Birthdays from yore.

 Birthday celebrations from my past.

(I hope this posts, but recognize that blogger has somehow pin-pointed myself as interested in photos of myself and family when we were younger...at least that's my guess as to why I suddenly have been dropped from comments and posts of my favorite blogs in a timely manner.)

After I took Home Ec classes, I started baking the birthday cakes for the family. Using mixes of course. Here I am also wearing a skirt I made, which was bright red. This might have been my 14th birthday. Living in St. Ann MO.

After our trip to Mexico to visit my great aunt, I posed with my pretty necklace, blouse and skirt - and my 16th birthday cake.

My little sister's 4th birthday in Houston TX. We both had Toni home perms. 

My sister on her February 3, 1958 birthday. She carried on the family tradition. But taking outdoor photos in Missouri meant different attire than my August birthdays!

For her 16th sister Mary also sat outside in St  Louis weather, then marked the photo with the wrong year, since it was 1960.

Fast forward to sharing a birthday in my mobile home in Tampa with my niece, Lisa and her father, Eric. Perhaps it was her birthday in April, 1973 or 74. Don't know where my sister was when this was taken.

Sharing with my Sepia Saturday friends who live all over the place and celebrate birthdays with cake!

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It seems suddenly I'm not receiving many comments, nor posts of my favorite blogs updated on the list in the right column. Is this happening to anyone else in blogger? Maybe whatever I'm writing is offensive to the great Blogger algorithm, if there is one. But I miss the social contacts. 

Visiting with friends

 Warning, food will be depicted!

The last time I bought one of these frozen-cook it yourself pies, we had no electricity for a week, so I had to toss the whole thing out. I was very sad doing so.

This time a snow storm was forecast in the next few days, so I bought it, brought it home, and baked it. Now I have a piece a day. It's sooo good, now that I've figured out to overcook it to make the pastry flakey, and the apples all cooked well.

There were still trucks picking up debris along Blue Ridge Rd the other day, so while waiting my turn to pass, I took a photo out the window of a former area which had mobile homes in it, now just mud flats.

One of the small ditches draining into the Swannanoa River, next to a mobile home which apparently has been restored. See the layer of mud over everything?

I don't know how this are of grass was peeled of it's mud, but imagine all your possessions also covered with this much mud. That was what happened to everyone for miles of this flood. OK enough reality, now to fun!

Another day I drove with friends to meet my 90 year old friend, Bette for lunch at Roma's in Nebo NC, where she lives. We had delightful Italian food (and I brought some left overs of my chicken parmesan home!)

My friend knows the owners and operators of Roma, and they say "Hi Momma" when she arrives. The young waitress, Blarona, was friendly and chatted with us as we were the only customers after the lunch "crowd" left. Her name is Armenian for beautiful flower. (I may have spelled it wrong, not having it written down for me.)

Then the next day I got together with 2 other friends.

You might notice I look rather shorn. I'd just had my first haircut after the disaster in Sept.

Helen jokes around when You ask her to smile!

Teresa is another year older!

And she looks much the same as she did 7 years ago.

OK, I just finished my daily apple pie. Didn't someone say an apple a day...?

I will do my cardio workout in another 15-20 min.  The snow looks like it has stopped for now, and it melted on pavements. We did have them sprinkled with salt. I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere...as more snow will probably come our way. (written at 3 pm Friday 1.10.25)

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Update in our real world... The Contrarian!

January 13, 2024 by Heather Cox Richardson

Today journalist Jennifer Rubin joined her colleagues who have abandoned the Washington Post as it swung toward Trump. She resigned from the Washington Post with the announcement that she and former White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen have started a new media outlet called The Contrarian. Joining them is a gold-star list of journalists and commentators who have stood against the rise of Trump and the MAGA Republicans, many of whom have left publications as those outlets moved rightward.

“Corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed their audiences’ loyalty and sabotaged journalism’s sacred mission—defending, protecting and advancing democracy,” Rubin wrote in her resignation announcement. In contrast, the new publication “will be a central hub for unvarnished, unbowed, and uncompromising reported opinion and analysis that exists in opposition to the authoritarian threat.”

“The urgency of the task before us cannot be overstated,” The Contrarian’s mission statement read. “We have already entered the era of oligarchy—rule by a narrow clique of powerful men (almost exclusively men). We have little doubt that billionaires will dominate the Trump regime, shape policy, engage in massive self-dealing, and seek to quash dissent and competition in government and the private sector. As believers in free markets subject to reasonable regulation and economic opportunity for all, we recognize this is a threat not only to our democracy but to our dynamic, vibrant economy that remains the envy of the world.”

