A Week of Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving week is over, and what a week it was! It began on Saturday, when we drove two hours to Waleska, GA, near Canton, to see Doug’s sister Katie and her family. They recently moved into a new house in Lake Arrowhead, and we had not seen it yet. We met Doug’s mom and dad there and had lunch, and celebrated Adrienne’s birthday. (Doug’s niece) Afterwards, we drove to Lexington and spent the night with the Canups.
That day I was most thankful for good in-laws that I have always been able to get along with.

Sunday morning we went to Athens Church to hear Andy Stanley preach. He is an amazing preacher. We heard the last of a series on “How to Be Rich.” He reminded us that all of us sitting in that building are rich compared to most of the people living in this world, and God expects us be generous with all he has given us. We really sat up and paid attention when he began talking about “rich people problems.” He had a list of such problems and here are the four items on his list: 1. Not being able to sell your house. (We are lucky to HAVE a house.) 2. One of the air conditioners breaks down. (We actually had TWO go out. 3. Your computer dies, and you have to use your laptop. (Yep, check that one off, too. Doug replaced his this summer.) 4. The water ban – we are not allowed to take hundreds of gallons of good clean drinking water and spew it all over our yard. (We really hated it that our lawn looked so bad when we are trying to sell it.) I began to wonder if Andy had been spying on us the past few months!

After church we went to Barnes and Noble and had a sandwich, drank coffee, and looked at books until it was time to see the latest 007 movie. After grabbing some pizza, we went to Sean and Misty’s house to watch the 24 movie. We spent the night there. That day I was most thankful for our son and daughter-in-law and our many material blessings.

The next day was cold and blustery. I took Doug to work and then did some preliminary Christmas shopping. I met my friend Margaret Amason for lunch at The Big Easy. She had Yanna with her. Yanna is the little girl from Russia the Amasons adopted just seven months ago. They went through many months of frustration and waiting for the adoption to take place. I and many others prayed hard that it would all work out. Yanna is here, now, and clearly a much-loved member of the Amason family. I was amazed at how well she has already learned to speak English.

After lunch, I went home to start working in the yard. A bitter cold wind was blowing. I worked to cut down the dead flowers as long as I could stand it, and then went in the house a while to warm up. By the end of the day, my lips and cheeks were chapped. I took a luxurious hot shower and then went to pick Doug up at work. We enjoyed a fantastic meal at Olive Garden, and then walked around the mall until it was time to return to our old house and sleep on the air mattress there. That day I was most thankful that a sweet little eleven-year-old orphan from Russia is now living here in America with a family that has wanted her more than anything.

The next morning I could not get myself out of bed to take Doug to work. I told him to leave me there without a car. I spent part of the morning writing and then went over to Jack and Jan’s to borrow some good pruning shears. I sat and talked with them for nearly two hours. Then I went back to the house and ate take-out from Olive Garden. I spent the afternoon trimming branches and hauling off all the yard debris. When Doug returned home from his last day of work with the federal government, we took Jack and Jan out for a delicious supper at Rachel’s. They have helped us so much since we moved that I don’t know what we would have done without them. That day I was most thankful for good neighbors.

Doug’s first day of retirement was hard work. He cut the grass and hauled off all the leaves. We worked on the yard most of the day and then packed up and went to Mary Jane’s where we spent the next three nights. That evening Mary Jane and I started cooking for Thanksgiving. That day I was most thankful that everything had worked out for Doug to retire early.

Thanksgiving Day was at Cindy’s, as usual. Everyone was there except Blake, who attended a youth conference. We were joined by the Canups, Katie and Wayne, and the Millers as well. There was, of course, more food than we could possibly eat. Afterwards we did what we always do on Thanksgiving Day. We gathered up all the sales papers and piled onto Cindy’s bed to plan our big After-Thanksgiving shopping day. This year there was a twist, however. Someone from the Athens-Banner Herald had called Misty earlier in the week and wanted to know if they could come out and do a story on our traditional shopping trip. We were joined Thanksgiving afternoon by a reporter and photographer who took lots of pictures and asked lots of questions, which we all answered all at once, laughing most of the time. We then gave them dessert, took THEIR pictures, and sent them on their way.

