An Assortment

 Good morning dear readers; it's been a while since last we met. 

With so much to cover, it is hard to know where to start, but because he has now become such a fan favorite, let us begin with darling Christian who is now six months old and as cute a a button.

Not only is he as cute as can be, but Fallon describes him as "her angel" and from what we observed, she will get no argument from us, as he was just charming with a disposition that would be the envy of any new mother. 

As you can well imagine, I had a lot of fun not only holding him, but taking photographs like a crazed woman. It is hard to pick a favorite so here goes, I will let you decide. On our January trip back to Murphy, we stopped by the Engage store in Oxford, Florida, just outside the Villages, which by the way goes on forever. Bruce wanted a new pickleball paddle and at the factory store they are heavily discounted so there was that. What to our wondering eyes should appear, but a paddle for little one. Fortunately, I remembered to take it with us when we packed.

Obviously it is a bit of a joke, but Bill really appreciated it because he is a serious pickleball player who is sadly injured at the moment. Injuring his bicep, and only rest will do, keeping him off the courts and he is very sad about that. 

Fallon and her little angel.

The playpen, (pictured in the first photo) is new, as is this cute little play chair, or that's the name I am giving it.

We rushed over when he was awake and it was so good taking turns holding him and watching him doing his new trick of rolling over. We could not be any happier for them and are so pleased at how well they have adjusted to their new life. 

Unfortunately, David and Michelle were not well for most of our visit, meaning we could not see them until we had seen Christian so that no germs would be transmitted. As much as we loved seeing Christian, we still wanted to see our own cute boys, although they would cringe at that, they were once our boys!  Eventually David came over without Michelle who got the bug a few days later than him.

The older they get the more I think they look like my Dad. Speaking of which, holy cow am I ever looking more like my mother these days! Fallon sent some photos that she took and I was like, who is that woman?

Speaking of our Florida home, I brought my peonies with me, hoping they would survive for a few more days.

Because they were so highly anticipated in my Murphy world, I hated to leave them behind. I put a vase full in the basement before we left, hoping the cool would preserve them and it somewhat worked! 

The main theme of the trip, aside from seeing family, is how hot it was. Oh my goodness, we are unaccustomed to 95 degree weather these days. As I type, it is 63 degrees outside. When we played pickleball with our old group at Dover Shores, we were dying even at 7:00 in the morning. The only saving grace was that the humidity was lower than is typical. Normally I need natural light in my indoor spaces, but even I was willing to shut all of the blinds and curtains to keep the heat out. 

A nice surprise was  finding a blooming orchid that I had attached to the baby Schefellera.

We arrived on Friday a little after lunch time which was a good thing because we had to deal with my dead car battery. We had learned from Keith that it would not start so it was no surprise. Thankfully, we have AAA and they came, first trying jumping the battery to no avail, and then replacing it. Now if you are like us, your idea of a good battery is in the $100 range. NOT!! A nearby garage was willing to replace it for over $500 so we went with the AAA guy who was already there and installed it for $325. Astonishing what things cost. 

But  with the MINI back in business that meant that I could drive the baby car for a few days. One of the mornings I went to my old stomping grounds, Lake Davis to see what I could see.

It's baby time in the bird world and I saw a bunch, including this Geese family,

along with all manner of waterfowl, including some cygnets.

The beginning of another hot day behind our condo.

As we were heading out our friend Sarah June gave us a little figure of Jesus to take with us and so we placed it on the dashboard. Yup, insanely hot.

Somewhat ironic is that when we went to Florida in January, it was unseasonably cold and our next visit it was unseasonably hot. Obviously, we are not picking the right time to visit! Looking at the ten day projection I knew that high temperatures  were forecast but after being chilly for so long, it was merely a concept to me. Reality hit big time!!

Unfortunately, two sets of friends were on separate Alaskan cruises so between that and David and Michelle being sick we didn't get as many visits in that would have been to our liking. It was good to see the old pickleball gang though, both at Dover Shores, and our community group. Plus, Mary had us over for a yummy dinner on Saturday night which was marvelous. Because the cupboards are nearly bare, it was weird being in your own place with no food to speak of.  Thus we had Publix subs one day, we checked out a new food truck spot down the street, 

which was cute, but in the end, the prospect of eating outside held no appeal. Instead we ended up at Tijuana Flats, where the food and decor have drastically changed. Well, drastic is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but let's say it as not nearly as good or colorful as we remembered.  (I am including this to update Matt and Tom who have enjoyed many meals here)

A place that turned out to be fantastic was Primrose Lanes, the updated bowling alley we knew as Colonial Lanes since our childhood. Although we did not bowl, the next time we got to Orlando we hope to do so. The decor was so fun,

and the food was extra yummy! 

For those new to this blog, here is our community in Orlando as we were driving in.