In what appears to be a rebuke to media outlets that are cozying up to Trump, The Contrarian’s credo is “Not Owned by Anybody.”

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Today's quote:

Allow yourself to be a human angel for others and also be on the receiving end when needed.

Today's art:

By Aubrey Beardsley (1872 – 1898)

Some flowers, sculptures and a birthday

 

Last January's orchids!

While many artists paint beautiful flowers, perhaps my favorites are Georgia O'Keeffe's poppies. 

But wait, today is also a birthday of the lovely lady to my left, Cinnamon Heym, the mother of William, standing with  the O'Keeffe painting, and a lovely granddaughter who lives in another town.  We were enjoying the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg, FL a few years ago.

OK, you also wanted to see the O'Keeffe, so here it is!

I last saw Cinnamon in June of this year...and here's my post about that visit (rather than making you click on another link).

 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. **see below, I found it!

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... (NOTE: only did this until August)

** Themis sculpture found. I don't know which teapot I gave Cinnamon though!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday...celebrations! and Floral Friday Fotos

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

And in Open Yesterday's Pages, I blogged about this historic occasion and another birthday, Walt Disney

On turning 81

 It's a "no big deal" birth year. But still an accomplishment, if longevity is the ultimate prize. As my 90 year old friends have told me, they never expected this to happen, it just happened to them. 

The woman across the courtyard just had her 98th birthday last week.

So I feel a puny little 81.

It has been a year that I should mark for some of the good things that I experienced.

For my 80th birthday my 3 sons gathered with most of their kids (mostly adults now) and one of the three wives. We rented this huge cabin in nearby woods and just did things together!

Will, Cayenne, Audrey, Russ, Caroline, me, Tai, Marty and Michael...Kendra was on the camera. Michelle and Kate and Barbara B. couldn't attend!

And some friends also threw me a surprise lunch birthday party at Ole' Guacamoles! From front, Suzanne, with Helen behind her, then Linda, me, Cathy, and Teresa.

So that was an eventful birthday.

I started the year 2023 dealing with frequent fevers of unknown origin...which sometimes made my coughing frorm Bronchiectasis worse, and sometimes didn't. So again I took various medications in hope of cures. Basically I missed planned activities more and more, and felt separated even more from my family of friends in my church...more than just COVID had done. I was worried every time I attended anything, and wore my mask.

I was "fired" after not paying good attention to the meetings I was missing...from editing the monthly newsletter, Tidings. I had made some mistakes, but as all editors do, had corrected them the next month. I diligently published something each month from January 2019 to March 2023, many times taking photos myself, writing articles on a theme that either was suggested by others or I came up with myself. Because of my frequent sicknesses I never received any recognition for all these volunteer hours. One woman was shocked and thought I had been given a raw deal. She thought the job of those monthly newsletters must have been hard. I had to laugh, as I enjoyed the creativity which I had transferred from art to a newsletter.

Welll that sounded like a couple of negatives to start the year off.

Another group caught my attention - the Swannanoa Wateshed Action Network (SWAN). They met each week for at least 2 hours...and had lots of different interests related to ecology and environment, and the climate changes happening locally.  

I came originally to one of these meetings in Sept. 2022 with a friend who had made an art installation about how people react to climate crisis. My friend had also started a group called Climate Conversation.  I continued to attend the SWAN meetings whenever my health allowed. Sometimes I had to leave early. Here is a link to my post about Suzanne Ziglar's art installation "Consider Climate Change, a Conversation. "

I continued my interest in SWAN water because they were working with Kate Raworth's theory of Doughnut Economics, as it could be applied to a workshop. The SWAN members also demonstrated cicular and shared leadership in it's meetings, which appealed to m.

We even played a game from the New York Times called "Save the Earth" with various environmental choices for each team. And then when summer began, the networking group all had other interests to attend to, and the meetings stopped. I missed them, but had no way to see another gathering happening soon.

The Climate Conversation group (at the UU Church) has become a core group of women working in their own environments to do things for the earth. For me, I write articles in my blog "When I was 69" about climate chaos, and I buy books that are good resources about climate change, and read most of them. I  have shared about the Doughnut Economics model as I understood it. Ilike meeting with this core group monthly, where we share and laugh together.

I have decided my "When I was 69" blog would be where I could express my opinions...so I have. One post featured a 15 minute interview with Greta Thunberg, who is usually so serious about Climate Chaos, but here she had the giggles. 

Yes indeed, laughter, and playing are important parts of our balance in our lives.