Sean and Misty spent most of the afternoon riding four-wheelers, and Katie and Wayne went to pick up pecans. We sisters cleaned up the kitchen, and the “old people” took long naps. Of course, we all watched football. Pure Americana. That day I was most thankful for family – and good food!

I hit the first store about 7:00 AM – later than usual. Misty left her house at 3:15! I met up with Cindy at about 10:00 and then we were joined by MJ and Mama at the mall about 11:00. I got a wheelchair for Mama, and we took turns pushing her around all day. I left at noon and went to meet Misty at Brett’s for lunch. We had a great time together. Misty had finished all her shopping! That girl is a lean, mean shopping machine. We had both gotten the morning paper to see our little picture down in the corner of the front page. The accompanying article was cute. I left Misty and went back to the mall to find my sisters and Mama. Mama and Cindy left about 4:00, and I left around 5:00 to meet Doug and his parents at Rafferty’s, since it was Kathleen’s birthday. (I think I know why I gained two more pounds last week.) We returned to MJ’s and watched The Santa Clause before going to bed. That day I was most thankful for a good bed! (and quality time with my daughter-in-law)

Doug and I left early the next morning. We had been away from home for a whole week, about my limit. We picked up barbeque in Hiawassee and got back to the house about thirty minutes before our old college friends, Jim and Elizabeth, arrived to watch the GA-GA Tech game with us. The game was a HUGE disappointment, but we always have a good time with the Belchers. That day I was most thankful for old friends.

Sunday we returned to Sunday School for the first time in about two months. It was good to be back. After church, we went home and collapsed. That day I was most thankful for a good church and a day of rest. Our Thanksgiving week was over at last.

Facing Retirement Together

I’m writing this while sitting on the floor of our empty, as-yet unsold house. Doug has gone to work his last day as an employee of the United States Government. Neither he nor I can believe he really is retiring. For me, this journey into a new life began three years ago when I retired from teaching the first time – before going back to teach one class for two more years. For Doug, it is just the beginning. He is excited, but a little anxious, I think, not knowing what it will be like. I am anxious for him, because I believe it is much easier for women to retire than it is for men. After all, a woman’s primary job has always been her home and family, and that does not change. A woman’s identity has more to do with being a wife, a mother, a daughter, and so on, while a man’s identity is often tied to his work. For me, there is still plenty to do each day, just cleaning house, preparing meals, doing the shopping, and looking after my parents. I am not sure how Doug will fill his days.

Even I struggled some with retirement the first time I did it. I felt a little useless and unproductive, even though I stayed quite busy. It was hard not having money of my own. There was some guilt from not feeling like a contributing member of society. On the other hand, I loved the freedom of making my own schedule. I loved having time to do the things I really wanted to do, and I loved staying at home. There is nothing like waking up on a cold winter morning when it’s raining outside and knowing you can just roll over and go back to sleep.

I wonder if Doug will feel these things as well. I do know he can relax and do nothing far easier than I can! (Guilt does not seem to bother him.) But I also know that you can only do so much relaxing before boredom sets in and your brain begins to atrophy. I guess my fear is that he will become even more addicted to TV and computer games than he already is, to the neglect of far more important things.

Doug’s fear is that I will continue to spend money the same way I have while he’s been working. At least we have been talking to each other about our concerns, and they are legitimate concerns. I do need to spend less. He also needs to find productive ways to spend his time. I plan to encourage his interest in wood carving, and there are still many things to do around the house. We haven’t finished painting. He wants to put up a storm door in the kitchen, and tear the shower out of the half-bath to make space for a broom closet. I also want him to put a new floor in our bathroom. All that should keep him busy for quite a while!

