Visit of Dear Friends

John’s aim was to get grandson Nathaniel back to Long Island in plenty of time to go to school Monday. He dropped him off at 3 in the morning. I wondered if Nate went to bed for two more hours or if he stayed awake and unpacked.

John slept a few hours before having breakfast with his sister Barbara and Thom. By noon he picked up our friends Karen and Al and began the long trek back to North Carolina. About 2 am Tuesday the three of them tiptoed in our house and went to bed without waking me. Despite the short night, Karen was already up and dressed when I came out to walk. John quickly put himself together, and we three went to the creek. The new camera is learning the drill, that the first walk of a visit should be recorded beside the stream.

022718 Karen Anne at creek.JPG — Karen and Anne at the creek

Our activity of the day was walking Main Street in Waynesville. The fellows sat on a bench in the sun while we ducked into a cooking store, looking for a French butter tub. Theirs were expensive. Al spotted a sign for a bookstore in the next street, one we had never noticed before. The shop was crammed with books, nooks, and chairs. Al bought an item or so. Going back to Main Street, we looked in windows until we were almost back to our car. The men again sat outside while we went in Mast General. That store is a favorite of mine, and it was an instant hit with Karen. The wooden floors creaked with every step. We passed the clothing area and went straight downstairs for the butter tub. There were two styles, both less expensive than those in the kitchen store. That was an easy sale. On the way home, we pushed Al to go into a cigar store.

When we lived on Long Island, we celebrated Christmas with Karen and Al several days after the 25^th. They always kindly said they liked our left-over menu. The food was fresh, but the menu repeated. We had that meal for old time’s sake. Chicken and stuffing was the main dish, with beans and a frozen cranberry salad on the side. The finale was a flamed Christmas pudding with brandy butter. What a delight it was to talk with them all day long!

Logan Blows up a Balloon

I had almost finished cleaning the house when neighbor Logan (7) knocked on the door. We discussed things to do without coming to a meeting of the minds. His favorite game is checkers. I fell back on the slogan of my youth, “Just say no.” The saying applied to drugs back in the day, but I apply it to games of strategy. My brain never did work that way, and age did not improve it. We watched a TV show together for half an hour and came back to the old question of what to do next. He spied the balloon left in the living room a few days ago. We played with it until it landed on the plants. As Logan put his hands on it, the balloon blew up in his face, startling both of us.

“I’ll pick up the pieces. Do you want to get another balloon?” I asked. He ran to the closet, picking another blue one. It took me about ten times longer to tie a knot in it than the amount of time Logan spent blowing it up. I used to be able to do that easily. It could have something to do with the amount of saliva on it. Does anyone have a good suggestion for sealing a slobbery balloon? The answer is not to do the blowing myself, because Logan loves to do it.

022618 Logan blows up a balloon.JPG

We batted the balloon back and forth, trying to keep it from landing on the floor. When Logan tired of that, we just sat and talked. I have never understood more than half of what he said, so this time I explained that I didn’t hear well. I said I needed for him to face me so I could see his lips, and I needed him to speak louder. It worked like a charm!!! He wanted to communicate enough to make it work. I loved hearing him talk about this past weekend, especially the indoor water park.

With wide arm movements, he said, “I was on the TORNADO slide!!”

He also enjoyed arcade games and watching cartoons with other children in the group. When Bob came to get him, he told me a bit more about the activities. It seems it was a terrific weekend for all.

A Status Symbol

Neighbor cat Jasmine wandered into our yard while we were sitting on the front porch. We had walked her dog sisters (a description not approved by the cat) and sat down to enjoy the last bit of sunlight. Grandson Nathaniel is good with dogs, but he simply can’t resist a pretty cat. He went out to talk to her, sitting beside the tree to keep her company. I might have found it poignant, but he will be with his own cat in a matter of hours. His winter break lasted nine days, which felt more like 48 hours to me.

022418 Nathaniel with Jasmine.jpg

Sunday was different. We went to the early service so that John and Nathaniel could get an early start on the trip to Long Island. There was no Sunday School, so we went to the Buttered Biscuit for brunch. I’m not sure how the photo will look to you, but on my screen the table appears to be bent in the middle. Nathaniel is holding his plate, and maybe John is, too. If it had really been tilted, there would be no photographic evidence. I would have held onto my meal with one hand and wielded a fork with the other.

