Update about blogCa

Who knew all this would happen afterwards! Dawn shows the ridge on the other side of Swannanoa Valley, Nov. 1, 2025. The ridge is so high it makes me feel safe. I can also see cars zoom past on I-40 in one gap in the trees.

Friday, October 31, 2025

Happy Halloween!

 Trick or Treat!!

This evening many a child will go to bed with sugar streaming through their bloodstream...bringing about some wild and crazy dreams!


Happy Samhain, or Halloween!






The Valley Echo did a good article about our Pet Parade in Black Mountain...which is in a bit different location this year. Still cute photos. 





Mexican festival

Barbara Baker is my daughter-in-law who bakes extraordinarily delicious Moonlit Macarons. 



The passing of the witches hat. 

I was enjoying talking with my granddaughter, Cayenne over lunch, about costumes. She makes her own designs and is much more skilled than I have ever been. But I mentioned I'd decorated a velvet witches hat with stars and moons in fabric paint, and offered it to her.


So after lunch with friends we went to my apartment and she tried it on, and left for Florida with it! 







An altar for ancestors

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And on a more practical note:

My iPad keyboard on-screen suddenly split apart.
I have no idea what I did, nor how to get it back to correct format! HELP!!

There's what the keyboard looks like on my iPad these days. Really weird. It just suddenly happened.



Today's quote;

In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.

HENRI NOUWEN



Thursday, October 30, 2025

Real witches

Witches tea party!

Personally I've been wondering why I'm not in a celebratory mood for Halloween this year. I finally realized that dealing with life and death issues while being sick this year, I'm thinking a lot about my own mortality. And I do want to continue to live as long as I'm somewhat capable, and able to think clearly. So I've looked at a natural burial place in a local cemetery, then decided against making a decision on that now. It's really depressing.

And I'm not doing much talk about end of life issues. I want to have plans to move forward instead...in this living world. Whatever the other one might be, I'm just putting it aside for now. 

As I write this Monday morning...
Right now I'm having an aural migraine, where I lose vision and get blinded by sparkly lights in a blooming kind of circle. It starts in the center of my vision, and ends with streams of banners on the outside. Usually it only lasts 10-15 minutes, and then I have light sensitivity for a few hours. As you can see (while I can't very well) I can keep doing many things, including driving, by shifting my focus around to wherever the vision still remains. No pain usually. Whew.

So when everyone's decorating their lawns with death...skeletons, fake graves, ghosts, goblins, living dead everywhere! - I have little interest. I've always avoided horror movies. Too much to be scared of in real life, thank you very much. I don't want a fake scare.



I used to put up an altar for the ancestors. Even that honoring of those who gave me life has lost its interest this year. I just miss so many people who have "gone on before." Including my pets.

I do still have friends who are witches, or at least witchy. I love that they celebrate with lots of decorations, and maybe some special foods for Halloween. 



I got out my caldron...which has served many rituals. So that's as much as I'm decorating this year.

My visit with pulmonologist Monday gave me a honest appraisal of my recovering from pneumonia. He said I'd need another 3 months before I've cleared enough to have my lungs evaluated to see the status of my bronchiectasis...where various lung damages might show up on a CT as well as with breathing tests. I was realistic. If my lungs have at least a half ability still for breathing, I want to plan to move to the southwest US where it's drier. If my lungs show a great deal of damage, I'm reconciled to not moving, but planning that green burial plot for eventual use of my remains.

So we have to wait till early February to find out more.


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H. Byron Ballard, a friend, a witch who lives in Asheville NC.



A joke photo of Byron recently taken.

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And for those who are aware of this time when our ancestors who have gone before are closer to us, there is this:


A prayer for the dead.


Each night, at twilight, we remember. With love, with gratitude, we remember.

You have come to the end of this pathway
In a journey to which we bear witness.
You have come to the end of a pathway
That is barred with a gate and a door.
May this door open swiftly and silently.
May this gate give you a moment’s grace
In which to rest your spirit before you venture through.
We stand here with you, as your companions,
As your family, for you are beloved.
But, for now, we must remain here.
We can not go with you to this old land.
Not yet.
For you will see the Ancestors.
You will see the Beloved Dead.
You will walk among the Divine Beings
That guide and nurture us all.
You go to dwell in the lands
Of summer and of apples
where we dance
forever youthful, forever free.
We can hear the music in the mist
The drums that echo our sad hearts.
We can see your bright eyes and your smile.
And so we open the gate.
We push back the door.
We hold the gate open.
We glance through the doorway,
And with love and grief and wonder
We watch you walk through.
Hail the Traveler!
All those remembered in love, in honor,
Live on.
Farewell, o best loved,
O fairest,
Farewell.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

A sad day in local medical care

 My Primary Care Doctor's Office closes...