In all probability, he will find another job, at least part-time. He wants to take a month off before seriously looking, and I sure don’t blame him for that. We also are seriously considering a Caribbean cruise in January to celebrate his retirement and our 35th wedding anniversary, which is December 21. So we do have plans. I think people really have trouble with retirement when they don’t think ahead and plan what they will do.

As for me, my doubts about retiring that first time are completely gone. I taught for 23 years. In some small way, I contributed to the lives of hundreds of kids during that time. I can still do so through volunteering. Now my parents need me, and we are all fortunate that I can be there for them. I’m getting used to not having money of my own, since I really have all I need anyway. People ask me all the time if I miss teaching. The honest answer is “No.” Teaching was a great career for me, but I had my fill of it. I was getting to old to deal with teenagers every day anyway. I do believe that it is important in life to know when it is time to move on. For me that time is now.

For Doug, retirement came sooner than he ever thought it would. He had planned to work at least five more years, and maybe even ten. He is adjusting to the needs of my family, and I hope he will not regret doing so. One good sign is that he truly loves living in the mountains. We used to talk wistfully about one day retiring to the mountains, but we never really thought it would happen! A few weeks ago, we were at a meeting at Amicolola Falls, and we found some tee-shirts in a gift shop there. The front of the shirt had a picture of mountain peaks and the words, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” We bought one for each of us and planned to wear them under our regular shirts to Doug’s retirement luncheon. The idea was that we would unbutton our shirts to reveal the tee-shirts at the end when Doug made his little speech. Unfortunately, we both forgot about it until right after everyone got up to leave. Then I remembered, so at least some people saw them and got a kick out of it, and Misty got a good picture.

Doug’s retirement luncheon was a huge success. He was so pleased that his first supervisor, the one who trained him, came to speak. Tony retired five years ago and lives in South Carolina. He is loving retirement. There were about 75 people at the luncheon. Doug’s parents, sister, brother-in-law, and of course, Sean and Misty were all there. The food was incredible. So many nice things were said about Doug, and some funny stories were told. Doug received a lovely plaque and a generous monetary gift. People really seemed to enjoy the whole event.

So now we face retirement together. I’ve heard all the stories about how a husband around the house all the time can really get on your nerves. At least we’ve got plenty of room to get away from each other if we need to! Actually, we are pretty good companions, so I don’t really expect that to be a problem. I’m looking forward to having time to travel some, and explore the area in which we live. I have a feeling we better do those things while we can, because it may not be much longer before we can’t leave Mama and Daddy alone.

As for the house, we are really in a quandary about what to do. Our contract with the realtor runs out this week. I don’t think we will extend it, since it hasn’t done us any good so far. We are trying to decide whether to rent it or not. We might get someone to tear out all the old wallpaper and paint it throughout and then try to sell it ourselves again. Our neighbor has said he would be glad to show it for us. We would definitely prefer to sell it rather than rent, because we have heard too many horror stories about renters. One thing for sure, if we do go on a cruise, it will be an inexpensive one! (Relatively speaking.) Then we will have to tighten our belts a little until something happens with this house. As for right now, I need to quit writing and go outside to cut down all the plants that were killed back by the frost. The work never ends.

Winter

Today it turned from fall into winter. True, we had a snowfall in October, but that was just a fluke, followed by many warm days. Tonight it is supposed to go down into the teens and remain cold for the rest of the week. There were a few things we planned to do before cold weather arrived, and most of it got done today. Last week Doug and I installed the new outside door which does a much better job of insulating the house, but it still needs some weather stripping, not to mention a better paint job. I got one coat of dark green on it before it started raining and caused the paint to run down the door. It looks lovely.

