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.

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.

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!

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.

-----------------------

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.

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!

++++++++++++++++++++

* 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!

++++++++++++++++++++

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.

Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the Music!

Yes, Three Dog Night had it right. Today is a day to celebrate! Here's a snap of the wallpaper border I am looking at while writing this post...and celebrating The Free Life! The flag is out on the pole on the porch, and I've got my red, white, and blue on...and my star-spangled earrings in. It's that kind of day.

Happy 238th birthday, USA! Even with all our issues, I wish only the best for this wonderful country of ours. Looking good, Lady Liberty! At a mere 138 years old, you are still a beautiful symbol of this experiment in "a democracy in a republic."

Years ago, when we moved to HPNC for the first time (1994-1997), we spent one of my favorite Fourth's at the National Park that commemorates the revolutionary battle fought at Guilford Courthouse, located in Greensboro, the city that was named for the hero of that battle, Nathaeniel  Greene. The Park Ranger read the entire Declaration of Independence, not just the part we typically memorized in civics class (you know..."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.") Want to hear a moving version of the reading of the Declaration? Follow this link to NPR's traditional recording of a multitude of voices, reading one of our country's freedom documents in its entirety: http://www.npr.org/2014/07/04/328204572/reading-the-declaration-of-independence-a-tradition-continues

All those voices...all those accents! Only in America, right? Only in America. And whatever you feel about the man, I happen to agree with President Clinton: “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”

And what is currently right in my own, personal America, you ask? Well, the weather for one thing. It took a hurricane named Arthur to blow through the Outer Banks to bring our Piedmont some gorgeous weather in his wake. Mid-80's, low humidity, Carolina blue skies. Couldn't script a better day for the local festivities called The Uncle Sam Jam. Bands, food, and fireworks at Festival Park on Oak Hollow Lake. Sounds great! Wish we were there...

Actually, there is no "we" here in HPNC. Only a "me." The Mr. T part of our "we" is spending this Holiday weekend in Louisville with Missy M, doing the few repairs required by her buyer's inspector; she's hoping to close on the KY house in three weeks. He planned his work-week to be in Roanoke, which is his closest dealership...still 7 hours away. He got there the day before M (who couldn't leave GA until Thursday...more on that in a sec) and was able to check-off all the indoor tasks while she was driving her own version of the day-long trip. They are spending their Independence Day cleaning up the yard and gardens, dividing some irises and daylilies (hey, it's genetic, right?), and packing up the remaining "stuff" (a friend of hers took most of the staging furniture, which leaves some pantry items, towels and linens, a blow-up bed or two, and the porch and patio furniture.) They are determined to get all the stuff in two cars...and have drafted Lillie Pearl PTC, who can be transformed into a cargo wagon by removing her back seats, to help accomplish their goal. We shall see...

They will head on down to Georgia tomorrow to unload at M's new house in Lawrenceville...from one L'ville to another L'ville. She closed on it last Monday and has been getting utils hooked up, garage door installed, shades put up on the windows, etc., in the few hours she has available in the evenings after work. Her furniture arrives on the fourteenth. Speaking of work...apparently, things have gotten interesting for her at Popeyes. Oops, I will have to save that until another post. I know a secret...I know a secret...

Meanwhile...

I'm here in HPNC, dog-sitting the Drool Gang. That means, among other things, Fourth of July or not, NO FIREWORKS! Dixie and Ella Rae are both terrified of loud noises, and the absolute LAST thing I need is for either (or both!) of them to make a mad dash down Wesseck. So, while my neighbors gather at the park on this side of the lake, I'll have "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Sergeant York" playing on TV (it's my Joan Leslie celebration, I suppose...since she is in both of these patriotic golden-oldies), probably way too loud, to cover any external noises. Not really a hardship...I would be watching regardless. And I can always turn on the Capitol Fourth...and mute the fireworks portion, I guess.

But, it is a birthday, after all. And I do love my traditions. Our traditional fare on the Fourth includes ribs, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, potato salad, and usually watermelon. Just because it is a party of one, well...it's still the Fourth! So here's what was served (replacing the watermelon with blackberries, and adding some grilled zucchini...because that was what the garden was giving...:-)

Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans. Celebrate!

[...and to my UK friends...we will now return to our regular posting...;-)]