Photo by Barb Rogers


Black Mountain and Old Fort medical practice closes due to income loss, Helene


Hundreds of patients in Black Mountain and Old Fort have to find new physicians after the medical practice, Family Care of Black Mountain/Old Fort, closes, in part, due to Helene.

According to the medical practice's website, it's closing on Oct. 31.

Raleigh Durham Medical Group owns the practice. An individual responding to the group’s main number confirmed “patient volume could not support the practice expenses.”

“I’ve been going there for over 30 years,” said Elizabeth Collins, a patient. “Actually, it was a shock.”

Dr. Drew Schnyder, the primary physician at Family Care, told News 13 the following about the closures both in Black Mountain and Old Fort.

"I feel heartbroken we have to close the practice due to income loss,” said Schnyder. “We've been losing patients since the hurricane. People moved away or transferred. Our patient level was 1,200 a month. After Helene, it dropped to 900. Our management group pulled out. They gave us a 30-day notice.”

Dr. Bill Hathaway, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) CEO, spoke with News 13 about the dynamics of small practices.

“I suspect it’s the case that they were on a critical margin that depended on seeing a certain number of patients per month to see the finances work out. When they had a change in population, the margins weren’t there and tough decisions were made by someone else," Hathaway said. "If you take the exacerbating effect of the challenges on the entire community and put it on a small medical practice that may be struggling because of high overhead and high costs, with a subsequent loss of patients, this doesn’t surprise me at all to see this.”

Across Black Mountain, the community and its people continue to move forward from Helene. Cheryl Hyde, Black Mountain’s Chamber of Commerce Director, said tourists are coming, but there’s still an issue she’s heard from local merchants.

“They aren’t spending as much money as they did,” said Hyde. “But we are happy to see them. And there is strong resolve. All of our shopkeepers are local, all of the people who work in the shops are ----locals and so it does affect the whole economy.”

SOURCE: ABC News/WLOS 

Kimberly King

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My medical records from Dr. Snyder's office, 2023-2025, only!

I searched all through my files for my photo of Dr. Schnyder, but alas, it's gone (also).


Family and friends

 Not of much interest to others, just a kind  of photo album of recent family/friends photos.


Granddaughter Cayenne on the right waving. She visited with friends late in Oct.

Cayenne's friends.

Cayenne and myself

Avery and Cayenne


Cayenne at the cabin


Cayenne and her mom, Cinnamon.


Grandson William and his mom, Cinnamon


Son, Marty and wife number 2, Barbara and her sister Beverly


Daughter-in-law Barbara in St. Petersburg FL

Barbara and a friend's favorite dog


Kate playing hockey in Ohio

Granddaughter Kate playing hockey


My son Russ and his wife, Michelle (Kate's parents)

Michelle and Aunt Theresa in Italy

Michelle and Russ in Italy

Son Tai in California with the Pacific Ocean

Tai and wife Kendra with big trees

Tai and Kendra rafting on the Rogue River in Oregon. (He's kneeling in front next to Kendra with her feet up.)

Tai and Kendra to right in the raft!


Surgery center for friend Judy, who had to have elbow replaced

Where I waited for Judy for 6 hours last Thursday!


Friend, Suzanne!

Friend Helen!
Helen with Teresa discussing the view at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway


Friend Teresa and her granddaughter Madison, and myself, at Craggy Gardens information center, Blue Ridge Parkway.



A big celebration as grandson Michael got engaged to his sweetheart Amanda on a cruise! Congratulations!

I've two other grown granddaughters, who are busy at school, one a student in Washington DC, the other a teacher in Columbus OH. I'll see them for Thanksgiving!!


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Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Treasures of Texas and the seasons

Traces of Texas:

 I have posted about the fabulous Hexagon Hotel in Minerals Wells a couple of times, but never this photo. The hotel was built in 1895 by David G. Galbraith — the inventor of the paper clip and co-developer of acetate synthetic fiber. The twelve-sided hotel was clad in clapboard and set atop a solid stone foundation. Two English stonemasons handled all the stonework, likely including construction of the nearby DC power plant.

Inside, the rooms were hexagon-shaped, with each pair sharing a bathroom. The top floor served as a reading room, which was a popular amenity of the era, especially because whatever breeze their was could move through it easily when the windows were opened. The whole hotel was designed with exceptional ventilation. Its unique “honeycomb” structure was a marvel of comfort in the days before air-conditioning. The hotel officially opened for business in December, 1897.
Behind and to the left of the main building stood the hotel’s powerhouse — a stone structure that generated electricity for lights and ceiling fans (for an extra fee) in every guest room. The first floor also housed a steam laundry and ice house, while the second floor contained the hotel’s dining room.