Our faucet outside the basement has steadily dripped since we moved in. I temporarily fixed the problem by putting a two-headed faucet extension on it, but that would freeze, so Daddy and I have planned all along to repair the faucet itself. Lastly, I’ve wanted to put a warm blanket of mulch on my newly created flower bed for several days, but Daddy’s pick-up truck had to be worked on first. He got it back yesterday, and today he took me over to Down to Earth, a fantastic nearby nursery, where I got a load of decorative black mulch. Before we left, Daddy and I deconstructed the faucet to find the piece that needed replacing and took it with us to the Hiawassee Hardware Store. That has to be one of the best hardware stores in existence, as you can pretty much find anything you need there. Well, at least the people who work there can find it! The ninety-something-year-old-man who has owned it for over fifty years still comes to work every day. All the workers are helpful and friendly, and one of them looked all over to find the right size washer for our faucet.

When we returned home, I had to shovel all the mulch out of the back of the truck. The day was cold, raw, and windy, but I was working so hard the wind actually felt good. After I finished getting the mulch piled next to the flower bed, I swept out the truck and then started putting it around the flowers while Daddy hosed out the truck bed. He had taken the tailgate loose to lower it when I swept it out. Then he reattached the cables holding up the tailgate, but the tailgate wouldn’t shut. It also wouldn’t go all the way down. I turned around to see him struggling with it and looked to see a rock wedged in the hinge of the tailgate. It was jammed in tight, and both of us worked for some time with a hammer and chisel to get it out. Finally, I knocked it loose, but the tailgate still wouldn’t close. Daddy was flustered. Then I looked at it and saw the problem. Daddy had hooked the cables to the wrong bolt, a higher one that was what the tailgate fastened onto to when you shut it. I pointed it out and the problem was solved. I could tell it kind of got away with Daddy. Normally, I would be the one making a mistake like that, not him. Daddy never would have made a mistake like that in his earlier years. I never said another word about it!

I got the mulch spread while Daddy drained and rolled up all the hoses. Then we replaced the broken faucet and checked that it wouldn’t leak. Afterwards, I wrapped the faucets.

Daddy then backed the tractor up into our carport next to the house. He has a generator on the back of it which can be hooked up to our electric box in the event of a power failure.

The wind has blown the remaining leaves from the trees. Hiking up the hill to Mama’s is treacherous, as the thick layer of dead leaves hide large acorns that roll out from under our feet. The lovely colors of fall are all gone. Golden mountains are now a dull gray, and all the trees are bare, accept for that one type of oak that just keeps its shriveled up brown leaves all winter. I told Daddy that I always thought winter in the mountains looked quite bleak, but I was hoping I would come to appreciate its unique beauty. He said he used to think it was bleak, too, but now he always finds the mountains to be lovely.

A Week later:

Indeed it is beautiful. Last night I took pictures of the black tree branches silhouetted by a golden sunset. The other day, it snowed in the tops of the highest mountains. They glittered in the bright morning sun. Yes, it is cold. We have already had several nights in the teens, and it is usually at least ten degrees colder than it is back in Athens. But the great thing about being retired is, I can stay home in front of the fireplace and drink all the hot chocolate I want! The house is warm and toasty. I may not get out too much for the next two or three months!

The Last Time

The thought occurred to me as we drove down I-85 in silence, coming home from a pleasant and relaxing weekend with old college friends. We had watched the Georgia-Auburn game with them the day before; our team won – Go Dawgs! That game was followed by a brisk walk in the cool, crisp air of a dwindling fall day. We returned to our friends’ home to enjoy a dinner of steaks grilled to perfection followed by homemade apple pie. Does it get any better than that? After a good night’s rest, we ate a hearty breakfast at a local restaurant and then parted with our friends.

A cold front had blown through during the night, taking with it most of the remaining autumn leaves, though some color remained, and a few trees were spectacular. The traffic along the interstate was not too heavy; however, we soon found ourselves playing cat and mouse with a convoy of eighteen wheelers. I remembered why I have always avoided this particular interstate and thought of the danger it represents in my mind. That is when the thought hit me – what if this is the last time? The screech of burning tires, the crash of metal and broken glass, and in an instant, it could all be over. Now I know that sounds macabre, but my thoughts soon took a more positive direction. If yesterday had been my last day on earth, it would have been a good way to go out. That’s the way I would want it all to end – enjoying life with people I love.