But I had a hard time of the winter of 2022-23. I might have been depressed, perhaps from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is related to lack of sunlight. No longer having Tidings to compile monthly left a big hole in my writing.

Then in the spring I spent several months changing my eyesight by having my cataracts removed, first one and then two weeks later the other. It took a month before I could get a new glasses prescription. 

I enjoyed posting 31 women's photos and bios in Women's History Month, of March of this year. Not sure if I'll do it again though.

As spring came around, I rejoyced in seeing the beauty of flowers. I tried when I felt well enough to walk more, because I didn't like being so limited in my breath or muscles to no longer be able to walk a half mile. Still working on that!

The Climate Conversation group hosted an Earth Day event at Lake Tomahawk with lots of great displays about the environment. The weather was iffy, but we felt it was a good success.

Carlos, me, Heather and Robertson at the Earth Day SWAN display. Here are more photos of the event.

I took a couple of day trips with friends. These excursions are mileposts to me, providing completely new environments to visit and share on blogs.

The Vance museum and old buildings.

Us Three Non-muskateers visited Asheville for lunch and a movie, and earlier had a trip to Burnsville NC.

And in the last few weeks I've had major medical treatments to hopefully solve a couple of the recurring problems I've had physically. One suggests I may be reacting to mold in my environment. That means, as soon as I feel well enough, to put on a mask and get out bleach and rubber gloves to tackle what I can see (like the cracks around the windows). But I also am aware my bathroom may have mold within the walls. I wipe down the shower after I dry myself each time now. But I may soon move my bed into another room, further away from the bathroom. 

The last BIG birthday had been when I turned 70...when everyone gathered in Jensen Beach where one daughter-in-law's parents had a condo, and the rest of us stayed in a nice nearby hotel. That was 2012!

From front to back on left, Will, Cayenne, Caroline, me, Russ, Michelle, Tai, Kendra and Kate...with Marty on camera.

Flashback to 2012...The first Mudbuddies group, making things at the Clay Studio and selling them at the Saturday Black Mountain Tailgate Market each week! I think 2016 was my last year as a Mud Buddy, but I was still active in other venues selling my pottery, often in a booth with Cathy! Ah memories!

Cathy Babula, Pat Levi, Elise Reed, Bette Potter Jones, Marsha Cozart and myself at 70.

So here I am being finished with 81 years, looking forward to each day as it comes. No big plans on my horizon at this time. I will have lunch at my favorite restaurant with a good friend. I do have a goal of better health! That's always a goal worth doing something for. But the other day I realized there's just one letter different between meditation and medication. I've been looking pretty heavily at medications lately, so started meditating again. My focus for the first attempt was the chant.

May the long time sun shine upon you,

All love surround you,

And the pure light within you,

Shine your way on. (I used "home")

I now spend evenings binge watching old TV series, and now am hooked on Dark Winds, which is only in it's 2nd season. Since Outlander has been on for years, I've gone back to the beginning to watch those. I love seeing fictional characters in history in this way!

Today's quote:

“We forget that nature itself is one vast miracle transcending the reality of night and nothingness,” “We forget that each one of us in his personal life repeats that miracle.”

 Loren Eiseley ( anthropologist and philosopher of science )  in his poetic meditation on life in 1960.

The Weekly Journal project

Fellow blogger Kate Morales, suggested blogging about the whole week. I like journaling. And I'm at a starting point (they come occasionally when I go away and return home, or have been sick and get well again, etc.)

Monday August 15, 2022

Returned from cabin, which meant lots of packing up and dismantling bed linens, following the B&B protocols. Took son T. and wife K. to the airport on way to Colorado. They stopped first with me at my apartment in Black Mountain NC to unload all the stuff from my car. I had been really handicapped at climbing stairs or carrying much over the weekend gathering. By Mon. night my back was screaming. (Note to self, don't complain about all your physical woes in this journal!) We had to get up really early to clean up cabin and get to various places of travel, so after I got home from the airport, checked the laptop, I took a nice hour's nap. Missed being around people SOOO much.

Finally texted a couple of friends to let them know I was home. And then called another friend, Cathy, and asked her to have dinner with me at Ole's (favorite of mine). She finally said yes, and it was so great to be able to talk with her...I've decided conversations are the glue which keeps me sane. 

Tuesday August 16, 2022

Today is R, (my second son's) birthday...mid-50s. Blogged about how wonderful he is as a son, as a man, husband and father...as well as very accomplished in his work. I need to remember to call him later (and have a conversation!)

