Going outside my own life

 

On the other side of the ridge, near Old Fort, April 6. Dry conditions with winds have given North Carolina burn bans for most of April.

A dashboard bobble head collection. (No, I don't intend to do a series of dashboard photos in cars!!)

A  friend's first great grandchild. My first great grandbaby will be born in October!

This is the next book I will purchase. I read Maria Popova's "Marginalian" newsletter twice a week. She's brilliant.

Next to read: a friend loaned me her copy of "The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year."

 I'll start that as soon as I  finish "Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World."

These three are paper and print books. I can't recommend Sand Talk enough, though it is best read slowly, in my opinion. I love learning the symbols from the Indigenous People of Austrailia.

And I admit to listening to some lighter novels in the meantime, as I lie in bed waiting for sleep and playing solitaire. I have 6 more books on hold on the library system's Libby.

What are you reading?

The big pottery give-away

 One advantage of driving up to my son's home in Ohio from North Carolina, was to tote three big tupperware tubs full of pottery to give to them. I have spent 12 years enjoying making it. And I did sell quite a bit as well. But this is really just a drop in the bucket of what I still have.

After the five family members looked at everything, they took turns choosing their favorites to go home with the three daughters, or stay there with parents. Of course they will all get to use the ones at home! And I suggested that they also could use them for Christmas presents.

This sunflower vase was pretty hard for me to let go of.  But I like that it will be enjoyed by Audrey and her roommate in their apartment.

None of them had read Louise Penny yet…but these are later editions of the series, so they may find some of the earlier books about Inspector Gamache. They all had to talk about Greta Thunberg, and I recommended the other 3. I do hope someone looks at them before they donate them to the little library down the street. I almost took back the big volume of "Eve" because I still love it. But this was such a good exercise for me of letting go...!

I’m glad the Monarch outside wall hanging will stay here, perhaps to decorate the patio.

Everyone took Christmas ornaments as well, often to be gifted to friends.

Some of these were more difficult for me to part with than I expected. But at least I know where they will live for a while.

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I drove home today...a day early so the impending snow storm wouldn't interfere with my travels - it's due to start in Lexington tonight where I stayed last night. Here in Black Mountain we'll probably have some frozen rain...so I'm happy to stay home. I had a "check engine" light come on in the car, and have an appointment on Thursday for my favorite mechanic to work on it. Whew, so glad it let the car keep on going down the road the last 300 miles! Today's weather and traffic were great!

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Today’s goddess:

A Balzi Rossi goddess figurine is 6.1 cm high, made of green steatite and dated ca 24,000-19,000 BP (22,000-17,000 BC), Upper Paleolithic period, Gravettian culture.

Thanks to The Mother Goddess on FaceBook.

The old buildings, etc.

 

A friend's car had had the back bumper pulled off by a bear, apparently. So she needed to get it reattached at an auto place that did body work. I followed her to Gray's Valley in Ridgecrest NC where lots of different Gray families live and work. This old out-building caught my artist's eye.

Some farming type outbuildings, and different wings where different things were stored. They look unused today. 

You could always find your shoes in the dark, if these were yours instead of the dad at the optometrist office.

Residents of Black Mountain are known to drive around with flags flying. At least these seem totally patriotic (I think the black one is for MIA)

Below are some good books that I just gave to my son Russ and his family.

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And another old building!! Thanks Mesa Verde Cliff Palace.

Today's quote:

Finding time to be as naked as the day you were born can awaken feelings of contentment, freedom, and self-love.

For the bookish among us

At Lake Tomahawk there are two free libraries, one for adults, one for children's books. I gave you this peek a few days ago.

I guess someone is reading all the adult books. Mmm, have to see if I have any to donate! They are supposed to return them of course!

Children's books were there that day, gone the next.

I and some of my friends are lovers of books...and usually are reading at least one, while there's a pile waiting for us.

My current fun is rereading Sir Terry Pratchett's Wee Small Men with Tiffany Aching. They may be geared for young adult, but are smashingly funny anyway. I'm listening to this one, and have several others of the series waiting. I just finished several non-fictions, and am due for a few laughs.

I was happy to have access to audio library books on my phone for my recent hospital visit. The TV was awful, and I hate daytime TV anyway. (a tiny blurry screen, Direct TV choices.)

I recently posted this photo of my mother while on vacation, and she enjoyed reading more than any activities. She never enjoyed being photographed though.

Linnie and Lou(ise) George, distant cousins of mine, 1880. We shared our ggg grandparents  One of them wrote her journal of moving from Alabama to northern Louisiana, with all the trials of growing up and being educated in the south before the Civil War. I've transcribed it for my descendants if they are ever interested. Here's the first of four chapters describing their lives. They were my first cousins three times removed.

Sarah Louise George Tompkins Specht, journal keeper (Lou George) at 84 in 1926

A tea party with laughs, unknown date (maybe 1900?)

Teresa and her hubby, Chuck, in Pigeon Forge TN a few weeks ago. She is one of my favorite book-lover friends. And yes, that's really his beard!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday where there's anything one wants to share that perhaps is related to the posted meme of the week. Yes, there's a fellow reading late into the night. I know the feeling, and fortunately nobody has taken my photo while doing that.

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Today's quote:

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age.

-Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934)

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Today's art:

Cyndy Salisbury...paper artist..mask maker..sculptor....Bainbridge Island..Washington

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(More) Family Album:

Granddaughter Kate

My middle son Russ, and his daughter Kate, 2023-24

Kate's senior photo

Kate recently played Lacrosse in tournaments with her team in Clearwater FL (they live in OH). Then she and her family went to Berlin Germany for a week to meet with her sister who's doing a study abroad semester. Such fun to have those opportunities for this family!

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Sequestered!

Smoke from wildfires several miles away, came roaring (blowing!) through last evening. Sitting in my living room with windows closed, but curtains and blinds up, I started coughing.

So now blinds are down, and curtains closed. It's a dull place inside, while bright sun shines outside.

Screen shot of warning of unhealthy air last evening.

It has gone down this morning. I'm wearing my N-95 mask when I go pick up my lunch at the senior center.

Progress in skills, and blogs; and The Nobel Prize in Chemistry

 Anniversary of my pottey blog's first post...

October 4, 2010 first Post!! (I actually started other blogs in 2008) LOVE this program even with its quirks when they decide to upgrade.

I think some of it is still on line.

But it reminds me how much I have done, and how my clay forms improved since I first was blogging about them until I quit in 2020.

Here's the first entry (remaining). I admit to having removed some of the posts from that first year! And I went through many changes in the community pottery studio!

A simple pitcher, which I laughingly said was formed while thinking of the KoolAid pitchers. But I like it so much I won't sell it.


A Facebook post asked, if you life were a book, what would this chapter be called?

My first response was, "Waiting for The End." 

But then I rethought and said to meself, "Living Till The End."

What would you say?

Today's quote:

It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into. -Jonathan Swift, satirist ( 1667-1745)

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ALSO today:

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Louis E. Brus of Columbia University, and Alexei I. Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology Inc. in New York for the discovery and development of quantum dots.

The three scientists each contributed to a "fundamental discovery in nanotechnology," according to officials from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards several of the prizes each year. The work they've done has already led to new technology in television screens and in bioimaging.

Quantum dots are particles that are so incredibly small that their size actually starts to affect their properties. For example, blue quantum dots and red quantum dots can be made from the exact same material, with the only difference being the size of the particle itself. (The blue quantum dots are smaller than red ones.)

In fact, changing the size can alter many different properties beyond just color – which means that quantum dots could be useful for a variety of applications, including building better solar panels and perhaps even creating fuel by using sunlight (something that plants do to generate sugars).

While it may sound like a subject closer to physics, officials said that it was chemists who did much of the fundamental research in this field.

The three scientists will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (close to $995,000) in equal parts.

Thanks to Inge Look for card painting

Reading these days

 This was an enjoyable light read, by the author of Cold Mountain. Maybe not completely light, as there are some very poignant passages of consideration by the characters. It doesn't take place at all in the Appalchians, like many of his books. Try Montana, Seattle, California and the back country of Florida in the 1930s. It does hold your interest!

Today's quote:

He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (1822-1893)

Day Trip: Sylva NC

 Trip shared by 3 friends last Monday...one of our "day trips" which wasn't too long, and included our main interest...namely used books stores.

We left home around 9:30 am, hoping to have time to shop and drive both ways, as well as have lunch in Sylva, NC.

The hospital in Sylva.  For Skywatch Friday.

It's about an hour drive from Black Mountain where we all live, and my friend asked me to drive her hybrid Toyota, which I was glad to do. She doesn't mind driving on highways, but prefers to not have to park in towns. And often we would change drivers just so I could park her sweet little car.

Anyway, I was driving. And when we got to Sylva, we drove down the main street with shops...and parked near a used books store. We spent a little while there, and I came out with a couple of books. We walked along and would just choose places that looked interesting to shop in...and there were several interesting stores! But also there were a couple closed on Mon. I never like that kind of place.

As everyone knows, last Mon. was the first of our 99 degree days, so we were glad to be walking in the shade most of the time...and also were glad we got there a bit early!

That may be the car I drove, the white Toyota down in the lower right corner. But I mainly wanted a photo of the office of a newspaper!

We were astonished that their Friends of the Library have a whole bookstore of used books! They had just one rack of new books.

I was looking for some favorite authors...but hadn't figured out the correct name for a woman who writes novels as if she was Sherlock Holmes' wife...and then I saw one shelf labeled "Sherlock Holmes wanta-bes" and there was Laurie R. King...so I did purchase it for $2.50. I also found another book in mint condition to give to a relative!

My friend (in blue here) usually works Tues-Sat. so we had chosen this Mon. when she could come with us.

More of our Sylva adventures on another post (I know I sometime jam 10 photos into one post, and I know you all just zoom quickly through them.

Today's quote (Yes another Einstein one...eventually I'll have used up my collection)

“Everything is energy and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you can not help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

Einstein

What I've been reading

Thanks to fellow bloggers, this is a popular topic.

I can't say everything Bill Bryson has written has been my "cup of tea."  But the ones I like, I've absolutely loved, and laughed out loud quite a few times reading them.

This travelogue through Britain in the 90s was full of chuckles, though it could have referred to places in I-don't-know-maybe India.  I just know nothing about the places in England.  I would love to visit them...and my roots are from there, but somehow all those shires just run together in my brain.  So this was a perfect read for me, a spoof that cut through all kinds of sacred cows and I didn't even know it.