022518 N JC at Buttered Biscuit.JPG

Nathaniel performed the ritual of the mirror just before he left. A flag flies over the palace when the Queen is in residence, and Nathaniel has a mirror on his level while he is here. I don’t have a status symbol like that. Do you? If you do, please send it ahead (with instructions) before you visit.

Watch the Red Shirt

When I looked at the photos I took today, I noticed how Nathaniel’s shirt stole the show. He and I ran an errand in town, then walked along Richland Creek which runs through Waynesville. He jumped on the rocks near a tributary stream, stood beside a shallow area where it would be easy to wade, and agreed to pose at the overlook.

022318 (1) Richland Creek in Waynesville

We had an exciting first for lunch. We went to a restaurant the very day it opened! Willie Brooks BBQ had been under construction for three months. It replaced a Mexican restaurant that son John $ and I went to once. Enough said. There had been a lot of activity the last few days, so John pulled in yesterday. A tiny sign said it would open the next day. The place was crawling with employees, all smiling and asking how we liked our food.

022318 (6) Inside Willie Brooks BBQ.JPG

022318 (5) JC N eat BBQ.JPG

The afternoon’s activity was burning the Christmas tree, which had been lying in the burn pit. There is no ritual for this winter chore yet. Both Grandpa and grandson like to tend fires, so I called them pyromaniacs. They had smoky grins.

022318 (7) The pyromaniacs.JPG

The Cake

Grandson Nathaniel usually makes a cake when he visits. Last summer he made an Eclipse Cake for us the day we saw the total eclipse of the sun. He baked a Black Forest Cake at Christmas over a year ago, knowing it was one of John’s favorites.. I suspect he was guided in the same direction, because Grandpa told him he’d bought several jars of cherries. 24 hours after his arrival, he baked the three layers of chocolate cake. The following day he soaked the cake with cherry liqueur, and the third day he assembled the dessert.

The photos show the progress, starting with layers and whipped cream filling. He took breaks between each step, letting the cake chill. We were the lucky ones, getting to lick the bowls as he finished with them.

When the cake was finished, Nathaniel added a pink candle, announcing the cake was for us in honor of Valentine’s Day. It was absolutely delicious. Just so you know, we are eating it slowly, but it cannot be mailed.

Culinary Contest – Tennessee vs.New Jersey

Last summer I was reintroduced to MoonPies, a Southern favorite I hadn’t had since I was a child. MoonPies were invented in Chattanooga TN in1917. The story goes that a miner asked for a filling snack as big as the moon that would fit in his lunchbox, and the rest is history. We bought a box of them. Our grandsons were not impressed, and I have to admit, I thought the sweets had more chocolate taste years ago. The snack is a sandwich – two graham cookies with a marshmallow filling, coated with chocolate. The boys said Mallomars were much better.

We looked for Mallomars and discovered they are not produced during warm-weather months. Hot weather would melt the treats. At long last, I remembered to look and found Mallomars at our local supermarket. We also found a knock-off at Aldi, the German grocery chain. Now the contest was on. Would either of the sweets beat MoonPies? The answer was, yes, hands down! As soon as Nathaniel tasted the Aldi brand, he said MoonPies were out of the running. Tennessee, you lost.

022018 Mallomar contest.JPG — Note: We ate lunch on the porch!

The next contest was between Mallomars and Aldi’s brand. According to the Mallomars box, they were invented by Nabisco in 1913 and sold in West Hoboken, NJ. They are still a Northern treat – 70% of all sales are made in the New York metropolitan area. I was glad our local market made the 30% cut. With no dramatic drum roll, we put one of each on our plates. Nathaniel and John made quick decisions in favor of Mallomars. They liked the darker chocolate coating. I held out for the Aldi’s brand for two reasons. The base cookie was chocolate, and it cost about half the amount of Mallomars. I knew I was a miser, but I had no idea miserliness could direct the taste buds. It will be interesting to see where David will cast his vote in a couple of weeks.

Logan’s Stunt

Neighbor Logan wanted to show us how he could pop up off the floor from a kneeling position without using his hands. I had seen grandson David rise up from a sitting position hands-free, but Logan’s stunt was entirely different. He seemed to concentrate all his strength, put his hands back, and leap up using the momentum from his arms.

