Tuesday, December 30, 2014

That's A Wrap for 2014


Perfect song to have running through my brain while creating my last post of 2014...it's an oldie but a goodie:

One minute to midnight
One minute to go
One minute to say good-bye
Before we say hello

Let's start the new year right 
Twelve o'clock tonight
When they dim the light
Let's begin
     Kissing the old year out
     Kissing the new year in

Let's watch the old year die
With a fond good-bye
And our hopes as high
As a kite

How can our love go wrong if
We start the new year right?
— Irving Berlin
"Let's Start The New Year Right"
From the movie "Holiday Inn" (1942)

Want to listen? See if this link works for you:  http://youtu.be/GEv5rndSeSA



I never thought I'd say these words, but I'm about footballed-out. We are watching the Orange Bowl with Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. I'm a Rambling Wreck wearing a Yellow Jacket tonight, while Mr. T is pulling for the Bulldogs (although he may be waffling as the score climbs in GTs favor). Truthfully, I was more interested in switching seasons this afternoon and watching my Memphis Tigers beat Houston in basketball. And since they won their bowl game earlier this month (as well as the brawl that broke out after the final whistle...ahem), I'm just an interested bystander for the rest of the games. Still...it will be a l-o-n-g time before I get to see a college football game after the Championship game next week. Pro? Yeah, they will keep going until I'm more than ready for the Super Bowl to be in the history books.

I feel I should be using my time wisely, I suppose, knitting through it all while one game melts into another. But I've developed some kind of tendinitis in my left wrist, and that limits how long I can comfortably click the sticks. I did get an article on Garden Journaling written and submitted this afternoon, so I don't feel too slothful: check it out here: http://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/01/garden-journaling-keeping-the-record-straight/ . It's just that I really miss uninterrupted fibre marathons.

I did get to move some projects from UFO status to the Finished Objects category and wrapped for Christmas. Here's the wrap on that...

Did you see my crochet project for this year? Snowflakes! Here they are, being blocked before having the ribbons added for hangers.


I didn't get a pic of the hat knitted for Bro T, but here's a dropped stitch scarf for SIL LaD in a Paton's Classic Wool rich purple.

These are the Serenity Bed Slippers, knitted for SIL J, in a sock yarn from Deborah Norville's Garden Yarn.


While I didn't knit this year's "Silly Hat" for Bro J, I did ask him to send me a pic to post when he opened it. (We did get to meet him for lunch last Friday, we missed seeing SIL J who was hosting a serious sinus infection.) Here's Santa!


And this is the Woven Rattan Scarf in Terra's silk and baby alpaca yarn in color "Beet," made for Missy M. Oh wait...seems I didn't snap one of it either, darn it all. I'll have to take one the next time I go to Georgia, and then I can post it along with one of the gift that's still under the tree for N/M/E's BFF AW (I'll see her on Friday to deliver it).

Yes, our tree is still up...and will be until Epiphany, January 6th. I keep most of Momma's traditions, but her insistence on taking the tree down by New Year's has gone to the curb. She grew up when real candles were put on real trees...and lit! Plus, two family houses burned to the ground in her childhood (not from Christmas tree accidents, but still...) So, it's understandable she thought the sooner the cedar was out the door, the better. We made the transition to artificial trees a few years ago, so those concerns have been shelved. (I can't explain her tale about it being "bad luck" to keep a tree in the house after the first day of the year...other than to say she was fond of adding to a story rather than subtracting.) Missy M texted to report this evening that "Nana would be pleased," since M had spent her day off taking down the rest of her decorations (we helped her get her tree down and to the fire station for recycling before we came home on Sunday).

So, are you ready for New Year's Day? I am! I took a tenderloin out of the freezer, so our pork dish will be thawed. I plan on baking it with apples and carrots (from the garden), and serving it with the traditional black-eyed peas (from the garden), turnip greens and collards (from the garden...and just for me; Mr. T will have to settle for getting his "good-luck green" from a salad), and cornbread. I made a pecan pie today, so that should bring us a lot of luck in a real sweet year!

