The Mountain Thymes

Fifty-four crisp degrees on the mountain this morning at 5:10 when I popped on my coffee maker and sat back with an old issue of Mother Earth magazine.  On the kitchen island I have some seeds that I'll try in my fall garden which can be done anytime now and all through August.  With limited sun now starting to go behind the trees, my fall area will be smaller and concentrated more in the middle of the garden.  Yesterday I wanted to make a quiche with some of the Swiss chard and needed thinly sliced potatoes for the crust.  I only had one small potato left in the kitchen, went our our potato patch,  lifted the soil on one of the almost brown plants, and found two spuds the size of half-dollars.  It'll be another couple of weeks before ours are big enough to be dug.  I worked at slicing those potatoes tissue paper-thin to cover the bottom of the 9-inch pie pan. Just enough to make the small quiche.  Sauted the garlic, onions, quiche, carrots, zucchini, garden basil and parsle

Saturday I was at the market and setting up by 7:30.  Cliff always gets my set-up started but couldn't  this time because he and Larry were heading to a ham fest in Waynesville, NC.  Without his help, I figured I'd need more time and wanted to be sure that I got my sturdy white tent.  When I arrived there was only one other vendor, Patty's Purses, who is my neighbor on my left.  Others seemed to straggle in slowly and between vendors and shoppers, the atmosphere remained in slow motion for the whole market day.  It's so interesting to experience different energy levels each Saturday.  My Marblonian (sp?) friend, Pat, brought her chair and spent market time chatting with me and the few customers who stopped at our tent.  I only sold two items the whole time.  There was no threat of rain and by one pm the temperature and humidity felt like a NC summer afternoon. Pat and I packed the aprons, hats, and my new addition to the craft table, relaxing lavender eye pillows, stack

"Happiness.....not in another place but this place,  not in another hour but this hour."  ~ Walt Witman We've been watching the 2001 series of The Guardian on Netflix in the evenings.  I'm not an avid TV viewer.  Find most programs don't hold my interest so have never seen or heard of many of the old series.  A couple of years ago when Cliff was attending evening classes at Tri-County Community College classes,  the TV remote was mine.  As I flipped from channel to channel looking for something of interest, I came across The Mentalist starring the handsome Australian-born Simon Baker.  Recently when we found The Guardian,  we figured we'd give it a try and have watched a couple of episodes each evening after dinner.  My recliner is positioned so that I can see a hanging begonia on the back porch through the french doors.  It's been raining for two days now and without the sunset, the back porch has been darker these evenings.  Out of the corner of

This afternoon I returned from a quick trip to Ingles, (I had a hankering for cantaloupe, strawberries, and watermelon), lifted up the hatch on the Kia and loaded up my arms with the grocery bags.  From the garage I have a clear view of my vegetable garden.  Looking up at me from the potato patch was a doe and her tiny fawn.  Her gaze fixed on me and neck so telescoped, the doe became a giraffe.  So there I am with my arms full of bulky melon bags not wanting to startle mother and baby and enjoying the stare down.  Standing perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity, I decided to shut my eyes in hopes she wouldn't feel threatened if she didn't see the big orbs staring back at her and her baby.  Minutes later I sneaked a peek from my left eye but she was still staring at me.  This game went on for about five minutes.  Now I wanted to see if I could outlast her.  Suddenly she seemed to get a whiff of human scent as her nose scanned the air.   She signaled her fawn with her

I woke at 4:30, not able to return to a sleep-state.  Made my Kona coffee and read til Cliff woke around 6.  We packed the cooler with ice for our watermelon/cantalope snack and all the produce, frozen chicken, grass-fed beef, eggs, and whatever else I would buy from the farmers.  The last of my garden beets were consumed this past week so I bought a huge bunch from Three Bird Farm, some broccoli sprouts, from another farmer, and squash, zucchini, Swiss chard, tomatoes from Candy Mountain and  zucchini and blueberry/strawberry muffins and a loaf of peasant bread from their son, Eric.  Donna, my goat cheese farmer, was set up in Hayesville this week so couldn't get my Cowboy Candy or Kickin' Cajun goat cheese.  Hayesville, down the road apiece, held a two-day market event which took some of our visitors from Murphy.   Also stuffed a dozen eggs, frozen free-range chicken, and two pounds of grass-fed beef into the cooler.  I really needed a refrigerator this week.  The morning s

