The Mountain Thymes

 I've been trying to reorganize closets and cabinets because still being confined I find the walls are closing in on me and we've collected too much "stuff" for this size house.  Closets and shelves are over-packed with Covid supplies.  A few days ago I decided to tackle the closet in the small bedroom which holds my yoga capris, a few jackets, and boxes of shoes, Spring curtains, and probably other items we haven't used since moving here.  Whenever I pulled out a shoe box, I'd notice what seemed like crumbled dead leaves on the boxes and on the floor.  As I filed through the hangers choosing which outfits to keep and which to place in the thrift-store bag, I found the answer to the crumbled dead leaves. Dead leaves.  In the fall I always harvest lots of herbs to dry.  Most of them were hung near the washer/dryer and other places out of the sunlight to dry slowly.  After a few weeks I'd crush the leaves, store the dried herbs in jars, label and date the ja

 Today's weather was wonderful! And I've enjoyed four or five days without Motrin!  Nights are still cold. I still can't figure this out but that's okay.  We reached 49 sunny degrees.  Maybe the humidity was right for me. Who knows!!!  Since Wednesday life has been good.  Even the dreaded dentist visit was positive.  After all these years there are certain childhood triggers that bring anxiety back to the surface.  Since Covid, many of the hygienists left forcing me to get used to new people sticking their fingers in my mouth, probing around, and at this age with RA examining my gums and teeth for deterioration.  I rate dentist visits as invasive as Gyn exams!!  When I was a little girl our dentist was OLD.  Everyone is old when you' re a child.  I used to walk from my home on Riverview St. to Dr. Clancy's office downtown Hudson, sick to my stomach all the way.  Novacaine needles seemed six inches long and as thick as a pencil as he inserted it into my gums.  Th

 It's been cold! Nights and days.  I've had to jump right into warm shower upon waking to get the kinks out of my joints and relax the muscles.  The good days still outnumber the challenging ones.  Today we have sunshine and the temperature rose all the way to 47.  The last couple of days were truly winter days with dark heavy clouds, cold breezes, and mid-thirty highs.  On those days, I don't go out.  I stay in and make soup and biscuits and chocolate cake and wrap myself up in my "enchilada" electric blanket. soft minky-like outside with Sherpa inside.  Even when the heat isn't on, it's the most comforting wrap. No, this is not a large teddy bear with glasses................... Cliff getting ready to face the winter air. Ecstatic that I'm not venturing outside.................   Mark gave him the hat one Christmas about ten years ago to keep his neck and head warm in all kinds of cold weather.  He goes to the Cherokee Health Department Tuesday for hi