Running into an old friend

 While I'm zooming through the ether to see my son and his wife, I've pre-posted a few things from home. I'm not carting my old laptop with me this time. Trying to keep the weight down in my overhead suitcase!

The other day I finally got to the Trailhead Restaurant and ordered my favorite meal. Fish and Chips. Why I never take a photo of it must have to do with my level of hunger. I'd been craving it for days!

A funny thing happened. I wanted to make sure to mail some cards at the post office before they picked up the last collection at 5 pm. So around 4:45 I pulled into a parking space, and the guy in front of me gets out of his little white pickup. It's none other than an old friend, Tim!

So we hug in the middle of the street, and figure cars can just go around us. (There were lots of really pushy drivers out that evening!)

And we mail our letters and I ask Tim if he wants to go have dinner, and he says yes. He probably wasn't that hungry, which he owned up to, but after we had a refreshing Highland Gaelic Ale each, and talked talked talked, we tried to figure out when we'd last been together.

He helped me move into several of my houses here, he used to fix little things, and was willing for me to give him pottery often. He says he likes my color pallet. I'm not sure what colors that means. 

Tim has moved to a nearby town but still works full time doing bookkeeping for several non-profits in Black Mountain. And the biggest news in his life is that he's left the Unitarian Universalist religion and is happy as an Episcopalian. Apparently they are a liberal bunch of Christians in Marion NC, so he's quite comfortable.

A dogwood tree at Dogwood Apartments.

I told him I've also moved away from the UU church in Black Mountain and am taking a class in Paganism at the Asheville UU church. It uses a book written by Druids, but is interesting to consider how people experience paganism...which isn't a major arm of UU's, but an off-shoot, you might say.

There are UU Buddhists, Jews, humanitarians, atheists, Christians and agnostics. A small group which is all over the US is CUUPS - Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. So CUPPS is sponsoring this little class, which includes all 13 of us experiencing some of the practices of pagans.

Well Tim and I didn't exactly figure out when we last had connected. He does post on Facebook every once in a while, and said he's really busy with all these different organizations he works for. So we shall stay loosely in touch.

I told him I was just home from a few days in the hospital with pneumonia, and that I was planning to go see my son and wife in Colorado. So that's where I'm headed today!

Dogwood Apartments have some other colorful trees also.  I forgot to capture the pink/red dogwood! Good reason to go back again!

Sitting on he porch of the Trailhead we had a great view of the parking lot...but I spied some more redbuds over behind the dumpster corral!

The Dripolator is one of my favorite coffee houses. But it is often crowded with tourists. I'm glad we're attracting them again, as most of our businesses have reopened after the hurricane 6 months ago.

Though Tim had no difficulty finishing off every edible bite of his dinner, I brought half of mine home, to reheat and have another meal!

Today's quote:

In each of us there is a spark that can reverse the trends of violence and depression spiraling within us and in the world around us. By setting in motion the spiral of gratefulness we begin the journey toward peace and joy. Br. David Steindl-Rast

Meeting for dinner

 A visit from a long time friend...kind of relative. 

On Tuesday last week we had the fun of trying to find a place to eat dinner. Well, apparently two restaurants I recommended were closed, one on vacation, and I just saw the empty parking lot at the other. (Note, most of our restaurants are usually closed on Mondays, so this was so Not Like Them!) 

Next choice at 6 pm was my favorite Mexican restaurant. And there was NO available parking. They had all the people from the other two restaurants there.

So the 4th choice, I knew we would have to wait, but we did find good parking, and put our names on the waiting list at The Trailhead. A 30 minute wait was doable since we could stand near the bar and have refreshing drinks while we waited (Coke for me.) 

So who is this lovely redhead? She's the mother of two of my grandchildren. I've always enjoyed her company since I met her way back when! She was up in Asheville visiting a good friend from FL, and had set aside this evening to visit with me. Cinnamon may be divorced from my oldest son, but she still has a good relationship with him, after all they share their adult children's lives still.

The photo above shows in the background a person eating at a table against the wall. It ended up being where we finally had dinner as well. Then taking left-overs home for another meal, we went over to my apartment.

This may sound strange, but I'm trying to give my friends and relatives my pottery...things they choose when visiting. That way when the time comes that I've died (does happen to us all!) and someone has to clean out my apartment, the various pottery and sculptures in clay won't have to be tossed aside, or given to folks that really didn't want them. This started with my carrying a tub of pottery with me to various family visits whenever I drove to see them. And last fall I had some Texas and South Carolina cousins visit also, who also chose their wishes. Unfortunately I still haven't mailed the Texas pots to my dear patient cousins.

Cinnamon was driving her own car from Tampa FL, thus could carry a box of pottery with her. So she went home with Themis (daughter of Gaia, who gives judgements based on the laws of nature), and a dragon, and a teapot. She also chose a tiny dragon to take to her daughter. I'm so thrilled. But then I thought, do I have photos of Themis? Of course I must, somewhere or another. No need to go looking through all those old folders actually.

And perhaps I will now be moved to create more dragons. Mmm, yes, rather than more things to sell but now more things to give away. Things to sell are still in the trunk of my car waiting to display next Saturday at the Tailgate Market. And as Cinn reminded me, I can look for what gives me joy in the making.

On a more personal note, my health is still slightly up and down. When I walked a long way (double my usual trek) to lunch the other day, in the noonday sun, I was pretty washed out. Longer walk was because parking is now being used by those going to the pool, rather than those going to the Senior Programs. Spent the rest of that day coughing, which comes when I get tired. Next day still pretty tired! But the cough was gone and I hadn't moved into the fever part of this situation that can happen. So I was glad to feel up to a night out, so to speak, with Cinnamon. 

As I write this on Wednesday morning, the windows are open to 66 degrees. It won't last, but I enjoyed hearing birds greeting the day at 6 am. Not my choice, but I did get up early today! Due to be 90 so I'm going earlier to the Senior Center, and hope to grab a parking place before going to Sit-R-Cise!

Today's quote:

We don’t have to pretend to be fine when we are not. We don’t need to push through and be strong. Gratitude is a soft landing place that requires us to be honest, open, and willing to look at everything we’re facing and not turn away.

ALEX ELLE