I continued this vein of thought. What if this was my last fall? The trees along the roadside took on a different light as I looked at all around me with new eyes. The reds grew redder, the oranges more orange, and the yellows seemed to have about them the glow of sunlight. The blue sky provided the most amazing contrast to the fall colors of the leaves. The light and heat of the sun intensified as it poured through the windows of our car. I basked in its warmth. If this was, indeed, my last fall, I wanted to experience it with every ounce of awareness I could muster.

What if I had just said goodbye to my dear, dear friends for the last time? I pictured their faces in detail and was flooded with memories of all the special moments we have shared over the years.

And the other night, when I kissed my grown son goodnight, what if it was the last time? I remembered standing on tiptoes to brush his cheeks with my lips, felt the bristle of his red whiskers, saw his blue eyes look at me as he said, “Love you.” Tears stung my eyes as I poignantly thought of all he means to me.

If this were my last day, what words would I say to my faithful husband of thirty-five years? How would I thank my aging parents for all they have done for me? And most importantly of all, what words would I pray to the God who made me as I prepared to meet Him?

In other words, how would I live this moment if I knew the end was near? Now I’m sure many of us have listened to preachers warn us that “this might be the last sermon you will ever hear,” or “the last invitation you will receive.” Be saved now, tell your family you love them, for tomorrow it may be too late. We probably felt a momentary stab of fear, a fleeting conviction, and then thought, “Eh, not likely,” and went back to planning lunch and a Sunday afternoon nap. Not likely, perhaps, but possible…it happens to someone somewhere every moment of every day.

It happened to all those people who went to work in the World Trade Center on September 11th. I doubt any of them were thinking that this would be the last time they would kiss their husband or wife goodbye, the last time they would stop at the corner Starbucks for a rich, warm cup of coffee, the last time they would ride the elevator to the upper floors of the buildings towering over the city of New York, the last time the twin skyscrapers would dominate the city’s skyline. Yet, it was all of that. I wonder what lasting memories they left in the hearts and minds of their loved ones.

I doubt it is possible for any of us to consistently live our daily lives as if each day were the last one, and each word spoken the last ones we would say on this earth. But if we could just capture a tiny bit of that awareness, perhaps our lives would be richer and more meaningful. Maybe we would make every precious moment of life matter, and say the words, “I love you,” more often.

As we drove closer to home, the distant mountains came into view - covered with snow! How beautiful they shone in the sunlight! "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills..." I hope God will grant me many more days to enjoy the majesty of His creation, and I hope I appreciate every minute of it.

Putting It in Perspective

I’m a news junkie, and have been since the first Gulf War, when I stayed glued to CNN for hours on end. Seeing bombs explode over Baghdad in real time was fascinating, but even after the war ended, the news was on whenever I was home alone. I justified my obsession by saying that, as a government and economics teacher, I needed to keep up with current events. This was true to some extent, and being informed made me a better teacher. But now that I’m retired, the news is still a big part of my day, though I am more likely to tune into FOX now. And of course, I start every day with a cup of coffee and Good Morning America. I learn a lot that way. I guess one reason I keep the TV turned to 24 hour cable news is because it provides company while I’m here alone. I can pay attention when I want, but I’m also free to do other things. I’m always busy working on something, so I don’t sit down to watch a regular show or movie.

Lately, however, I’ve turned the news off a good part of the day. It’s too depressing. As we all know, we Americans are in a bit of trouble. The bad economic news just keeps on coming, and some people even talk of a coming depression. The housing market has tanked and doesn’t show signs of getting better, and here we are trying to sell a house. Then, of course, the election didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I can’t believe we just elected the most liberal senator in Congress to the presidency. Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and test firing long range missiles, and we don’t know if we can trust Pakistan. Yes, things look bad.

