Kernel Panic Loop

 I don't know about you but when something has the word panic in its description, I know it cannot be good and my instincts were correct. Perhaps you have wondered when a new blog post would be coming out and if you were, so was I! 

Since last we met a lot has happened and most of it has been good, so let's start there, shall we? 

Here is something that most Floridians would like to avoid, however, these Floridians are kind of enjoying winter even though it has lasted much longer than last year.

Finally, after many attempts to do so, frost on the car windshield in a photograph. It's been harder to capture than one would imagine. Aren't they fascinating?

Once the windshield cleared we headed over to Andrews for some indoor pickleball. The drive had a lovely surprise in store for us.

Yes my friends, there was snow on the mountains, and that is because it snowed not one day, but two!

Unlike the previous snow, this was wet and did not hang around for long which is why I got out there and got some pictures while I could.

Honestly it took us by surprise, or at least me. Here is something to ponder; my phone showed no snow while it was actually snowing for several hours!! 

Zach and Michele across the street have been gone for weeks and weeks and have missed how lovely their home looks while it is snowing.

The first day it snowed was probably Wednesday, because on Tuesday I went to volunteer at the church and when I got home my darling husband was granting my wish for a windowsill! While I know that most people would find it weird that I longed for a windowsill, well, I am kind of weird. The shutters were quite nice, however, not only did it prevent me from having a windowsill, I realized once he removed them,

that with them being so close to me while I was at the sink, I felt a little hemmed in. Poor explanation but there it is nonetheless. One day soon those bare trees will flower and now I will be able to see them in their full glory. Once he removed the shutters, he thought the sill was too shallow so he built a new one and you would think it had always been there. I was really digging the new look.

Bruce, on the other hand thought it was a little too bare so on Thursday I made some cafe curtains with some fabric I already had in my baskets that Mary brought from Florida. Below is when I was sorting through them. As well, please note the new artwork over my sewing table. Framed vintage bird prints given to me by Mary Beth. The room continues to grow in coziness.

And here is a bit of the curtains with snow on the ground below.

I am using the same fabric for the binding of the new quilt which I am finally quilting after waiting for the batting to arrive from Amazon. While waiting. I kept it on the bed where it will reside.

After church yesterday Bruce helped me with the assembly using that huge floor space in our bedroom. Seriously, it is so big and I still call it a bowling alley!

Something else I made this last week was a little rope trivet, using rope from the flea market last year and Liberty fabric given to me by Matt and Tom, to use under the plant on the new bookcase. In other words, high and low end combined!

That red is SO good! I liked it so much so that I had Bruce paint the shelf above my sink with it. 

I think it was the day before it snowed that while rainy, the temperature was relatively comfortable,  so I went out back with the intention of picking up all of the magnolia pods that fall from a HUGE tree with four trunks that is a hundred years old.

I have no idea what made me think of it, but I am glad that I did because it made the job, while a bit tedious, very manageable. I picked up SEVEN buckets with my long kitchen tongs.

Following that task, I raked up countless snow shovels of spent bird seed. Countless! Mr. Bruce was working on the windowsill, so I thought I might contribute something. While doing so, I caught a peek of color from our neighbor Jason's yard, which turned out to be innumerable Crocus plants in various stages of bloom. Plu,s the field adjacent to us is filled with wild chives. 

I also spotted a stand of daffodils on the cusp of opening.

I need to check and see what damage the snow and VERY cold weather has done to these beauties! 

I completely forgot about Valentine's Day which was crazy cold because I went to play pickleball and after one game said I had had enough, what with the wind and the cold, no thanks! I could at least walk along the river.

Anyway, in honor of Carol, our deceased sister, I invited Hank over for dinner to enjoy his company on what would have been their maybe 45th wedding anniversary. He and Bruce are talking man stuff.

Can you believe no birds so far? Too good to be true! 

Our neighbor Sandy's pink magnolia tree, with buds I might add. It is sort of a Where's Waldo sort of photo, except the subject is birds.

Can you count them in the snow? Enlarge please!

How fun, right? 

No need to search for the bird in the one below of a female Spotted Towhee which only seems to appear when it snows. Actually, two came scavanging which thrilled me to no end, in part because they are rare, and in part because they are pretty. I noticed that the new quilt shares some of the same colors.

