The Mountain Thymes

Because we couldn't get out to Kansas City again this year for Thanksgiving with family,  Mark and Jen flew in to spend the holiday weekend with us on the mountain.  We went to Brother's Thanksgiving buffet and enjoyed our dinner together free of cleaning the kitchen mess that comes with Thanksgiving feasting.  The day was heavily overcast and raw and perfect for an evening fire in the stove.  Before their arrival, we strung white Christmas lights outside on the porch, put the tree up in the house, and set out a few vintage Santas on the mantel.  Friday morning we did our mini-Christmas. Quilted wine bottle bag from Patty's Quilt that I bought in the summer at the farmers market.                            New flannel shirts for Cliff. Mark and Jen in their 'Gator aprons.  I also knit Jen 'Gator colored hand warmers....

                    HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Weather was delightful today, a 70 degree high by 3 pm, and breezy.  Cliff loosened some garden soil for me this afternoon so I could set some garlic cloves for spring garlic.  I put in eighteen cloves and will cover the area with leaves before the freezing cold winter temps set in.  I actually had the screen door open for a couple of hours while I baked.  Found an intriguing recipe in my December/January issue of Mother Earth News . I blogged earlier about a big green squash that was part of my CSA delivery.  A retired friend, Karen in Florida, informed me that I could cut it in half and bake it and was going to do that when I found a Thai soup recipe that cooks in the squash.  The squash serves as a tureen and you ladle the soup right from the cooked squash. Cut the top off as if you were making a Halloween pumpkin and clean out the slime and seeds. Follow the recipe and pour the soup mixture into the squash.  Bake for about an hour until...

Unpacking a suitcase is displeasing.  The pleasure comes in planning for a vacation or a journey and placing your clothes and other items strategically in the suitcase.  Monday we happily packed our suitcases in anticipation for a quick trip to see our new great granddaughter and her almost 2-year old brother..  Tuesday morning we headed toward KY listening to an audio tape to help pass the time.  We figured we could escape and relax for two days before returning to nursing home visits and lawyer appointments.  We arrived at Matthew's house around 2:30 pm, hugged Taelor and Matthew, gave Christopher a bag of large Duplo Blocks and a winter hat I had knit.  Taelor handed Alexandra over to me so I could sit and rock her.  Christopher piled the blocks in my lap as I rocked his sister.  Christopher with his big slippers and his Duplo block.            Matthew and Christopher playing. We wer...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!  this is a few hours early.......I'll be celebrating tomorrow so won't be blogging. Yesterday was gloomy and raw.  Today the temperature flirted with the forty-degree mark.  Too early for this kind of cold weather.  I realize Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet, but I'm listening to Christmas Choral music on my Pandora station.  Christmas music warms the air and brings peace to our tired spirits.  Today while we were out doing errands, Cliff received a phone call from the nursing home informing him that his mother will be moved to the Alzheimer unit on Monday.  She has dementia with Lewy Bodies, a very progressive form of the disease, and will get the attention she needs in that part of the facility.  Yesterday when we visited her, the progression was obvious, disturbing and sad.  Tomorrow we'll visit her in the morning when she is at her "best" because as afternoon rolls around, Sundowners Symptoms kick in and she...

Meet Mr. Ford.  He is 94 years young and is a resident artist at the Clay County Care Center where Cliff's mother is now.  When we visit his mother, we always encourage her to walk up and down the halls with us.  Sunday she wanted to walk to the dining room and look out the picture window at the North Carolina mountains.  She told us at night the mountains look purple as the sun sets.  In the right corner near the large window is a table set up with oil paints, brushes, and canvases.  Leaning against the wall on the floor are oil paintings, many of them, and on a small easel on the table is a pastoral painting in progress.  I asked the CNA in the dining area who the artist was and she told me he and his wife are residents.  When he wants to paint, he pushes his wife in her wheelchair to the dining room and parks her facing him.  Usually she just sleeps while he paints.  She is 93. Mr. Ford allowed me to take his picture.  He trie...

Saturday's weather was just plain raw and miserable.  I don't think we got out of the 30's.  It drizzled, flurried snow, was dreary and grey all day.  With the muscle mass I've lost due to arthritis, I just couldn't get warm even wearing a sweater over a heavy turtle-neck.  A hot shower felt so good that night and a comforting hot water bottle slid between the sheets at the foot of the bed warmed my toes and lulled me to sleep.  Sunday's temperatures were in the 50's and today was just gorgeous with bright sun and temperatures reaching low 60's by mid-afternoon.   Our early morning temperatures are about 28 degrees here on the mountain but once the sun comes up, the air warms up nicely.  Now that I'm back at the gym, I'm trying to build up some muscle again so I won't become a Popsicle this winter.  This afternoon I completely swept the back and front porch clean, for about the 4th time and leaves are still falling, and have a space ready f...