But this morning I was watching GMA as usual, when I heard a story that made my life look pretty good by comparison. In Afghanistan, two girls were walking to school when a group of young men attacked them, throwing acid in their faces, causing severe, disfiguring burns. The men were part of the Taliban, which is opposed to girls getting an education. Wow. I cannot imagine living in a place where I would be that oppressed just for being the “wrong” sex. We may have problems here in this country, but at least we are free – free to be ourselves, work hard, and live up to our potential, free to worship, speak, and think as we believe. I used to tell my students that they should fall on their knees every day and thank God they were born in America. I still believe that.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

"Shoots" and Ladders

Yesterday I about bit off more than I could chew. I’m willing to try almost anything in my attempts to fix up this house, and that sometimes gets me in trouble. Yesterday I learned all about how to use foam gap filler. Allow me to explain.

A few months ago, Daddy decided the posts holding up our deck needed reinforcing. They looked pretty skinny to me, so I enthusiastically endorsed the idea. Doug and Daddy went to the building supply company and bought 2X6” boards of treated lumber. They surrounded the skinny posts with these boards, making thick chunky posts that at least look more substantial. Daddy says the posts are now twice as strong. The only problem was that the original posts were not straight, so it was impossible to get the boards to lie completely flush against them. Gaps were left in places, and Daddy suggested I fill them, so we got a gallon of exterior spackling, and I went to work. The spackling worked well on narrow gaps, but not so great on wide ones. I got the brilliant idea that what I needed was a can of that foam you spray into gaps to seal out moisture. After all, we didn’t want moisture collecting inside the posts. I had Doug buy me a can on his way home from work.

The next morning I found the extension ladder behind the barn. I had learned the day before that our 12’ step ladder wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the very tops of the posts. Now I have spent a lifetime avoiding ladders; I don’t like heights. I was surprised to learn how heavy it was and awkward to move. With difficulty, I carried it around the house to the front. Leaning it up against the lower part of our high deck proved very challenging. Adjusting it was even more so, as the two halves of the ladder kept sliding past the point where I wanted them. After much effort, the ladder was up and stable. Then I realized it was upside down! I thought it might be important for the stabilizing feet to be on the ground, so I took the ladder down and turned it over. With much more effort, I finally got it back in place, only to realize it was still upside down! "Shoot!!!" I exclaimed out loud. "How stupid can I be?" Apparently, I had just flipped it over instead of turning it end to end. Down it came again. My third attempt was a success.

Now I read the directions on the can of spray foam. It said to shake vigorously and wear rubber gloves, as it is extremely sticky. I won’t get any on my hands, I thought, not wanting to take time to find gloves. HA-HA! It wasn’t long before all the digits on my hands were stuck together, and a good pair of jeans were ruined. This stuff was awful to work with. The directions also said to fill large gaps only 50%. Humm… maybe I was supposed to let that dry and then go back and finish filling the gap. I climbed the ladder and aimed the tube into the first gap and pulled the trigger. Boy, was this stuff hard to control! It came out very fast and went all over the place. I quickly learned why you should fill gaps halfway. This stuff grows like some giant alien space blob! Before long, big bubbles of foam were all up and down the posts. I tried to smooth them with a spackling knife, but seconds after applying the foam, it becomes impossibly sticky and cannot be smoothed. My attempts to do so ruined a $6 new spackling knife. I figured I would trim the bubbles off later after they had hardened.

I finished the first post and moved on around the deck. When I got to the end, the ladder needed to be taller, so I struggled for some time to adjust it. Then it was crooked because the ground was uneven – imagine that, uneven ground in the mountains! I found some pieces of board to prop up one leg and finally got it steady enough to climb. While up there, I noticed that I had missed one side of an earlier post, so I would have to go back. When I did, the ladder was now too tall. I soon discovered that making the ladder taller is much easier than making it shorter! I was working hard to adjust it when it suddenly slid downward and fell with a huge clatter on the concrete patio, landing about six inches from the glass door. "Oh, shoot!" - and then, "Thank you, Lord!" That could have been a disaster. I almost gave up at that point, but decided I really wanted to finish since rain was predicted for today, so I pulled the ladder out, hoisted it up and tried again. I just about had it when it again fell across the porch, making a huge racket and barely missing the door again. "Shoot!" again. I figured I better not push my luck, so I dragged the ladder out into the yard where it will remain until Doug takes it back. I discovered I could reach the top of that post with the step ladder and finished foaming.