Last but not the least in the snow series is everyone's favorite.

According to most forecasts we are due for more snow in the next month, but only time will tell.

What the heck is the title referring to you might be thinking, and rightly so because it is not a term one hears every day. Actually, I hope to never hear of it again! For some time now my computer has been a bit challenging to use and while I won't describe it all, I will say that maybe it was Monday that it began shutting off of it's own accord. Plus there were very scary error messages in between shutting off. Doing some research on the iPad I learned the cause was what is called a kernel panic and in my case because it kept doing it, a kernel panic loop. Bruce took it to the local computer guy who basically said that I had way too many photographs on the hard drive and I needed to delete a bunch ASAP! Figuring out the megs and such, Bruce thought at least 12,000 would do it. 

Deleting photographs is right up there with some dreaded household task. I know that doing so when they are fresh is the answer, but I've never been able to operate that way. Nevertheless, if I wanted to continue blogging, and photographing for that matter, it was a job that needed doing. One thousand, two thousand, three and on I slogged until I was at over 6,000 in the trash bin, and it seemed as if the error messages had ceased. This scary message did not cease however, and eventually I had to concede this was not something to mess around with.

Along with the spinning beach ball, the above happened many times. Things actually degraded and as it now stands, the computer will not even open. I did my very best not to panic, knowing all those years of photographs were possibly in jeopardy. I do have two external hard drives which seemed promising, but still it was not an ideal situation. Thus on Saturday, Bruce drove us the ninety miles to the Costco in Woodstock, GA, a very northern suburb of Atlanta. Costco is ideal because they extend the Apple warranty for a year.

While it looks calm in this photograph, it was anything but during our time there. Oh my goodness, am I unaccustomed to crowds anymore. What a sissy, right? 

Aside from now being behind a new Mac, the best things about that trip were several things, including learning the drive there was not terrible as it is not too mountainous, and two, the cherry and apple danish we bought from the Costco bakery. Oh my gosh, are they ever fantastic!! 

Let us hope this is my last computer because I am getting far too old to go through this again. Because of having iCloud I do have some of my photographs, but only about a third. The total before it completely quit was 93,000 photographs. Not being able to import from the old machine complicates things. The total on the new machine says 39,000! Maybe I am saved from deleting because the machine did it for me? I have no idea what to think. In the meantime, I am praising God that all is not lost. That would have been a very hard pill to swallow.

Speaking of swallowing, I needed a card reader to hook up to the new machine so we stopped at a WalMart off of the highway. Girl Scouts were on the sidewalk selling their wares and Mr. Peck has never been able to pass a stand without buying. I'm sure some of you would do the same even though we already have a source for delicious mint cookies. Dollar Tree for the win baby!

He bought two boxes and because we had not eaten, dove right in. As with most things during our Information Age, I decided to investigate where GS cookies come from and did the same manufacturer make the above cookies to be found at DT for $1.25, compared with $6.00 for Girl Scout cookies. During my investigation I came across an article that circulated about a Tik-Toker who received much publicity for telling folks how good the above cookies are. I think I first found them a Big Lots, thinking at the time, why not? Turns out they are delicious and after our lunchtime taste test today, Bruce preferred the Dollar Tree house brand!! Who knew?  Well, in fact, now you do so if you purchase any, you will very much thank me for tipping you off on this, well, now, as it turns out, a not very well kept secret.

It is hard to stay down when beauty surrounds us, our children and their spouses are all good, and baby Christian is thriving. Smiling some too! Long ago we decided that if money would fix it, we should accept it graciously, even though sometimes it is not easy to do so. 

And now my dear and faithful readers, it is time to go out into the sunshine and walk; the day began really, really cold, but the brilliant sunshine is working its magic. 

your friend,

Gail

p,s, they are not made in the same factory

In the Thick of Winter

The sun is playing peek-a-boo right now which is a very much welcome change from most of the week. Grey, rainy days have dogged us after about a week of very pleasant weather. Everyone said winter was not nearly done but it sure felt like it. Whether it will come true or not is the question, but snow is predicted for next week. 

Time will tell, as it always does.

I neglected to remove the photos on one of my cameras until today and was pleasantly surprised to find these taken the morning after the snow.