From Traces of Texas FB page.



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Another photo and story from the same FB site.


Traces of Texas reader Chelle graciously sent in this nifty 1940s photo of a waitress from LouAnn's in Dallas making a takeout delivery to a very special customer. LouAnn's was a legendary place from 1939-1970. Ann Bovis was the owner and she was quite a character. She opened it up as a restaurant, but it quickly evolved into a club. Ray Charles, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo --- all of the big acts of the 40s and 50s played there.
Said Ann in 1977:
“At first, it was the older crowd.They’d bring their kids in here and park them in booths with another couple and go out on the porch and dance. Then SMU found us. Before long we had to expand the dance floor.
In 1940 we had an elaborate 110 speaker sound system installed by RCA for $10,000. They were so excited by such a big sale that they threw in a free TV set, but it wasn’t much good because there was no TV station here until eight years later. By that time the set wore out from people fiddling with it.
“Mothers and fathers would call here all the time and ask me to go out and look to see if their son or daughter was here, without it being obvious as to what I was doing. I don’t care what the Liquor Control Board said, those kids were a lot better off down there with me than in some beer joint. Goodness knows we were doing everything we could. The girls would hide sloe gin in their girdles or between their legs. If the kids were from a good family, I’d just take the bottle away from them. A lot of the 16-year-old girls couldn’t even get permission to date unless the boy agreed to take them to Louann’s."
The above citations are from a 1977 interview in D magazine. Ann Bovis died in 1993.

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Emergence Magazine has recently posted a very nice essay about changing seasons. The author, Holly Hayworth, apparently grew up near where I now live, speaking of the French Broad River of Southern Appalachia.

A Circling Story is an excellent read with a cup of your favorite beverage...as I enjoyed it myself.



Monday, October 27, 2025

Good news

Some Good News for us to consider, sigh over, and move on to a day where we can experience some good things more close to home. 

For me that's getting lunch in a box which I pick up at the senior center, for low cost. And checking in with friends and/or relatives. And reading blogs of people all over the world! What a wonderful thing the internet is, otherwise I'd be knitting and watching daytime TV! Sigh, a very good alternative in my later years! I am so fortunate!

From my newsletter Mon. Oct. 27, 2025 from Chop Wood, Carry Water "Extra Extra" by Jess Craven.

From New York

Statues of Rosa Parks and Helen Keller, pivotal figures who fought for justice and inspired change across the world, were unveiled on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol.

California will invest $140 million to bolster Planned Parenthood amid Trump’s defunding push.

Prosecutors have informed the DOJ there’s not enough evidence to indict Adam Schiff.

A new poll shows Trump has been losing hispanic voters since January.

Voters now trust Democrats more than Republicans on the economy.

Gavin Newsom said he would earmark $80M and deploy the California national guard to assist food banks, as he warned that the increasingly long government shutdown would affect those who rely on federal food support.

Virginia Democrats announced a plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps if they win full control of the government in November. This will net Democrats 2-3 more Congressional seats!

After an eight-year-long, nearly $13 million project following years of storm damage, 30 acres of habitat that are havens for a diverse array of wildlife have been restored off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama.

A decade after medical researchers recommended introducing infants to peanuts early and often, a new study shows the advice has made a real difference: Peanut allergies in young children have dropped by more than 40%.

Jon Bon Jovi’s “pay it forward” restaurants are offering free meals to furloughed federal workers

Chappell Roan launched her new Midwest Princess Project for trans and LGBTQ+ youth, and it’s already raised $400K.

A new study has scientists ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the survival of one of the world’s most endangered whales.

According to new polling, solar is the most popular energy source in Florida. In fact, solar is the single most well-liked energy source nationwide, and the two biggest states that Trump carried in 2024, Texas and Florida, rank second and third in the country in solar power generation.

Democrats hold a 7-point lead on party ID now, their highest since before Biden was elected president.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he would establish an independent commission to document aggressive federal immigration enforcement in Illinois and use the findings to hold agents and officials accountable.

Michigan lawmakers passed a major transportation funding package as a part of their budget. According to Climate Cabinet it is “one of the biggest wins yet for cutting pollution from transportation in the Midwest.”

Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins asked Trump to remove his performance of “Danger Zone,” a hit single from the 1986 movie Top Gun, from a fake “King Trump” video he posted to Truth Social.

Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, withdrew after being exposed for having a self-professed “Nazi streak.”

California enacted the nation’s first law banning pistols that can be easily converted to machine guns.