Birds galore live amongst the humans and it pleased me to no end that I was able to see many of them.

I do love my little birds here in Murphy, but the big birds are pretty great as well. If you missed my last post with the bluebirds, here's a link. As well, in that same post there is a photo of the hydrangeas and here's what they look like now!

If I had to guess there must be 50 or so in various stages of blooming.

For the first time ever we drove through Atlanta on our way home and even though we began the trek through it at about 2:30 in the afternoon, it was brutal with traffic extending as far as the eye could see. Thank God for the lane dedicated to more than one passenger! 

In another first, we took the interstate the entire way so in order to not die of boredom on the road, I played dj using music from both of our phones. That part was good.

Bruce had a birthday while we were there, although it turned out to be very low key with a meal not to remember. We did finally get to celebrate on Tuesday night with only David, as Michelle was still under the weather. That meal at F&D Italian Kitchen was wonderful! Discovering that we had quite a number of bottles of expensive wine in the condo, all gifts from David, we took one with us, paid the corkage fee of $20 and shared a bottle of 2016 Silver Oak. I'm not sure if we have ever had a bottle that old before; it was a pleasant surprise.

Leaving early on Thursday morning, our mission was to get back to Murphy in time for Bruce to meet Grayson for the end of the year pool party for Big Brothers. Instead of breaking it into two days, we were making good time, so Bruce just kept driving. All was well when we finally arrived around 5:00 in the afternoon.

Turns out that there was enough rain in our absence to keep the flowers in good shape. 

Friday we found time to get caught up before the party, getting a few groceries at Ingles when the sky looked like this:

Clouds would have been so helpful in Florida! Although the folks here might not be thrilled with the forecast of rain for days on end, I am not complaining one bit. 

Grayson was very much enjoying himself at the pool. You may recall that it is a part of the gym where Mr. Bruce continues his senior body building ways.

We saw our friend Dottie who was giving a swimming lesson, something she has done for decades. She is but one of many active 80+ year olds that we know.

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since we first discovered Murphy, or at least to me it is. Time goes by so quickly doesn't it? Aside from our family and friends, there is not much we miss about living in Orlando. Except perhaps the absence of rainbows. That said, one appeared on Sunday night. I noticed the sun coming through the door after a day of off and on again rain, so I said to Bruce, 
"I wonder if there is a rainbow" and by golly, there was.

Wonder of wonders, a rainbow in Murphy. Probably it happens more than I know but it was a first for me.

And isn't that the way it is; you think you have seen it all before and then a Roseate Spoonbill flies onto a dock across the lake! We lived there for nearly six years and never once that bird until the morning we were to return to Murphy. Indeed, life is a wonder, isn't it? 

your friend,

Gail

Easter Week

And what a beautiful week it was, between meeting up with folks for fun, and meeting up with folks for worship. Not to mention that it has been warmer and in fact, a few days have been too warm for my liking! After so many months of cold weather it is going to take me some time to adjust. In our home I would rather be cold, while Bruce would rather be hot, although wouldn't it be nice if the weather stayed about 72 degrees every day? Heck no--where would be the fun in that, after all variety IS the spice of life.

Because we live so close, it is easy to participate in most church activities. Aside from Soul Table this past Thursday, we went to Maundy Thursday service (my favorite), the cross walk and a noon ecumencial service on Good Friday. Finally the culmination, the Easter sunrise service, followed by a breakfast and the main service. It was so nice that we have been the April door greeters, handing out bulletins and welcoming folks. We were both delighted that we ran out of bulletins on Easter Sunday! That is actually saying something because living in the Bible Belt, there are many, many churches to choose from!

Like many churches a cross is put out and parishioners are asked to adorn it with flowers, and ours is no exception. My three tulips hung in there, much to my surprise and delight, until Easter morning when I brought them with a few other flowers to place in the cross.

Never having had a tulip come up in my yard before it was very exciting indeed. 

On Good Friday we met at the local Catholic church to join forces and shoulders, in carrying the cross from their church to ours. 

As was the case last year, Bruce carried it up the hill for the last bit.

We stopped for readings of the stations of the cross along the way.  Seven local pastors joined in reading parts of the Easter story.

The sunrise service was held at Harshaw Chapel, the beginning of Methodism in Cherokee County.(should it interest you, click on the link)  Our church has been raising money for ages to restore it as time and weather have worn it down significantly. The day began overcast and only a sliver of the sunrise appeared over the mountains.

The view is a good one.

Earlier in the week, Bruce along with a multitude of other volunteers tidied up the cemetery with weed eaters, lawn mowers, and was the case for David and Bruce, trash bags! Between them they gathered enough trash to fill six lawn garbage bags! Sadly, the few unhoused folks living in town often make this area a place to rest.

Lastly, our pastor is a big fan of deviled eggs and the folks did not disappoint him on Sunday!