Everyone was dragging on Wednesday.  Lauria and I were tired and the two littles were a bit cranky. Lauria felt like diner food for breakfast so we visited Rick's Waffle King. Jim worked during this vacation, attended online meetings and still found time in the days to bake bread, make two fritttas, a wonderful chicken soup, and pay attention to his children.  Jim taking a tea break while Cliff washes up the dishes..................again.   Each evening meal was ended with ice-cream cones for dessert.  Children chose Breyers  rocky road, vanilla, caramel praline crunch, and my favorite, coffee. Olivia made streamers and decorated the house for a party.  For Olivia, life is a celebration.  What a wonderful way to embrace each day.  She's already into yoga, tries to get her dad to do it with her. She taped pictures and "streamers" all over the walls. Olivia also created a primitive musical instrument using and empty square plastic peanut containe

Yesterday afternoon as she walked down the porch steps, Lauia was attacked by a wasp and stung in leg.  A few hours later Grant was also attacked by an angry wasp and stung on his leg.  Cliff found the Hot Shot in the garage, went under the porch and sprayed a huge hanging paper nest.  This morning Grant's leg appeared about the same as last night but Lauria's leg looked more swollen and redder so we headed for the clinic.  The P.A. told her to take Benadryl, ice often, put her feet up, and rest.....................with five active children. We still have wasps around the house so have to be cautious when going out.  Cliff has checked everywhere but can't find any more nests. For lunch we all went the Tin Loong buffet in Blue Ridge, GA.                                                        Grant                                                 Ben and Jim                                                      Sofia

Monday morning before the heat and humidity made us uncomfortable, we took the children to the playground. On the way home, we stopped at Logan's Run, my favorite thrift store.  Fashionista, Olivia, found another dress to add to her wardrobe. Olivia inventing a game with tennis balls.

Lauria, Jim, children, and pug arrived about 9:30 Saturday morning at the market.  What a pleasant surprise to look up from my craft table and see Hayden standing there.  Summer hours at the market changed from 9-1 and after I was through packing up, Lauria and I took the children to Walmart, picked up a few things, then went shopping at a thrift store.  Olivia found a long velveteen lady's dress to play dress-up, Sofia  found herself a soft pink nightie, and Lauria bought a few summer dresses.  On the drive home, we remembered we had ice-cream melting in the back of the van.  Sunday morning we drove to the Ocoee River, where the 1996 Olympics were held, to show the children the rafters and kayakers.  Luckily, as we pulled into our parking spot, the alarm sounded and speakers announced that the water would be rising.  Everyone was warned to get off the rocks.  We got to the suspended bridge as the roaring water approached us.   Within minutes, rafters appeared. Lauria and J

It's been a busy week.  Jim and Sharon, friends from Deltona who were vacationing in Gatlinburg,  drove through the mountains to spend last Sunday with us.  We took them for hibachi at the TinLoong in Blue Ridge, GA. Our entertaining chef appears to be scratching his back but he's flipping spatulas around before he starts preparing our meals.  Hibachi is more fun with friends so Cliff and I don't do this alone.  It was nice to sit and laugh with old friends again. Later in the week, Barb and Mike (from Deltona) arrived at their Blairsville, GA house.  Cliff helped them get connected online and get their TV set up.  We headed to the Tin Loong again. This time we chose the buffet. Yesterday I received a phone call from Lauria saying they were packing the five children and their dog in the van and heading our way!  They spent last night at a hotel and will arrive sometime today, probably while we'll still at the farmers market.  I ate something I shouldn't have

Why are new tennis balls vacuum sealed in a canister?  I couldn't find a " use by " date.  No, I'm not taking up tennis.  That's all I'd need to seal my fate.  There would definitely be a shoulder replacement in my future if I did.  I never enjoyed playing tennis even when I was young and agile.  Not enough of a contact sport.  I'm suppose to use a tennis ball to help keep the knots from building up in my shoulder muscles and my "angel" wings between therapeutic massages.  The multiple knots in the muscles are part of what's been causing the terrible shoulder discomfort day and night.  I'm being faithful to my tennis ball therapy, which actually feels pretty good.  Slept better last night.  Felt energized enough to go to my sewing room around 7:30 this morning and work on some sewing projects I had in mind.  Being the 4th of July weekend, this should be another good Saturday at the market.  Murphy is bustling with visitors.  Our weather f

I'm starting to feel human again and it's such a relief!   For months I've felt like nuclear waste.  I hadn't done any sewing in over two weeks.  The last month or so my brain was foggy and I had lost my lust for life.  I really felt toxic.  I don't know what was going on in this body but it was scary.  I couldn't stand not being me so I spent hours researching my symptoms and deciding what I could do to shake the evil from my body.  Being on so much Motrin daily isn't healthy.  My doctor just said it was osteoarthritis and prescribed tumeric capsules to help relieve the inflammation.  I do have OA but I had to find a way to cope and get to the bottom of this terrible joint and muscle pain and sleepless nights.  While Cliff was in MA, I went for a massage to relax the muscles and get the knots out.  This therapist suggested I try an elimination diet to see if I have any food sensitivities.  Trying things for two to three weeks isn't going to stick with m