As usual, I plan on following the adage: "as goes the first day, so goes the whole year." I will ignore the laundry, the dust bunnies, the bills, and the emails. I will do those things that I want to do lots of in 2015: reading, knitting (as much as I can), writing in my journals, playing a few games with friends, cooking a nice meal, and gardening. Yes...if the weather cooperates, I hope to get in the garden, if for nothing more than to pull a carrot or two for dinner. Oh, and watching a few more Bowl games...at least until my eyes cross.

Well, it's almost time to make our traditional Mimosas (pictured from last year, above) to toast at the stroke of midnight. I guess it's fitting that we are watching the Orange Bowl, then...heheheheh.

Thank you for being a part of our 2014...and we wish each of you a happy and healthy 2015! 🎉

Friday, November 7, 2014

Moving Through a New Month

Good Saturday morning...and good grief! Can that truly be November on the calendars? That month there that's almost 3/4 over?! Why, yes...yes it can.

It has been a bit of a difficult month here at Casa 3917. Highs and lows, don't you know? Where do I begin to catch up?

Before we go too far, let me post a couple of pics of the pups. Abbie and Winston are in the first, followed by Duche$$. After all, it is all about the dogs around here, right?




OK...now on to business. It was a fairly miserable Hallowe'en, even for my least favorite holiday.  I somehow managed to get an early season cold and a bad cough, all in the same week. And I haven't been able to shake either off completely. Can you say b-r-o-n-c-h-i-t-i-s? Truly, I have been "under the weather," as they say. And just when the weather started to turn!

For sure, we have been in full Fall mode here in NC. The leaves were absolutely fabulous this year! I have heard it said it was because we had a rather mild summer, as temperatures go. While I'm not entirely sure about the scientific backing for that notion, I'm certainly sure of the results: ruby reds, gorgeous golds, and outrageous oranges! A feast for the eyes!

Then, before we knew it, we had to turn on the heat, as a blast of cold Arctic air came whistling through the Way Back. Brrrrrr. As I write this, I'm enjoying a cuppa hot tea in front of a warm fire. And taking a break from my knitting. 

I guess I could take a few paragraphs to rattle off a month's worth of adventures, as it has been a while since my last post. Let's see:

Prior to being felled by this cough & cold combo, my life was wrapped around Master Gardener activities, which picked back up after a brief slow down during the summer months. I've signed my recertification agreement for 2015 and agreed to serve as Vice President of the Advisory Board, so that should keep me busy...especially since I will still be co-chair of the Communications/Media committee and writing articles whenever I get the chance. Plus, I'm still the Team Lead for the Demonstration Rose Garden, but that doesn't require a lot of work during the Winter. 

Oh, here's a picture of my new MG license plate...which arrived in the mail yesterday. The campaign to get special plates began three+ years ago by our State Association. We needed 300 MGs to make the commitment before NC would begin production of the plates. And I'm proud to get one of the first off the presses, so to speak. A memorable number, wouldn't you agree?



Being a Master Gardener gives me lots of opportunities to volunteer and serve, doing something I truly enjoy. I get to learn something new almost every day...and I'm with a great group of (mostly) like-focused folks. All good. 

I've been reminded quite recently that it's past time for a teachable moment. Contrary to popular belief, being an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer is not the same as being in a "garden club." No, we exist to help the Ag Extension Agent help the public with horticulture questions.  We are trained to give research-based answers, and we are required to earn no fewer than 10 ("continuing") education hours and to volunteer no fewer than 20 hours a year in order to maintain our MG certification. It's best summed up by the phrase "first we learn, then we teach." And it is right down my alley. 

However, I do have to be mindful of reserving enough time and energy to tend to my own garden and take care of my own business! Otherwise, it can get frustrating. And that's the time to make time for the other adventures in life!

Along those lines...