Bruce was shoveling the snow to make a path should I want to leave the house that day. There is a local hardware store within a few blocks that had salt that morning and he used that as well. He was preparing to go and work on that ramp I told you about.

That night the town was sleeping under the big snow. 

Here is something I forgot to mention; when we returned from Florida snow remained in many places, nine days later.

Perhaps you looked for my post a few days ago, and if so I thank you very much. It was not there because for two days I struggled with my computer and finding my photos. Seemingly, I have it sorted out until the next crisis. If I were young these things would not happen but alas, I am old and in the words of my late sister Maureen, am a digital immigrant. Sadly, there is so much more to using technology than I know the first thing about.  

Yet, I carry on as if I know what I am doing.

Our friend Diane has been struggling with some health issues so when she asked if we would meet them at Fairy Cross, our answer was yes. 

She is leaning over talking to Gene and Lisa, the owners of the shop that sell my photography among a thousand other things!

Actually I plan to go over to the shop today to inventory my prints and perhaps order some new things including one for the pictured shop. Jenn is amazing at supporting locals and I am no exception. She puts a seasonal photograph leaning against the front window. Gotta love this place, and that includes the whole town.

Let's spend some time in the house looking at things including, holy cow, a second round of blooms on the Amaryllis plant David gave us.

Bruce worked very hard and the bookcase went from this portion of completion:

to this:

I am in super love with that paint color for two reasons--the color which is much deeper than it looks, and the name--dinner party by Benjamin Moore. Gosh it is exciting having Bruce able to use his woodworking skills again in such a big space. He has very much loved making it his own. In case you are wondering, he has several heaters down there!

Meanwhile two floors up, your favorite blogger has been working on a quilt for the downstairs bedroom. Although the one in there that I brought from home is a favorite, it very much looks like Florida and summertime. I'm attempting to make one a little warmer-looking for the fall/winter season.

I take all of the strips and sew them together in sets of four and then cut them apart. I took the photo below a few days ago.

During yesterday's all day rain I spent probably six hours upstairs working on it and the top is nearly done! There are some amongst you that knew that orange would eventually make it's way into our decor! For those who don't get that, orange has been a favorite of mine for a very long time.

Before all the rain began, we actually had the front door open one afternoon!

In time that will be the everyday look once again.

Bruce was telling someone on the phone about how he had put a budget together for the house purchase and it included replacing the kitchen appliances. Well that has not happened, and I'm not sure it ever will unless one of them breaks. Turns out, I am very pleased with my old fashioned coil stove for several reasons. One is that it cleans darn easy.

Secondly it heats up in short order. I noticed when we were in Florida how my very attractive glass cooktop takes much longer to heat up and is nearly impossible to keep clean. Not to mention the time the mother board failed and it took four months to replace it. That said, I have been cooking here for nearly nine months now and because I prepare most all of our meals,  it was time to spiff things up. As has been documented on many occasions, I am a much better cook than a cleaner, but every now and again I can force myself! 

Somewhere I read it is a good idea to put out egg shells for the birds but before doing so, it is imperative that they first be sterilized. 

They remained in a low oven for some time, well actually overnight, as I forgot about them, but anyway, once crushed I put some out near the feeders and it looks as if they have not been touched. 

Here's something that looks darn ugly, doesn't it?

Upon closer inspection this week, I found a tiny bit of green.

Oh my goodness it is exciting!! I can hardly wait until it looks like this once again, the very thing that first caught my attention about this house. When I took the photo below last March I could never have imagined that a year later I would be sitting in one of the rooms typing this love letter. That's what my blog is really, a love letter to life.

Here's something very exciting to report. Bruce and John had to install a gate on the ramp they built in the snow (see above clearing sidewalk to go there), and the owners invited Laura and I to join them for lunch. Picking me up on the rainy, dreary day she drove us there and I never dreamed of what was yet to happen. Eddie and Nancy are in their late 80's and have been artists for most all of their lives. Paying jobs for the most part allowed them to make art and collect it. 

Although their house, with the newly built ramp is not big, it is big in personality. There were dozens of things I could have photographed, however I'll show you but two. One is Nancy's tiny perfume bottle collection cabinet,

and two is her wonderful window with a sill filled with little treasures along with hanging treasures.