Have you had your fill of Easter stories? I suspect you have so let us cover other parts of the week. 

Big news folks! Christian has rolled over on his own! Although we are far away, Fallon sends photos and videos many times each week and boy do we love them, watching them multiple times with big grins on our faces! Here's the little one with his Daddy.

Won't this be fun  to look back at his growth in a few years? Hopefully in May sometime we can get down to Florida to hold that chubby little boy!

Speaking of Florida, Bruce wanted to get his North Carolina drivers license and car tag, along, of course with insurance. The insurance was pretty easy because we have made friends with our agent, the license took some work because the office is way understaffed and they actually put a sign on the door that they are giving someone a road test and will be back in a few hours! With dedication Bruce got it done, but when it came to the license tag, dedication only took him so far. He needed the car title and after some searching here, we determined it had to be in Bruce's files in Orlando. A big shout out to Keith Parson, such a good friend and person, who went into our home, dug through Bruce's files, and the very last paper was the title, which he promptly mailed! He had less success in starting my car which appears to have died but that's a story for another day. In short order, the title arrived, and get this, Bruce showed up at the tag office, just down the street from here, and had to wait for only one person! Done and done.

The farmers market has re-opened and will remain so until late October; Saturday morning I went over to see what I could see. For now it is small, but will get bigger as the crops come in. There were some wonderful plants, so many that I have never had the pleasure of growing before.

One of the vendors who sells bread, eggs and flower bunches, had this most gorgeous peony, the plant of which came from the pictured vendor above. The fragrance was heavenly!

It was so perfect, at first I thought it was fake!! Our peonies are nearly ready to burst open and there are so MANY buds. At last count there are forty on one bush! 

Meanwhile, Bruce was mowing our unruly lawn that is filled with weeds and wildflowers! You could not tell it from this picture though! That tree!! It is so red IT looks fake!

Ironically I went on a hike to see wildflowers when, in fact, they are everywhere, including these Mayapples on the river walk.

The butterweed is in full bloom on the river banks, something I have seen now three times and it's appearance continues to thrill me.

Seeing more birds out and about  has not happened, so when I do have the pleasure of spotting one it makes me very happy. Who does not love the sight of the bright red plumage of a Northern Cardinal in the forest?

Woo hoo! Look who is hanging around the back yard now that I have lured him with mealworms?

Actually there are two Bluebirds and I hope this means what I think it means!

The dogwoods in our neighbors' yards are nearing the end of their showy display.

Here were my three little tulips before I cut them. Actually there were four, however one I had previously brought inside for a vase.  If we are lucky, it seems as if there is one other bloom that may or may not come to fruition.

Although I was hoping the bulbs from Tammy that I planted last year would come to something, I am still not sure because although there is some foliage, nary a bud is to be found. Bright sunshine is a premium in our yard, so I imagine that is the problem. Thankfully Sandy has an abundance of irises that I can admire.

Small rhododendron are blooming around town and when I say blooming, I really mean it as the blossoms are so dense!

Oh my goodness there is so much to write about, but as I know your time is precious I will end this by saying, isn't life such a balancing act? 

Of course when we were young it was work, our children and their lives, and our extended families. These days we are trying to be a part of one community, and at the same time, not forget where we came from and who we love. One would think that when one is retired and children are managing their own lives. one would have plenty of time but somehow that has not turned out to be the case, as you well know. 

Thank goodness for texts and Facetime!

your friend,

Gail 

A Winter Trip to Orlando

More than likely we had too high of expectations for this trip, but then again, maybe things just were not nearly as smooth sailing as they should have been? There were some high points with more than we would have liked, low points. 

A week ago, at 7:30 in the morning, we left our sweet little Campbell Street house to begin our journey to Orlando. The temperature was 27 degrees with snow remaining in the back yard. John and Laura agreed to feed the birds, a task that they took to heart, even filling them up yesterday morning in six degree weather!! 

Right away it was challenging with a dirty inside windshield and no cleaner in the car, the sun blaring in our eyes and some funky action on our dashboard. What did it mean we wondered? Nothing in the manual gave us a clue and when I called Subaru not long after we left, the answers were unsatisfactory. We only hoped that we could make it without incident! Then there is the matter of Blood Mountain to traverse.

I get it, we are not talking the Rockies here, but still it is a bit nerve wracking with all of the dips and extreme curves, not to mention wet areas that we wondered if what we were seeing was black ice. Finally we were out of the mountains and eventually came to some green pastures.

Because the days are still quite short, we stopped in Valdosta, GA and were so glad that we discovered the Drury Inn. After a stressful day, we were so happy that they not only served a free breakfast, they served a free evening meal as well, allowing us to relax and put the day behind us. Much to our delight, the food was fantastic and ample as well. So marvelous that we are staying there again tomorrow night on our way back. 