I made a brief trip to GA recently, when Missy M had to have a procedure that required anesthesia...& a driver to get her home afterwards. Long story short, she's made some lifestyle changes that involve diet and exercise, aiming to counteract the stress of her work...and hopefully halt further damage to her digestive tract. Latest news: she's making progress with the pain. 

Then, Mr. T and I drove to Asheville to enjoy a Sunday brunch with Bro. and SIL J and J, both of whom are doing well. It's nice to be able to see them more often, now that they are "part time residents" of NC. We'll get to see them again when we meet up for Family Christmas.

Even with short hops here and there, we have still made time for wrapping up the Third Season in the garden. Just before a hard frost hit us, we covered the raised beds to protect the lettuce, broccoli, beets, and spinach. The greens should be fine with a frost...supposed to make them taste sweeter. But I needed to harvest the last of the peppers as they won't survive cold temperatures. Next up: I plan to make some salsa, using the final harvest of tomatoes (shown in the picture) and peppers. So it appears that the rest of my weekend is already mapped out.



And then it'll be time to load up the pups and head to GA for Turkey Day! One of my most-favorite Holidays!! Hooray!!!

As I said before, it's all good!






Thursday, October 2, 2014

Singalong

Turn! Turn! Turn!
To Everything There's a Season...

I spent a few minutes today, turning over a new leaf or two...or more. Yes, dear readers, time to change those calendars from September to October. I wish I could just rattle off where we've been and what we've been doing for the four weeks since I last posted, but I would probably miss something vital to the story. Since when has that ever stopped me? Ah well, I'll give it my best shot. 

You can definitely tell a change of season moved in with that change of month. Both our days and nights are getting cooler, and that's showing up in the first color changes in the leaves. It's also showing up in the garden, where the remaining warm season crops (tomatoes, peppers, and black-eyed peas) are winding down, while the cool-season veggies (lettuce, carrots, 'English' peas, and various greens like mustard, collards, and turnip) are starting to put on a show. 

Here's a snap of the harvest earlier this week:




Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?

I've been knee-deep in Master Gardening stuff for the past month. I worked registration and attended our annual Gardening Gala in mid-September, where Bryce Lane was one of the speakers. That was a fun day! 


Yesterday we had a pot-luck luncheon, and I had signed up to bring a casserole. I choose a recipe that used rice and three colors of peppers, seasoned with some onion, garlic, and fresh herbs (all from the garden...except the rice, that is)...and a splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and some white wine, to taste. When I tried to convince others that I had been tasting the casserole, NOT the wine...at 9:00 in the morning...I got a few raised eyebrows. Oh, and at least one "why ever not?!" Anyway, since the herbs included parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, I named my version after that song of the Sixties.



Love is a Rose...

(I have always loved the Linda Ronstadt version of that song.) Anyway, it seems that I have been in one rose garden or another lately. Earlier this week, I was snapping photos in our own Rose Garden, including these two of a Chrysler Imperial (red) and a Sutter's Gold (pink-tinged yellow-gold). 




While snapping those shots, I spotted my first Monarch butterfly, flitting around the butterfly bush...so I tried to break my own record of digital pics in one spot. Came close...

Then, today I worked with the volunteers at Blandwood's Heritage Rose Garden, adding mushroom compost and prioritizing next steps. Tomorrow I'll be doing basically the same thing in the Master Gardener Volunteer Demonstration Rose Garden out at the Extension Center...which explains why my car is riding low, hauling an extra 400 pounds in the hatch. Still, you gotta love Lillie Pearl PTC's versatility. 



Some Beach, Somewhere...

OK, so all work and no play makes Jack's sister a dull girl, right? Right! September was time for the beach! We picked the shortest distance between two points and headed to Wrightsville Beach. Oh, it was wonderful sticking my toes in the surf & sand! Even though our time was limited, we made the most of what we had.




Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochie...

So, my previous post talked about returning to NC from Georgia, right? Well, this weekend, we reverse the process. Baby Girl is having a birthday, and I need to give her a hug. Simple as pie.