He readily agreed to demonstrate this in front of the camera, not once, but twice! Surely this cannot be construed as being stalked with a camera.

Action Monday

Grandson Nathaniel is normally on an early schedule for school, so he was dressed and ready to go walking with us. I was glad the little cat came running out to greet us, because Nathaniel likes cats. She stayed with us half way to the stop sign, frequently stopping us to rub against our legs. When neighbor Bob stopped his car to speak to us, young Logan hopped out. He wanted to be with Nathaniel.

Father to son, “Are you going to run all the way to the bus?”

Logan was already dancing around Nathaniel, and the two of them began to walk.

Logan challenged our tall grandson, saying, “I can beat you!”

Nathaniel replied, “I’m not going to run, but I’ll walk.”

I fumbled getting the camera out and took a video as quickly as I could. Nathaniel had a fast pace, with Logan flapping along beside him. It wasn’t until I looked at the clip that I saw Marla in a green jacket standing with Albert. All the commotion on the road made Albert walk toward them. At the same time, Bob turned his gray car around and started back home.

All the walkers reached the bus stop. One of us wondered if there were school, because we never had President’s Day off. I missed the photo of the week – Logan’s face when he thought for a split second there might not be school for him. The bus came chugging up the hill, and Logan waited for the driver’s signal to cross the road. Albert pulled Marla away as we continued to the creek.

Quick-thinking John had his hand out for the camera when I mentioned posing with the rushing water. That’s the first time he has pulled that on me.

021918 Anne N at creek.JPG

Nathaniel is more resigned to being in front of my camera, so I got two shots of him. In one he had just dipped his hand in the water to see how cold it was, and then he turned to climb back up the rocks.

021918 N at Jonathan Creek.JPG

021918 N at creek.JPG

After walking, we had practice biscuits for breakfast. Our biscuit-loving friends are coming next week, and I want to be ready. Recently I read again that soft flour is best for Southern biscuits, White Lily being the preferred brand. John is enthusiastic about this, because he prefers that I not use whole wheat flour. It’s only fair he should win once in a while, don’t you think?

Let the Fun Begin!

Niece Julie and I had finished half our breakfast when John and grandson Nathaniel arrived from New York. It took them about 16 hours to drive here from Long Island. Julie and I eat slowly, so they soon caught up, and we had fruit together. To celebrate Nathaniel’s recent 18^th birthday, Julie gave him a couple of baking gadgets. One I’d never seen before – a pastry marker.

021718 N open pastry guide.JPG

After the meal, Nathaniel announced it was time for the mirror ritual. He pointed out where it should go so that he could see his face instead of his belt. After moving it up, he was satisfied. He will reverse the ritual when he leaves.

John had taken only two short naps on the drive down, so while he slept, we went to Waynesville to an art shop. Julie waited in the background as the artist signed the place mats she bought for her house-mate, Patty. The artist was a lot of fun, telling us that she is an up-and-coming artist. If we bought her work as an investment, we might make a lot of money. She also pointed out that burying a mayonnaise jar full of money in the backyard might be just as remunerative.

021718 Artist signs placemats Julie bought.JPG

We couldn’t resist the photo board outside the shop, both of us women taking a turn with Nathaniel.

We laughed ourselves silly over a roast pork dinner. Nathaniel, who pretends to hate puns, declared he would not bake the promised Black Forest Cake if Grandpa made 20 puns that day. In a matter of minutes John racked up 13 points. He argued that each of Nathaniel’s puns should take a point off. By 9 pm the count was 18. John made one final pun that sent grandson reeling off to bed. They were talking about vintage cars. John said, in light of Nathaniel’s planned career, he should have a chef-fer for his car.

On the Porch!

It was the day after Valentine’s Day, and John noticed the temperature was 71 F (21.6 C). We promptly took the last of our Valentine cake out to the porch to enjoy the warmth while we ate. My definition of porch weather begins at 65 F, so we could probably have eaten lunch outside earlier. Surely this was the earliest we’ve ever done this! Last year we were out there at least once in March and once in December when daughter Lise was here. Those are the fringe months.

021518 Valentine's cake on porch.JPG