Precisely why, while others love the shutters in the lower part of my kitchen window, I pine for a windowsill and treasures to fill it. 

Here's the amazing part though: Julie, Laura and I began talking about brooches and Laura asked about the whereabouts of my dove pin. I lost a second one! Explaining how hard it was to find dove pins, Julie interrupted, saying that she had three!  Amazingly, Nancy had cleaned out her jewelry box just the day before and gave them to Julie, who in turn gifted one to me. I am once again in the business of spreading peace around. 

Of course very few people notice the pin, as has been the case with my new glasses.  I have been wearing them for more than a week and they have gone unnoticed and it is not for lack of interactions. Despite the weather we have been with lots of folks. Maybe they just look like they are meant for me? :)

Woo hoo! Look what I saw while walking in the park the other afternoon.

Count me excited! As well, I was pretty jazzed when this big flock of red-winged blackbirds took off.

Isn't it fun? Soon I won't be the only one at the park as spring practices have begun.

And of course, breeding season is beginning as well. Seeing the activity below, I put my camera up to my face and,

followed by this:

A very puzzling photograph for sure. 

This find in the park is not at all hard to figure out! Someone is doing a very good job spreading love.

What we have learned during our time in North Carolina, living with seasons, is that it is very much worth the effort because every season has something to offer. Sure, I won't miss having so many clothes to take off and put away, but this morning as we laid in bed in the near darkness, we talked about hibernating and how it is good for people. 

Of course, not everyone can do that, I understand, but at our age we can, and so we do. When I heard the sad news that 500 Joanne fabric stores were closing our dear friend Angela came to mind. Getting in touch with her in her new residence in Charlotte, NC, she mentioned it was the best thing she has ever done and is so very happy there. For those unfamiliar with this character in our story, she moved there after her husband died which I wrote about here in 2015. Hard to believe it has been ten years already. 

They were a very special couple who pretty much already knew that it is best to do all that you can while you can. We are merely following their example.

your friend,

Gail

Frozen Fog! Say What?

One morning last week, it must have been Tuesday because I was walking to church for my volunteer work. Nine in the morning it was. Before leaving our home I noticed that the everything just looked different and indeed I was not imagining it because when I got to church I asked Maggie about it and she said it was on the television news earlier in the morning. It is a bit of a stretch; the closest television news comes from Chattanooga, some 91 miles away. Still, I suppose they talk about our area, however, I've never checked it out myself. Anyway, she said they gave it a name she could not recall.  Sleuthing around a little when I returned home I discovered the phenom I was seeing is called "freezing fog". Here's a little explanation. 

And here are the photos I took. Note the top of the courthouse behind the fog. Those trees!!

Once I came down our little hill I turned around and it looked mighty intriguing. I started to type cool which would be a little silly wouldn't it? It did create black ice as I learned later but fortunately my walk was without incident.

Our street is the road at the top left of the picture. Before leaving the house I took this photo of the ice crystals on our mailbox.

At my age having new experiences is just what the doctor ordered! 

Not just what the doctor ordered is the propane bill that just came through. Holy cow!! This home is equipped with a dual heating system meaning if the temperature goes below freezing the propane gas kicks in. When Mr. Vespasian explained it while we were looking at the house, it made no sense to me, however, now I know how it works and it works quite well presuming you have the funds. This week they filled up the tank because we had used a lot this cold winter, I believe it was 150+ gallons. Who knew propane was so expensive? Not me. While I will not enjoy paying the $550+ bill, I can do it. My heart is sad for those who will be choosing between heat and food. 

That said, the weather today is super with a beautiful bright blue sky along with abundant sunshine. Pickleball was so much fun yesterday morning because we were comfortable, so much so that we played for longer than is typical of late. While taking a walk later that same day sounded like a good idea, I was glad that I had packed a book in my camera bag because mostly how I spent that hour, sitting at a picnic table in the warm sunshine. Families were out in full force.