A new California law strengthens statewide fire safety standards for grid battery installations. The new law comes in response to a fire that hit the coastal California town of Moss Landing, which had an older type of design, which became the most destructive battery fire in U.S. history.

Seychelles’ President-elect said he will halt construction on a tourist development on environmentally sensitive land.

Snoop Dogg released a new song in partnership with GLAAD to support LGBTQ+ youth.

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Defense to return books about gender and race to five school libraries on military bases, following claims that the removal violated students’ First Amendment rights.

The social media influencer behind “Hot Girls For Cuomo” found herself outmaneuvered after someone swooped in to purchase the website and redirected visitors towards allegations of sexual harassment against Andrew Cuomo.

A new Quinnipiac poll finds Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by nine points, 50% to 41%.

Arizona filed a lawsuit accusing Speaker Mike Johnson of violating the Constitution by refusing to allow Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D) to take her seat in Congress.

The US has sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s two largest oil companies, as the Trump administration increases pressure on the Kremlin to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine.

New research from the Harvard Kennedy School found that the No Kings protests were likely “the most geographically widespread in US history”—reaching deep into Trump country.

Reps. Raskin and Garcia launched an investigation into Trump’s “blatantly illegal” plan to steal $230 million from U.S. taxpayers.

Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) created a portal for residents to share pictures and video of ICE raids.

Pennsylvania, California, and Illinois posted notices to their state government websites blaming the GOP for the government shutdown.

The Democratic National Committee pledged an additional $500,000 for get-out-the-vote operations in the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, as well as judicial races in Pennsylvania.

Democrats in the House and Senate announced plans for a wide-ranging investigation into immigration agents’ detention of citizens after a ProPublica story found that more than 170 Americans have been held by immigration officials this year. (P.S. please support ProPublica if you can. They’re amazing.)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league remains committed to having Bad Bunny perform during the Super Bowl LX halftime show — despite complaints from President Trump.

Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke on the Senate floor for more than 22 hours Wednesday in protest against the Trump administration.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri must testify at the first trial for a lawsuit alleging adverse effects of social media on younger users.

The actual numbers are in! An estimated three million people cancelled Disney+ and 4.1 million cancelled Hulu in September.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich released videos in English and Spanish saying “the Church stands with migrants.”

Most Americans - including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans - think the U.S. should recognize Palestinian statehood, a sign that President Donald Trump’s opposition to doing so is out of step with public opinion.

A Chicago laundromat owner locked ICE agents out and refused them entry when they tried to raid his business.

Dozens of Philadelphia-area Catholics rallied outside the Center City ICE office, joining a pro-immigrant push undertaken by fellow church groups around the country.

A federal judge has ruled that the detention by ICE of a Chicago man whose 16-year-old daughter is undergoing treatment for advanced cancer is illegal, and he must be given a bond hearing by Oct. 31.

The union representing Broadway’s musicians reached a tentative labor agreement with commercial producers, averting a potentially crippling strike that would have silenced nearly two dozen musicals. The union said the deal includes wage increases and contribution increases to the health fund.

A Washington DC resident who was detained last month for following a national guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme from the Star Wars films is suing.

Early-phase research shows Covid mRNA vaccines could give immunotherapies a cancer-fighting boost.

Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, a Republican, declared that there was insufficient support for redistricting in his GOP caucus.

A new CBS News poll finds California voters overwhelmingly support mid-cycle redistricting, 62% to 38%.

Trump decided against deploying federal forces to San Francisco after speaking with Mayor Daniel Lurie, who assured him that the city was making progress.

Oregon became the first U.S. state to be named an “accessibility verified” travel destination. The designation was a partnership between Travel Oregon and Wheel the World, a travel platform for people with disabilities, which was founded in 2018 by a wheelchair user to identify and promote accessible places to explore.

In Ireland, left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly won her election to become the 10th president of the Republic (and the third woman to hold the office).

Hakeem Jeffries finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani.

Speaking of Mamdani, he made a speech in response to the escalating anti-Muslim attacks against him that was eloquent, deeply moving, morally courageous, and destined to make everyone love him more.

Millions of Social Security recipients will see a 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase in their monthly checks next year.

Organizers behind a plan to establish North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales say the Nova Scotia government has granted them approval to start construction on the province’s eastern shore.

California is recruiting former federal workers to help beef up the state’s environmental leadership.

As it rushes to meet its pledge for “100 percent” of trips in electric vehicles by 2030, Uber is offering grants of $4,000 for drivers to swap their gas-guzzlers for zero-tailpipe emission vehicles.

Gun violence is trending downward for more than three quarters of cities with the most shootings, according to a new analysis by The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub. For more than half of those cities, the rate of decrease is even greater than it was last year — when the drop in gun homicides broke all previous records.