Or, in this case, cake. Birthday cake. And we all know how I feel about cake.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Leaving Georgia: Our Once and Future Home

Home again, home again...jiggity-jog. We loaded up the cars and headed north on I-85 on Tuesday. We had enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Lawrenceville, but it was time to return to HPNC. Still, while I was ready to be back on our own little bit of soil, I am missing GA already. One foot here...one foot there. More on that topic in a sec.

First, a few snaps from the ride home:




The top/bottom pics of Abbie and Winston riding shotgun are fairly self-explanatory. They spent the whole five + hours switching places, front to back. Actually, didn't blame them; it was 95 degrees outside, so the AC felt good, especially since Winston seems to ride better with the windows down a bit! The middle pic of the three Droolers might need a sentence or two as a guide. Can you see that the pound puppies are tethered to the car? That's the only way I can manage them at a rest area. At least, that way I know they can't go dashing off without dragging the PT Cruiser with them! And can you see that Duche$$ is trying to get back in the car, rather uncharacteristically on her own? She's finished her business...and apparently sees no reason to dilly-dally about any longer. Head 'em up, move 'em out!

While in GA, I had the opportunity to rekindle some relationships that had gone semi-dormant. We've been gone from the Peach State for almost three times as long as we lived there, but it felt like we were back in the fold in many ways. And that's a good thing.

Many of you have asked "so, where are you going to retire?" As we move through the Retirement Red Zone, we ask ourselves that very question, too. And my answer usually is somewhat vague, along the lines of "wherever Missy M lives." Now that our only child has moved to Georgia, I think we can change our response to a less-vague, more specific "why, Georgia, of course!"

That question and answer exchange is followed closely by "so, when do you see this happening?" Ah, now that's the $64,000 question. "Not any time soon!" is much too flippant. Our best answer...if asked today, Mr. T's birthday...is "probably 3-4 years from now." We shall see.

So renewing old friendships feels right. After all, we will need them in our once and future home.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Winning and Losing

Now, where did August go? I seem to have lost most of a month. I know it was around here somewhere.

Too true, right? While August is my personal least favorite month of the year...mainly because it is typically too hot to enjoy much outside...I hate to see any month fly by. And this one has certainly flown by at supersonic speed.

Probably the reason it seems to have done a runner (as they say in the UK) is that I have been out of pocket for a couple of weeks, visiting Missy M in GA. As you probably recall, her pups, Ella Rae and Dixie, have been with us since Easter...keeping them safe from the hectic process of packing and moving to her new home in Lawrenceville. Since the fence was in place and the doggie door installed on Abby Grace Drive, the time for them to meet their new home had arrived. 





To sweeten the deal, Missy M scored some ATL Falcons tix for a preseason game 8/23. And since we had long ago (pre-move) planned a trip to Atlanta for a Labor Day Braves game, she said "Mom, why don't you just stay the whole time?" Don't have to twist my arm to travel, now do you? Load up two cars...and five dogs! Road trip!

Knowing I was going to be back in the Duluth area made me bite the bullet, so to speak, and schedule an appointment with my dentist. Yes, Dr. S is STILL my dentist, even though we moved away from GA to FL 12 years ago this month. What can I say? When you find a dentist you love, you want to stay with her, right? Up until a couple of years ago, I just made my semi-annual appointments to coincide with business trips to ATL, and it all seemed to work well. 



Then came Bell's Palsy...and then came the resulting synkenesis that causes muscle spasms in my left jaw, especially when I open my mouth wide or for a long period. Like when you are at the dentist. Bite the bullet, indeed. Groan. 

But I am happy to report that I made it through the appointment without a single spasm. And the X-rays showed NO CAVITIES. Clean teeth, healthy gums, and NO CAVITIES. Did I say happy? I meant ecstatic! Win!!

Of course, I had to put my bike riding on hold somewhere near Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky, losing valuable days. But, I rediscovered walking in the early morning hours, mapping out a couple of routes that got me 1.5 miles daily. While I'll never make it to Disneyland at this rate, I can easily do 30-40 minutes before I start experiencing any of the ill-effects (numbness of my left foot, etc.), that walking causes me, and by throwing in a few stretches for flexibility I can keep in garden-ready shape for my return to HPNC. Big win!

