Having a hot cup of  roasted dandelion tea with my mother on this chilly Sunday morning.  Sunny 36 degrees.

November 11, 1985
49 degrees raining

Dear Betsy,
         Well, had my grapefruit, toast and coffee--lunch packed & make-up on.  Now it's "ten of eight" and I can sit to read a few minutes.  There's lots of things I should do... and... be running through house doing chores if I was young.  Ah! Age does wonders to slow one down.  Now I let my mind wander over projects and plan on doing them tomorrow.

Now I understand her words....................

Around noontime on Wednesday, Cliff and I decided to throw some warm clothes in our suitcases and get out of the house for a few days, not think about tasks or chores that needed to be done.  I got online, booked a Holiday Inn Express in Hendersonville, NC, and within an hour we had packed a few days clothes, our meds, threw jackets in the Kia and were on our way.  This was a great feat for Cliff because he is a thinker and planner.  I flit from flower-to-flower on a whim so I loved this sudden decision of travel plans. The drive was only about three hours long, which with the cold front approaching and settling in my right hip, was long enough for me that day.  While we were there, we came across a couple of nice lodges and inns to try on our next escape. Over the next couple of days we visited the Carl Sandburg National Historical home, walked a lot, stopped at touristy shops for me, and found good places to eat. 

 "Poet of the People"

From the parking lot to the house, we walked a good third of a mile.....all up hill.

Peaceful walk............moderate temperatures before the front settled in that night.

In 1945 Mr. Sandburg purchased the 248 acres for $45,000. The site includes the three-story main house, 5 miles of hiking trails of moderate to steep terrain, two small lakes, several ponds and outbuildings.  While living there, his wife began raising goats. Now volunteers care for the property and socializing the goats so visitors can walk into the goat barns and fields with the goats.

We were fortunate to be in a small group of only six making our visit more intimate with the tour guide who truly loved his job and shared so many family stories.  Often Sandburg's grandchildren visit the home and share more family history with the guide.  This was one of my favorite stops with the toaster between two chairs.  Mr. and Mrs. Sandburg loved toast but wanted it hot when eaten so kept the toaster where they enjoyed relaxing.

Thousands of books throughout the home.  Libraries in every room.  When renovations were planned, each room had to photographed, cataloged, books and all items carefully wrapped and placed in temperature controlled storage.  A few years later all books were then returned to their exact places on shelves, furniture returned to exact places, all those letters, notes, articles also returned to where they were when Mrs. Sandburg turned the house over to the Historical Society and walked away.  One of the best tours we've been on.

Yesterday we brought some firewood up to the porch.  Cliff blew leaves.....again, cleaned off the roof gutters. I cut back the huge pineapple sage that supplied hummingbirds and honey bees.  The poor bees visited us yesterday, once the sun warmed the air, buzzing around asking me where the nectar was.  As I sit here typing with the sun coming in the kitchen windows glistening on the thin strings of webs that have collected in unseen places, I guess it's time for me to get the vacuum brush out and quit making excuses.