By this time, my hands felt as if they were coated with super glue. Soap and water didn’t touch it, so I hiked up the hill to Mama’s to find some paint thinner. I tried mineral spirits, gasoline, WD-40, and fingernail polish remover. Mama thought of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and suggested Windex. Nothing worked. Not only did my hands feel awful and stiff, but they were stained brown. They looked filthy. I probably washed them 100 times yesterday. “Well,” Daddy said, “you never see an old man who still has stuff like that on his hands. It will wear off.”

So this morning they are only a little bit better. I guess when all my skin cells turn over, it will be gone.

Now you may wonder, just where was my husband during all this? I’ll tell you where he was – at work, sitting in his cushy chair at this desk in an office full of women who bring him homemade food all the time. Now who has the harder life? (Had he been here, he certainly would have taken over after witnessing my inepititude.) I think I will stop writing and make him a nice, long Honey-do list to work on when he retires the end of this month!

Snow in October

Last Tuesday, I was lying in bed while Doug got ready to leave for work. He was flying to St. Louis that day. After he kissed me goodbye and left with his suitcase, I turned over to go back to sleep. Suddenly, Doug stuck his head in the door and said, “Just so you know, it’s snowing outside.”

“What?!!” I said, wide awake now. He assured me that it really was snowing, so I got up and raised the shade on the large double window in our bedroom. Sure enough, a light snow was falling. I guess this is the first time I’ve ever seen snow in October. It lasted throughout most of the morning, lightly dusting the ground and covering the roofs. At times it came down hard. I turned on the fireplace and enjoyed our first snow here in the mountains. It was beautiful. The sun came out later that afternoon and melted it all away.

We expect to get more snow here than we did at home, but not that much more. My parents have been here for nine years, and have never had a major snow or ice storm. (Now watch us have the worst blizzard in years now that we are here!) Up here, you usually get two or three snows each winter. Since our house has a southern exposure, the sun quickly melts any snow that falls.

If we ever do have a major storm and lose power, both Daddy’s house and ours has a generator. Ours is mounted to the back of Daddy’s tractor sitting under the carport and uses gasoline. It connects to the house wiring and will run the heat and lights if needed. Daddy has a big fancy-smancy generator that automatically kicks on when the power goes out. Maybe some day we can afford something like that!

I don’t know what winter in the mountains will be like for us. Right now, everything is beautiful with all the red, yellow, and orange leaves, but soon they will fall. The mountains look rather bleak without any color, but maybe I will come to appreciate a different kind of beauty in winter. It will certainly be colder up here. At one time, that would have really worried me, but now that I am a “hot mama,” cold doesn’t sound so bad.

I’ve never put pictures on my blog before, but I am going to try this time.

Politics and Polish Chickens

Well, at last, the election is over. No one I know is happy about the outcome, which tells you I run with a conservative crowd. It is going to take some getting used to – saying President Obama! I never thought I would see the day when America would elect a black man who sat under the preaching of a radical racist for twenty years, associates with a former terrorist, and is considered the most liberal senator in Congress! Not only that, but he has a Muslim father (It’s been seven years since 9-11), he comes from Chicago, the most politically corrupt city in America, he has almost no experience, and he has a funny name. He does have charm and charisma, and I wonder if people would have voted for him for that reason alone if the Republicans had not made a complete mess of the past eight years. If so, democracy may not be such a great form of government after all.