Also, I got to renew acquaintances from our time in Georgia (the five years between NC and FL, in the roadmap that has been our life): lunching with friends and former co-workers (like with KH at Sweet Melissa's in Decatur, pictured; and with JL at the Village Tavern); checking out personal faves like The Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville and Nordstrom at Mall of Georgia (pictured); and making some new friends along the way (more on that in my next post). Win-win-win!




Although Mr. T had to work the first week, he was able to schedule vacation days for the second week...and joined me and the five dogs in holding down the fort while M went to work. I did some unpacking in the kitchen (it will be years before M finds some of her stuff!), and he concentrated on bringing a desk/bookcase combo "vision" that M had to life. Here are some pictures of the final assembly and reveal:








So, while the Falcons lost their game and I lost most of a month, M gained a beautiful...and useful...statement piece in her great room. And I kept moving forward and reestablished my connection to the Atlanta area. Methinks that may come in handy...sooner rather than later...

More wins than losses, for sure! Now, keep your fingers crossed that the Braves are in the W column after their game tomorrow. Toes, too!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

A Little Rain...A Little Work

I'm sitting here, kicked back and watching the Braves playing the Nationals on TV. Nearly midnight and only top of the 4th. Game didn't even start until almost 11:00. For the second night in a row, they've had a rain delay in Atlanta, this one nearly three hours. And typically when it rains in ATL, it'll rain here in the next 4-6 hours. Just add it to the gauge. 

We actually started out the week, hot and dry. On Monday Mr. T headed his car to the DC area for the week, and I got caught up on some work-work. On Tuesday, I coached a group of volunteers at the Blandwood Mansion (historic home and property in downtown Greensboro), helping them learn how to care for their heritage rose garden. We were all exhausted by noon, but thrilled with the results. Here's a pic the Director snapped and posted on Facebook:



Wednesday was a Master Gardening day at the Extension Center, with a Board Meeting followed by a general membership meeting and speaker from the Piedmont Nature Conservancy, who talked about invasive plants. Interesting...thought-provoking...but I think I'll keep my mimosas and butterfly bushes.

I spent Thursday of this week in the garage, having moved my painting project inside for fear of storms (it didn't). The rains didn't arrive until later on Thursday...and they are still with us...and in our forecast for the next few days.

So, what was I painting? I had agreed to get trellises for three climbing roses in the Master Gardener Demo Garden. The original plan had been to build them, but I would be the wrong Adsit for that task. As I said in a Facebook post, I could probably knit a trellis quicker and better than I could build one. When, at a recent meeting of the DG committee, the chair gave the go-ahead to purchase them, I couldn't get to Home Depot fast enough. They had some redwood ones on sale, and I had a coupon! And that new lime green trim paint on the information kiosk was just perfect to add color to the spot, even in the dead of winter. Here are a few photos of the project for you:








As you can tell, I volunteered Mr. T to be an honorary Master Gardener for the day. Planting these trellises would have been near-impossible for me without his help, as he just knows how to do stuff like this. Plus he wagged the 50# bag of Quikrete across the garden and used the post hole digger to dig six perfect holes in some pretty awful soil. We worked in a bit of drizzle and finished just as the bottom dropped out of the sky. Actually, I had wanted to do a little touch up to the paint, but decided that task could be tabled until our Demo Garden Work Day scheduled on Wednesday.

All these activities have kept me out of my own garden, so I wound up having to harvest in a steady shower on Friday. I snapped beans for five innings of the Braves game on Friday, and then I put several bags of beans, tomatoes, and peppers in the freezer before I just had to stop. Here're a couple of shots of the haul:







And now? It's starting to rain again. And I think I hear the produce growing. Ah well, that's life in mid-Summer...a little rain, a little work. And a great feeling of accomplishment, when all is said and done.

