The Mountain Thymes

 Almost halfway through February and I'm not crazy.  Everything is measured by the January weather we experienced  here.  It wasn't as harsh as other places but severe by our standards. My daylight hours are longer which help my sanity.  I count the days until the second weekend in March when I don't draw the curtains and start yawning at six o'clock anymore.  I'm just not a wintery person.  I can feel a different energy already.  My Carolina wrens sing louder and earlier each morning.  February is back to normal weather.  It was fifty-five today with twenties to thirties at night.  The heat barely runs during the night and if the sun is out during the day I run no heat as the sun warms the house.  I'm in for two full days of rain and flood alerts in the valleys.   A week ago I thought I broke the Toyota.  It has been in four-wheel drive in the garage since the January weather.  I couldn't get it out of four...

I'm very comfortable with my new medical wrist band.  Wasn't sure I would like it because I haven't worn a watch since retiring 17 years but it's light and comfortable and I forget it's on my wrist.  I hope I never need to push the button but it's comforting to know I can communicate immediately if needed.   Blue Cross Blue Shield NC recently announced a new health fitness program for all members.  FitOn Health is the best benefit available for access to gyms and many other health programs.  I called BCBSNC to speak to a rep because I figured nothing could be that good.  Each month members receive  $112 to spend on fitness options of their choice.  Since I'm already a gym member this program now pays my monthly membership costs and I get two free 30 minute training sessions each month if I choose to use them.  I can also purchase equipment like yoga mats, dumbbells, videos for home use, nutrition videos, etc.  The rep told me that B...

 Just a quick post................... This is my new Medical Guardian Mini-lite portable protection device.  Now if I fall and roll down the mountain while gardening or fall and can't get up it will call Monte Alban and have them deliver Mexican takeout and a Margarita to my address.  Just kidding................   If I need help I press the button and can communicate back and forth with a real human.  If I don't respond medics will be dispatched to my address.  This allows me more independence and removes worry or concerns from my children. The lockbox didn't arrive with this order but will arrive Wednesday or Thursday. I'll wear it when showering but not to be submerged in the gym pool.

 The driveway snow and ice seemed as if it was softening and melting at a pretty good rate and I had been storing trash bags in the Toyota for two weeks. Today there were five bags and I thought I'd take the truck out to the transfer station to toss bags, plastics, and wine bottles.  When backing out I guess I backed out a little too far out and got hung up on a patch of ice. So dropped back a little more, turned the front wheels at a different angle and slowly trying not to spin thought I could catch the wheels on gravel.  I tried putting it into four-wheel drive.  Cliff told me years ago how to do it, but like anything that I don't do often, it was erased from my memory.  That one wheel found the ice and and just kept spinning.  My neighbor further up the road,who is a retired South Florida firefighter and now a volunteer for Bellview St. 17, came to my rescue.  He showed me how to put it into four-wheel drive then offered to take all my trash becaus...

 Ah...technology, one of the many perplexing issues that haunt me.  As soon as I get one figured out, another jumps in to confuse me.  My new laptop mouse pad is so sensitive sometimes I can't find the arrow or it runs around the screen hiding on me.  Mark told me I could go into settings and adjust the size and sensitivity.  So many choices when you go into settings .  I did adjust the size but couldn't figure out the sensitivity fix.  There must be a five-year old somewhere nearby to help me.  Next solution was to purchase a mouse.  Why did the lady in Walmart look at me as if I was from another planet when I asked her for a tailless mouse? Then I needed to choose a color from all the pretty ones, two-toned, ergonomic, or just plane black.     I picked the calming lavender package where she pointed to the small receiver which stays in the laptop.  Excited about easily solving that issue....alone.....no assistance from a ...

  I bought these Cougar Storm boots online from DSW about three years ago when I spotted them on sale.  We haven't had any worthwhile snow in many years.  Snow showers that melt hours later is not snow.  I craved a measurable amount of soft white snow, the kind that brings a hush to the mountains, a calm peaceful feel when you open the door and there's silence..........  When the Chattanooga weather reports predicted three to six inches consistently I dug out the boots from the back of the closet and they set by the kitchen door in anticipation of finally being worn.   I couldn't roll snowballs so I built my snowman.  It's wearing my homemade gardening hat, a fresh carrot that didn't go into the beef stew, two grape eyes and two fallen oak branch arms. By this point the snow had quickly changed to sleet/rain mixture and I went inside.  Boots are wonderfully warm and comfortable, good to forty below, but I'll find that out. Yesterday was twent...