's February 2 already!  The groundhog didn't see his shadow here at our house this morning and I can certainly believe that spring will be arriving soon.  Way too soon, really.  Due to the on again, off again weather we've been having, we already have early flowers coming up.  Trees and shrubs are budding.  This is just plain crazy here in the mountains.  Don't get me wrong.  I enjoy the mild temperatures but I worry about the plants and insect populations later in the summer.  

I spent a few days with friends from my quilt guild from Florida at a retreat over in north Alabama.  Had a wonderful time, of course.  No finished project to show but made a lot of progress on a couple of things.  Had lovely views of Lake Guntersville for the duration.

I'm not a fan of 'smores but a good time was had by the outdoor fireplace and some of the girls enjoyed them.   We've already reserved the same time for next year to do it again. 

Here on the homefront, a few friends came over and we worked on a small tote for use with hand projects. 

Now, to actually get to work on one of my hand projects. 

Life is good and I try to remember that and acknowledge the fact every day. 

Y'all take care 

Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe that its Thanksgiving already and that Christmas is just over four weeks away.  Be that as it may, I'm so thankful for all of my blogland pals who are an important part of my day, every day.  I'm thankful that all of you hang in and check on me once in awhile.

I have done some sewing since I last posted but need to catch up on the photos.  Here are three quilts that I finally had quilted so they are all done awaiting a new home. 

We had a bumper crop of acorns this year despite the drought.  I brought these from a chestnut oak in to show their size.  They are on a cutting mat with a one inch grid that shows how big they are.

Y'all take care. 

Growing Up Fast but Hanging On

I don't know about the rest of you, but it is very hard for me to accept the fact that I'm now part of the "older" folks.  Many years ago, a friend and I were talking and we agreed that with the problems going on, it was time for the grown ups to step up and make some decisions.  Then, I reminded him that in our mid 30's, we were supposed to be grownups!  He and I both agreed that we could be in trouble. 

I was reminded of that recently when my 92 year old Aunt Mildred passed away.  She was the last of my mother's siblings.  

Aunt Mildred and Aunt Dean

I lost Aunt Dean, the other lady in this picture, back in April.  There are no more aunts and uncles for me on either side of the family.   What I've discovered is that you always feel like one of the kids if there's a parent or an aunt or uncle around.  They are the "grown ups".    All the cousins were together for Aunt Mildred's  memorial and we're all feeling a bit adrift.  And we're realizing that not only are we now the grown ups, we're fast approaching or already are some of the "old folks".  

I stayed with my brother while I was down in Florida.  He's been the caretaker of a farm (other than his own, of course) for years but I'd never been over to it.  This trip I told him I wanted a tour.  Before heading to the farm, we had to go check on a few things.  We had to go by our family's old farm to check the traps for feral hogs.  Nothing there.  Then we headed off to check on some of my brother's cows that were pastured a number of miles away.   Got there and luckily the cows were close to the fence.  One of the cows had been limping and he wanted to check her hoof again.  He discovered that she had undoubtedly stepped on something and gotten cut.  He'll have to move her back to the house so he can doctor on her and keep an eye on her.   

Then, he decided he wanted to go see a man about a check.  The guy bought some hay from my brother and he had called wanting to exchange cash for the check.  Fine with brother but he could never catch him at home.  Didn't find him home this trip either because he was with his daughter who was competing in a rodeo about 70 miles away.  Oh well, I got a tour of places I hadn't seen in many years, including the grist mill where we always got our corn meal ground.  I have that ticking sack that was used only for the corn kernels and then the ground meal.   Oh my, the smell of freshly ground, warm corn meal!  

After riding over what felt like half the county, we finally went over to the farm so I could see where he spends an inordinate amount of time and energy.   As we drove around, he showed me all the projects he's working on, including the new fences he has put in this year and the watering system so that all the pastures have well water.  He's got part of the pasture land plowed up and ready for rye and clover to be planted. 

And, I had to see some of his cows that were in those pastures. 

After visiting the bovines, we headed off through the woods to the old pond.  (Yes, there is a new pond also.)   I thought we'd gone most everywhere but he assured me that there were other places to go but they required the Purple Onion (the old battered 4 wheel drive Tracker) or the 4x4 buggy.  Since we were on the "good" truck, he wouldn't take it those places!

We stopped and he checked the fish feeder.  The second he touched it, the water was suddenly splashing with fish wanting food.    There's a small floating dock there for fishing or just hanging out.  Brother says he'll just sit there sometimes, taking it all in for a while. 