So often during the winter I am mostly by myself in the huge park, but not on this day. The crack of a bat from the practicing girls softball was the background noise as I read a fun little book I'd gotten at the library. A detective novel it is. I don't know about you, but I am enjoying mysteries far more often these days. We watched a super series on Agatha Christie and how she became the world's best selling author. Over two BILLION copies!! Unreal. In that vein, last night we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders and it was really something! Kept us guessing until the end. How they have come up with plots to fill 23 seasons is beyond me.

Okay, so back to the park. The temperature around five in the evening was nearly 60 degrees when this happened: two boys were kicking a soccer ball which flew right by me on the ground and into the river!!

I could not imagine that he pulled up his pant legs and went into the river, but that he did and was successful.

No matter the air temperature, that river water must have been very cold indeed. I would say that there were probably overnight freezing temperatures all through January, however, we are getting a ten day reprieve which will be nice. Everyone is so curious how we are doing in the cold and for me I am good, however, Mr. Bruce oftentimes wants to turn up the heat! I have been encouraging him to dress for the weather. 

Especially in the basement! He has two space heaters that he runs liberally, as well he should, because it is quite chilly, however it has not kept him from building another bookcase for our office.

He's making excellent progress since the photo was taken on Saturday afternoon, in fact he is nearly finished. We do love a good bookcase.

Additionally he has hung some things we brought back from Orlando, pieces with sentimental value and we all know that I am the sentimental sort. Who knows how long ago it was but his parents bought the round hanging over the door frame for us, the type of art I cannot recall. 

Here's a better look at it.

Normally, well listen to me, all eight months that we have been here (!), I have a trailing plant in that alcove, however, the heat comes from the floor just below and it was hard keeping the heat off of the plant. For now it looks like the above.

Upstairs in my sewing room I brought both that little shelving trolly and the artwork displayed above it.

Our deceased sister Carol did that for a 25th anniversary present. Reading what she wrote on the back brought tears to my eyes. 

More sentimental stuff my friends!! The kitchen cabinets go to the ceiling and are pretty much worthless they are so high which gave me the opportunity to put one of them to use for something else. Many years ago Matthew gave me a sailboat set of salt and pepper shakers. (see below) At the time I had no idea that people collected s&p shakers, however, since that time I have discovered that indeed they do. The bright orange ones were a gift from some neighbors and a tiny bit of a collecting bug bit me. 

Indeed I turned the empty space into a space that brings me joy, thinking of those who have been good to me over the years. I have to admit to buying the yellow owls on the top left at our favorite downtown antique store. Made in Japan in the mid 50's well, if you have read this blog for years on end you know I have a reputation for liking owls. Not that I have seen any lately, but I'm still a fan!

Should you be an owl fan, and I do know there are some amongst my readers, this post from April 2017 is titled Mostly Owl Related. Looking back at it, there are some really special photos in that post even if I do say so myself. Check it out.

Robins were visiting Orlando during our visit because the camphor trees behind our home are filled with berries. I have no idea what all of the Robins are eating here in the mostly bare landscape, but there sure are a bunch of them.

Here's a fun close up.

Following my time at church this morning I took a walk. Unlike yesterday afternoon when I was pooped, I felt good and energetic after a good night's sleep.  As stated earlier, the day is gorgeous and warm by NC standards. I'm including a few areas below that have been featured before because I cannot wait to document the next few months.  The miracle that we call Spring is but six or so weeks away. 

It boggles my mind thinking about the upcoming changes to the landscape.

All of the bareness will be no more.

A friend recently exclaimed how my images would be encouraging folks to move to Murphy. I wonder if that is true? 

I will close with a crazy thing that happened in the last few days. I received a lengthy email from a woman with a compelling subject line. In Any Language 95/200. The gist of two very lengthy emails is that she bought the above named print of mine in a second-hand store and wanted to know if I would come and speak to a group.......it went on and on. I politely declined, but I did respond that it pleased me to no end that one of my prints was having a second-hand life. But of course!!  

Along those same lines as we were standing in line at Ingles I picked up a thrifting magazine that had a labeled price of $14.95! Can you imagine a true thrifter buying a magazine at that price? I sure cannot.

The weather is meant to stay fairly warm both here and in Orlando. Haha...the day we left the temperature began rising and this very day it is nearly 40 degrees warmer than when we were there!! 

The family is thriving both here and abroad.

Could we ask for anything more? I should say not.

your friend,

Gail