The morning drive was mostly uneventful and after a little over four hours, our exit came up. 

We were home for only a short time and friends and family began coming by for a visit. I had let David know we were on our way and he came right over and it was so good to see him. Should you not know who David is, he is one of our beloved sons. We met Nancy at Hawkers for an early dinner and I am sad to say that Bruce was disappointed in the food, something Nancy had warned us about. One of our favorites, that dinner was a harbinger of many disappointments to come. The company was good though as was the company once we returned home when Mary came to see us.

Bruce went to his 8AM appointment at Subaru and I cleaned house. Apparently in the last week or so the air conditioner quit working properly and all of the hard surfaces (!!!) were covered in mildew. Nancy, bless her heart, cleaned it all but it needed a second cleaning. So what I mean is all of the dining tables (3),  and all of the beautiful walnut floors, covered in mildew!! Bruce was at Subaru for 6.5 hours and while that is not easy, the good news is that the problems he was encountering were known and part of a recall that we were unaware of. Thank goodness because the bill would have been $1, 000!

The good news is that we got to see our first grandchild on Saturday afternoon and holy cow is he a cutie!

We spent time inside with masks on, followed by a neighborhood walk. Grandpa was doing what grandpas do and that is having them grab a finger. Actually, when I took the photo it so reminded me of my dad doing the same with our boys.

When we returned we sat beside the pool and their first "baby" joined us. Actually that sounds sort of creepy to me, but as we all know by now, I am old fashioned. That is Winnie on Bruce's lap.

Which gives me the opportunity to brag on her as she has been quite good at being unseated as the queen of the roost! We had a wonderful visit with Bill by the pool. Fallon and Christian made an appearance and that is all we saw of him on this trip. 

As a new mom, and I do remember being one, ever so slightly but I have not forgotten everything, protecting your child comes naturally. That said, had we waited another month or so things would have been different because not only would some of the horrible viruses that are going around settle down as the winter winds down, Christian will be vaccinated so she will have a much greater level of confidence that he won't get sick. 

We did not wait because we wanted to attend the memorial service on Sunday afternoon. Here I am with my remaining siblings. 

Gail, Nancy, Pat and Lisa is the line up these days. Some of you don't know that we have lost two sisters which is one reason we are doing our North Carolina adventure. "Doing all that we can, while we can!" The lineup used to be Pat, Maureen, Gail, Carol, Nancy and Lisa. 

Lisa and her best friend Greta who helped her through the many years of Danny being unwell. The blonde wearing glasses is Lisa and Danny's youngest daughter, Emily. She and her sister Amanda were also fantastic. It was a group effort!

A retired firefighter, many of his colleagues were there including a woman that we are related to in a round about way. Margie is the sister to our sister-in-law Judy who is married to Bruce's brother.

She was a young policewoman who spent a lot of time at the firehouse and knew Danny before Lisa did. She had some funny stories to tell as did lots of folks, including those he worked with at the Pride of Paramore when he was a fairly young man. I especially felt sad seeing the truck when we arrived.

We used to spend most Christmases at Danny and Lisa's spacious home in Longwood. He was a very good man who will be missed.

Sunday morning I was so hoping to go to one of my favorite birding spots but unfortunately God had other plans. Rain, rain and more rain! I just heard from Karen a friend who lives here who said what a miserable week it has been, to which I agreed, and also how sorry she felt for tourists who spent so much money to come here only to find it cold, damp and dreary. I seconded that idea!

We spent a considerable amount of time going through our things and looking for things that will be useful on Campbell Street. And then it was Monday and looking back on things, I realized our schedule was far too ambitious. Nonetheless, I had a 7:30 teeth cleaning followed by Bruce doing the same. I was telling Matt how much the office where we have gone for nearly 40 years has changed. There is no way in hell that Dr. Arenz would have ever agreed to something like this.

I should be celebrating that all was good but I have to admit, I left there thinking what the heck! Before I go though, I had a new hygienist who displayed this cool map in the room. She and her current husband have been to all the parks shown.

Not only did I learn about her travels, something else in her space prompted me to ask about the photographs. Oh my goodness, I was so unprepared for her sad story of an abusive policeman husband who not only killed himself but their two children, aged 8 and 10, when she went to work!! She told me it made the national news and who is surprised? 

What in the name of heavens do I have to complain about?

Which sounds really noble and all but more complaints are coming and I'm not proud of that!

For years we have gotten our glasses at Costco because not only do they have a wonderful selection they have a lot of value for your dollar. As such, since the nearest Costco to Murphy is about two hours away, I made an appointment for both of us to have an eye exam on Monday evening. So far so good. Until we learned that unlike what we were expecting, they cannot mail progressive lens glasses to us. Bummer, bummer!

Time to get moving....see you again real soon.

your friend,

Gail