I headed back north on Sunday.   Somehow, these weeks just keep flying by. 

Y'all take care. 

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Oh, what a beautiful morning!   Oh, what a beautiful day!

Can't you just hear that song now?   And the bluebirds singing??

Its another gorgeous day here in the mountains.  There's lots of foggy mornings, but it usually burns off very quickly.  I just came in from replenishing a hummer feeder.  The little buggers eat voraciously.  

I've been hoping to see critters here and a few nights ago I got my wish. 

We had just finished dinner when I happened to look outside and this is what we saw.  I've seen does with twins before, but this is the first time I've seen triplets.

Pileated Woodpecker 

A week or so ago, I was sitting outside with my coffee and taking in the the morning when I heard pecking.  I got up and looked around the end of the house into the trees and saw a pileated woodpecker.  What a treat.  Then, to my amazement there was movement a few feet away from that bird and there was another one!!!!  Obviously a pair, or at least I hope so.   I've heard them frequently and seen them flying but that's the only time I've seen them so close up.  Just thrills me to know that they're in the neighborhood. 

I feel like I'm living in a tree house.  There's trees all around, except for my wonderful views, and up here on the main level I don't see tree trunks much.  It's all branches and leaves of all kinds.  I haven't unearthed my tree book yet so that I can start identifying the ones I don't know.  Hmmmm....wonder what box that thing is in?

Anyway, I'm one happy camper right now.  Hope all of you are the same. 

Y'all take care. 

Brrrrrrrr.........and Happy Birthday

We've traveled to the upper Midwest for two family birthdays and to spend Christmas with the kids.  

When you're accustomed to having just the two of you around the house, and then there's a whole passel of folks around making all kinds of noise, it can set the nerves a jangling!  Today was the party for the stepdaughter's 50th birthday.  Nobody here but family, but that was nine adults, one pre-teen, and two preschoolers.  You'd think that it was the little ones who would make the noise, but you'd be wrong.  It was the pre-teen that was the loudest.  

Everybody braved the cold and the modicum of snow to celebrate. 

The son in law braved the cold to blow off the driveway, all bundled up like the Michelin man. 

While it was very pretty outside this morning, the sun came out this afternoon and the snow sparkled with sunlight diamonds.  

There was fabulous barbecued ribs, smoked brisket and pulled pork from Woody's along with fixin's, and the son in law actually made a birthday cake from scratch. 

This has always been a card playing family, so after we all stuffed our faces, we broke out the cards for a game of Screw Your Neighbor.  I know, sounds off somehow, but its a fun card game for a bunch of people and it doesn't require any card playing savvy.  Even the 5 year old helped out. 

Don't know if I'll be back before Christmas or not, but let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May you, my friends, be blessed beyond measure. 

Y'all take care. 

Loss

Loss.  It comes into all our lives on little feet, sometimes sneaking up on us and other times charging in like a tornado.  Either way, the result is the same.  Our lives are changed, torn up, upset and rearranged, never to be quite the same again. 

I lost my favorite uncle on Saturday.  We knew the end was coming soon, and were amazed that he held on as long as he did.  He was married to my mother's youngest sister and had been in my life all my life.  Never was there a time when he was not part of me.  Now, I'll miss his laughter and his hi-jinks.  One more pillar of stability and security that has gone, leaving the family with the necessity of standing on our own just a bit more, without the reassuring knowledge that there was someone to help us when needed.  I miss you, Uncle Earl. 

Blogland lost one of its stars yesterday.  Leontien Van de Laar lost here courageous battle with melanoma and is now in a better place, healed of that scourge.  I never met her in person, but her spirit and determination were inspirations to me.  They still are.  A member of my cyber family is missing and it is as real as though she lived next door. 

FLOWERS FOR LEONTIEN 

There may be folks who cannot understand the connections we form here in blogland.   That's their loss, I believe.  My day would not be complete without checking in with my friends here and letting them be part of my life. 

I wish you all peace and happiness in this new year. 

Y'all take care. 

Happiness

We sat outside tonight in the cool air.  The flames leaped high and showers of sparks swirled every time new wood was thrown on the bonfire.  The colors against the night sky were blue and gold and red and green, swirling and turning and rising before burning into nothingness. 

As we sat there mesmerized, the singer's voice poured over us like honey, bringing back memories from days gone by.  A dance or two reminded us of how we met.


The individuals gathered there in that large circle joined hands to express our love for America before bidding goodnight.  

What a  perfect evening.


Y'all take care.