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For more on how our garden is growing, be sure to check out the latest post on our garden blog (http://gardenwithgiants.blogspot.com). Click here to go there.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Wrapping Up Loose Threads

Let's see...where were we? Oh yes, there were a couple of threads I should really wrap up.

The secret I mentioned a post or two back? Ah well, time to share! You may remember that Missy M made a job change (and move) in May. She was recruited rather enthusiastically by a couple of companies, and she accepted the offer from Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen's corporate office in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody. From everything she had learned during the interviewing process, she thought her best chances for advancement might be in the Peach State.

She was right. After seven weeks with PLK, she was promoted to manager! Her new official title is Learning Development and Innovation Manager. Yes indeedy, proud as punch! On LinkedIn? Check it out: her profile. Anyway, she has hit the ground running...well, when she has actually been on the ground, that is. She's not really sure which time zone she's in most days. Atlanta to New Orleans to Atlanta to Chicago to Atlanta to Salt Lake City to...

In between her travels, she was home long enough for Mr. T to travel to Lawrenceville (at least for a few more days, I have to be specific with my L'ville references; when her house closes in Louisville next week, we can return to using the apostrophe) last weekend to install a doggie door in her new storm door. Getting ready for her babies to move in, don't you know? (But until her schedule can settle a bit, Dixie and ER will remain with us in NC.)



Funny aside...this funny picture (above) reminds us of a Nana/Momma/Edith memory. Once when we lived in Pickerington, OH, Momma returned home with a friend and realized she'd forgotten her house keys. Not wanting to "disturb us" at work, she decided the easiest way for her to get inside was to crawl through the doggie door. Remarkably, she made it! Never underestimate the power of determination, right?

And now, on to that other hanging thread. This one is going to be a rewind rather than a wrap. Remember my bike ride across the USA to Disneyland? It got stalled in March 526.4 miles from home, near Elkton, Todd County, KY.  Well, I realized in a brief moment of panic recently that I'm running out of year! I'd better get back in the saddle-seat again posthaste. 

And so I have. I rode 11.1 miles today, taking me from Elkton (Todd County) to the west side of Fairview (Christian County), KY. Was it easy to get started again? Actually, I was surprised at how easy it was...kinda like riding a bike...hahahahahaha. No really...it was easy. But I do not remember sweating as much in March as I did today! Whew! I have a long way to go and a short time to get there...but there's no time like the present to get (re-) started.

I did a bit of research and learned that I am riding in a region of Kentucky called the Pennyroyal area. Or, as some are known to say, the Pennyrile. As settlers moved through this area, they noticed an abundance of the herb pennyroyal (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha_pulegium), a member of the mint family which is touted to be a good mosquito and tick repellant. I don't have any pennyroyal but have heard the same about lemon balm, which I do have. I hope it served them better than my lemon balm serves me. Ahem. 

Fairview, the town where my ride ended today, is described as a census-designated location (no longer a real town?), known as the birthplace of Jefferson Davis. There is a "351-foot obelisk (which) marks the birth place of...the elected president of the Confederate States of America, the group of 11 southern states that seceded from the Union at the start of the Civil War." There are 19 acres, a museum, a gift shop, picnic shelters, playground, and an elevator to top of obelisk. I have arrived too late for the annual Jefferson Davis Birthday (June 3, 1808) Celebration. 

I'm not the first to remark on the fact that two of the major players in the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, were born in the same state: Lincoln in Hodgenville and Davis in Fairview, Christian (now Todd) County, Kentucky. Lincoln eventually settled in Illinois, becoming more connected with the Prairie state than the Bluegrass state. Likewise, Davis moved early in life to the Mississippi Delta, becoming thereafter linked to the Magnolia State. Still, they began their lives just 155 miles apart. Plus, a third member of the two couples at the head of states, Mary Todd...who would become Mrs. A. Lincoln...was born in Lexington, KY. (Varina Howell Davis was born in Natchez, MS.) Interesting, don't you think?