Walked up the hill driveway, then back down the stairs...to get used to those muscles which complained all weekend. Also met 2 neighbors and had short chats. (does that count as conversations? I don't think so.) I used my walking stick, but didn't lean on it like I had over the weekend. Perhaps that difficulty was from having to move all the food stuffs into the car on Friday before we left? Muscles all over my body don't feel half as bound up as I was over the weekend. (Oops, forget physical gripes!)

Washed half the windows...the storm doors and living room ones. The nebulizer I use with saline solution had fogged them all up on the inside. I could wash most of the outside of the storm windows, but not the part behind the screen. Anyway, next to do is bedroom and bathroom windows. Don't hold your breath.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Had a picnic circle lunch with 3 other friends up at the campgrounds in Montreat NC. Sitting by the creek, I've become so accustomed to it that I didn't even try to take any photos today. Shared a bit about all the people and the weekend, my shock at being alone again, and my determination to have connections/conversations with other people going forward. I'm also treating my household chores as a bear just sauntering through the woods...whenever I see something I like and want to work on, I do it...then move on.

I was confronted with another neighbor also wanting to have a conversation. She parked her elec. wheelchair on the front porch by the driveway. I was getting something out of my car. I asked what she was waiting for. She said somebody. I said who? She said any body, just somebody to talk with. So when my friend came to pick up her forgotten items from my car, I asked if she would like to talk with my neighbor, which we then did for about 20 minutes. Sort of spreading the joy!

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Did laundry at laundromat...uneventful. Brought laundry into house, cleaned out cooler I'd borrowed for the weekend, loaded it with a dozen left-over eggs, and prepared to take it and the Monopoly Game back to my friend, T's house when she got off work. She texted she was home, I started driving toward her.

Had an accident. Wasn't hurt, nor the other woman in her car which I hit. I had been turning left into a 4 lane highway, and a big black SUV had been  slowly coming toward me, turning right into my road. So I didn't see the car behind the SUV, and then bang, I hit the back door of her car...knocking her car into the oncoming traffic lane. I had just been starting out, and hadn't gotten out of 1st gear.

That's how my right arm has all the bruises that I suffered, from holding the gear knob as I suddenly stopped. I was able to drive my car over to the center turning lane behind her car, then got out and called 911. There was an off-duty policeman from Black Mountain who stopped first, then a fire truck with EMT's and I and the other woman refused to go to the hospital. She was talking on her ear bud phone constantly in Spanish. . I had asked the EMT to take my blood pressure since I've got high blood pressure, but it was kind of normal, considering. Definitely not the level to go to the hospital.

I then texted T, and she came over and parked in a nearby parking lot...which we all ended up driving to for the police to do their report. My friend took her cooler, and the eggs, which didn't look broken even! She gave me a ride to my apt, about 3 blocks away.  My car was towed because the front bumper was against the wheel. See photo.

I also emailed my three sons and wives with photos. No answers. I called my two other best friends, as well as the one I had planned to meet Thurs. night for a story telling performance. She offered to help also. Everyone is great at offering rides etc.

Didn't sleep very well...kept having the crash and afterwards go through my brain, going to sleep, in the middle of the night, then at 5 am. I took Tylenol for the pain in my arm...looks just bruised, everything works ok

Friday, August 19, 2022

Wanting to know what the next right thing to do is...

Called Tim, friend who knows about cars. He had no experience with body work or accidents. Called around to 1) my mechanic who sent me to 2) a body shop which has no appointments till Dec. and 3) the place where the car is, an impound lot. They won't release the car to anyone until insurance sees it.

I had called my insurance agency last night when I thought my insurance should be notified. The tow truck had not been sent by them, but by the police (my guess). 

And the accident report also was written in error with my old insurance co. on it.

That was because the registration card has the old co. because I didn't change insurance till after I'd registered the car. I gave the police officer the card for the new insurance, but he must not have noticed it wasn't the same. That may be a problem as far as notifying my insurance...but my broker who sold me that policy took the accident number and was going to notify them, and then said an insurance adjuster would look at the car within 3 days. I don't expect that over the weekend.

Then my old insurance co. called (last night) because the other car's insurance had filed a claim against the policy that I'd terminated. I explained to them that I was insured by another co. and the old one said they couldn't tell those details to the other insurance, but they could give them my phone number.

Saturday August 20, 2022

A friend picked me up to go have lunch with the people who sell pottery at the Tailgate Market on Saturday mornings...and a relative of one of them. That made 5 of us for lunch. It was outside in a lovely setting, and I brought home half of my meal for later. My friend had purchased some figs for me, but they were over ripe, so some turned to juice before I got them home.

Dealing with stress...or just wanting to relax in a different way, my friend and I went to the ABC store and each of us bought some liquor. Then she brought me home and I took a nap.