I guess now all we can do is just wait and see what happens. For the record, I do not believe Obama is a Muslim, a terrorist, or the anti-Christ! He seems an intelligent and personable man who certainly has the gift of speaking. My prayer is that he will have to move towards the center and will be a better President than I expect. I also pray that he surrounds himself with people who will give him good advice, since his own knowledge of things like foreign policy is so limited. He certainly has his work cut out for him! Let’s see – a failing economy, housing foreclosures, rising unemployment, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, climate change…why did anyone want this job??? I guess I’ll just hang out by the mailbox and wait for my tax refund – NOT!

I think the worst thing about this election is the possibility Obama will appoint two or three Supreme Court justices. A President can only do so much damage in four short years, but justices who rule from the bench are there for life. All hope of overturning Roe v. Wade may be lost now.

Actually, I think things may get better for a while. Many people are more hopeful, and we may actually get that middle-class tax cut, though I won’t be holding my breath. The long-term effects of his tax-and-spend policies probably will not come into play for several years – when the Republicans are back in power, and of course, they’ll get blamed for it!

Well, enough of politics. I have now turned off the news and started thinking about other things. This week, I took Mama to a ladies’ meeting at the church. It was really just the women of the church getting together to eat a sack lunch and visit with one another. I decided I would go, too, so I packed Mama and me a sandwich. As I suspected, I was the youngest one there. Though I felt a little out of place, these older ladies were a hoot! One of them brought pictures of her Polish chickens. If you’ve never seen one, you should Google them. They are very pretty, colorful chickens with a sort of pom-pom on top of their heads. (One lady suggested the cheerleaders could grab a couple of chickens by the feet and swing them through the air while leading cheers.) Anyway, the feathers in the pom-pom grow very long and hang over their eyes. This lady (Judy) lets the chickens out into the yard every afternoon and then gathers them back into their house at dusk. The other chickens have no problem getting in, but the Polish chickens can’t see very well due to their long feathers and keep missing the door, running into the walls. At this point in the story, Mama, who had not said a word until then, quipped, “Those chickens really are Pollacks!” Everyone laughed except the proud owner of the chickens who responded, “I do NOT refer to my chickens as Pollacks!” Anyway, Judy’s husband, Elmer decided the chickens needed a haircut! (Wouldn’t that be a “feathercut”?) He held a chicken with one hand under its body and the other holding its neck while Judy attempted to cut the feathers on top of its head. To say the least, the chicken was not happy. They finally gave up and decided the chickens would just have to keep bumping into things. The story of giving a chicken a haircut spread throughout the church, and Elmer says he will never live it down.

Some of the ladies began talking about how poor they were growing up. It wasn’t very long ago that this area was a poverty-stricken, backward region of the country, as the mountains were cut off from the rest of the world. People who grew up here have seen tremendous changes in their lifetime. Rich retirees and artistic types have migrated into the area, bringing money and culture to the mountains. Still, Clay County is one of the poorest counties in North Carolina. The older people remember how it used to be, but they say they were not unhappy, because everyone they knew was just as poor as they were. I guess it’s all about expectations.

One lady remembered when she and her sister and little brother would go to school. There was only one pair of shoes for her and her brother to share. So one day, she got to wear the shoes while her mother carried her brother, and the next day, he got the shoes and she was carried to school. The older sister had her own shoes, and Shirley could hardly wait to have a pair of her own. Well, she had an uncle who owned a small department store. She was in the store when she saw a shiny pair of red shoes with a strap around the ankle – her size! She wanted those shoes more than anything, but she had no money and knew better than to ask her parents. But every Saturday, her mama gave her a quarter to take to town to pay for a movie show, a bag of popcorn, and a soda. Well, she continued going to the movie show, but passed up the popcorn and soda until she had saved up two dollars to buy those shoes. She was so proud of those shoes that she took them off when she got home and put them inside a pair of socks so they wouldn’t get scratched. She remembers them fondly after all these years. And we think we have hard times now!