So, to wrap up this wrap up, as we head into the last full month of the Summer, Missy M is off and running. And I am off and riding. It's all good!

Cheers!

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* Bike Ride Footnote: To bring you up-to-date, in case you are just joining me...

My plan to get/keep in shape for gardening this year is to ride my stationary bike. Because I always need a reason to do something...or at least to continue doing something, I have decided on a program based on a distance of 2600 miles...which is the distance from our house to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, as Google-mapped using the (beta) Bike function. I started 1/3/2014...stopped for a 4-month extended break...and am continuing the saga today. 
BTW, I am tagging all the posts about my ride "Where in the USA is Patricia" on my blog, and #WhereintheUSAisPatricia on Twitter. While I won't be blogging about my ride on a daily basis, you can check my Twitter Feed over there in the right column for daily updates on my ride and location.

Happy pedaling!
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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Let Me Eat Cake

Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new.

– Sammy Hagar


For several years now, I have started each birthday off right by getting up to see the sun rise. Mr. T has also made my 'day special by taking a vacation day...no calls, no email, no texts. Today, the traditions continued. 

We had registered an inch of rain in the gauge overnight, and the lingering, low-hanging clouds threatened to put a stop to my new start. Still, we got up at 5:00, brewed a pot of coffee, and headed to the park on Oak Hollow Lake near our house. Sunrise was posted as 6:16, and even if the sun was a bit tardy in breaking through the clouds, we were there on time. Here's what we saw when we arrived:



Oh my goodness! It was a gorgeous beginning for my "new" year. Fresh, clean, and even a tad on the cool side...well, as cool as one could hope for in mid-July. I probably took 50 or more photos. Gotta love digital photography, right? Here are just a few more for you:






The pic (above) is probably my favorite...even if I have to give credit to Bell's Palsy for that left eye wink...;-)


We followed up our early beginning with an early breakfast. This year, we chose the Moose Cafe at the Farmers Market. And, yes, before you ask, I most certainly did have country ham. The slab they served me was so huge that I brought half of it home...along with two of the bodacious biscuits they serve. I'll enjoy my birthday breakfast...again...in a couple of days.


Then, we dashed back home to feed the pups and get ready to head off in opposite directions for a bit: he had some errands to run, and I had a date with the DMV. My license that I got when we moved back to NC in 2009 was expiring...today. I needed to pass the road signs test as well as the eye exam. The first was a piece of cake (no pun intended); the second, a little more taxing. The signs are the same as they were five years ago; my eyesight? Hardly. The good news? I was able to pass with my glasses (although I had passed last time without the specs). So, yea! The temporary certificate (below) will hold me until my new license arrives in the mail.




I think I have shared this story in the past, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself. Know where I was exactly 45 years ago today? At the DMV! Actually, it was the Highway Patrol office (not the DMV), and it was in Tennessee (not NC). But it was my birthday, and it was a Wednesday. How could I possibly remember what day it was?! Well, I got my license on the first possible moment I could (16 was the age then), and the THP office in Lauderdale County was only open on Wednesdays. So, as I reported on Facebook, "the more things change, the more they stay the same."


Anyway...


After a nice meal out at the Liberty Tavern near High Point University, we had one more birthday tradition to uphold: cake! One of Mr. T's errands had been to make sure a chocolate cake with white icing followed him home, as you can see in the picture. Unfortunately, the candles failed to make an appearance. Not to worry! We checked a kitchen drawer and found a suitable substitute. Hiding in the back was the chunky pair we used on Mom's 91st. Turn the 9 upside down, and what do you get? Why, a 6 of course!  Perfect...if you don't try to actually light the "wrong" end!




Light the fire! Sing the song! Blow out the candle! Pour the milk! Cut the cake! I don't care how old I get, I will NEVER tire of the traditions.


Nor of the cake, when you get right down to it. I will never tire of the cake.

  A Bright, Sunny New Chapter Here’s to spending 49 years with the same Valentine! Even though our story’s Prologue began in Jackson, MS, wh...