Later I made a delicious dinner of Ciabatta rolls (warmed) with cream cheese, Tzikie Spinach Yogurt, and the smashed figs. Wow...everything from crisp bites of garlic to sweet figs! I was about halfway through eating them and my son T. called to see how I was doing after the accident. I told him fine, some bruised arm places, and waiting for insurance to tell me the bad news. I'm kind of resigning myself to it being "totaled." That means finding another car without having one to drive around in! Geese! And these days used cars are really dear...and priced accordingly!

Sunday, August 21, 2022

This has definitely been a week to keep a journal. Many of my weeks will not have this much happening! Today nobody offered to take me to church, so I will gladly watch the YouTube video which was created. Love YouTube! A friend did offer me a ride while she went to Ingles grocery to pick up cardboard milk cartons, which she uses to carry pet food to the local animal shelter, from where it's offered free. Anyway, I went in and bought a sweet potato. I've got fruit aplenty now. Need to cook the left over mushrooms from forgetting to take them to the weekend gathering.

We went to sit by a lake she likes, and found the clouds had made most benches shady, and many ducks and even an egret were visitors. Now I'm home and preparing mushroom stuff. 

Tomorrow I may hear from the insurance guy as to what my car's future will be. Fingers crossed they will let me fix it...it's been such a reliable little car! But it's a 2004.

I'm sharing this through a link over in https://abbieandeveline.com/ post tomorrow. Hope some others will join us, even if they don't have quite as much excitement as I have this week. I hope I don't either!

Marking another anniversary around the sun

 A few days ago my neighbor, Jean, across the way in the next building, turned 97.

So I am in awe of her advanced years, and how she has a life that seems peaceful and maybe a bit boring. She walks just fine, sometimes with a cane. She wears a neck brace, but puts her hair in pin curls at night. She broke her neck a few years before I met her, and prefers to keep neck braced all the time now. I guess those muscles don't work anymore.

Jean also is deaf. She's sweet and always smiles and says hi, but I never can answer in a shout loud enough. My next door neighbor used to go sit with her on her chairs outside her door, and they'd chat about current events. They'd share reading the newspaper daily. Now my next door neighbor has moved to a nursing home after a fall, and Jean doesn't have a regular conversation with anyone in her door area.

Her son often  brings her a new potted plant (he's manager of a nearby manufacturing company) or a balloon for her birthday, or a meal to-go.

Well, this is how I see her. I look every morning to see if she's up yet. Sometimes she beats me, but this morning I raised my kitchen blind before she opened her bedroom and living room blinds. It's always great to see them and think of her sitting in her easy chair reading the paper.

So, you expected my birthday post to be about me?

Nope, it's about Jean. And do I want or expect to live to 97? Not really. That's what's on my mind. I'm pretty grateful to be able to see a woman that's not all that different from me, just plugging along. We have some very different details to our lives...yet here we are going about our days looking out our windows to the same lame dogwood tree. Just like Jean, it's still alive, and going through the changes of the seasons.

My mother made us matching dresses...my second birthday I think...maybe third? I was a war baby, so didn't know many things had been in short supply, like butter, sugar, toys made of metal...what you don't know you don't miss. 

WW II was going on and on. My father worked in an aircraft manufacturing plant as an accountant. He must have had something keeping him from enlisting (besides me) but I never knew what it was. And now I'm a pacifist, even though I always give credit to those who do fight for our freedom.

Today's quote:

We find our quiet minds as we sit still with our breath, as we make small jottings in our books, and as we practice silent waiting. Then one day, “the little ways” open into broad expanses.

MARV AND NANCY HILES

It's August birthday month!

 In my family anyway. (Sorry, I didn't feel like editing some of these shots which are sideways.)

Blank inside...fun to write to some relatives!

My middle son, R. is the 16th

Mine is the 23rd.

My youngest son, T.'s wife K. is the 12th.

My oldest son, M.'s wife B. is the 22d.

I gave this card to a friend who's birthday was July 29.

My middle son, R.' wife M.'s mother, J. is the 28th, which was also my father's father's birthday, but he's dead so I don't celebrate for him any more.

It's a great month to keep Hallmark in business. Or if I'm feeling creative, I'll shop some hand-made cards or at least some cards with prints that are made by local artists. I like to keep artists in food!

Thanks for the supportive comments yesterday about my internet/TV connectivity being gone gone gone. I came over to sit outside the church where I can get on line with their modem. Not for long, but I got to read a few blogs and your comments here. There are a few other blogs already in the que to be published. And I'm consuming paper books like crazy.