More Time with Kate

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Daughter Kate and I enjoyed working the family puzzle together. Her sister Lise magnanimously gave up the first working so that Kate could do it first this year. Surprisingly, I could see the pieces in sunlight well enough to fit in about an eighth of them.

Our last meal out was at Kanini’s where Kate had the BLAT – bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato sandwich. I had never had chicken and waffles, a fad dish from a decade or so ago. At this place it was the hot Nashville version, which I enjoyed.

Our last evening together, Kate kicked back and relaxed on the porch. We watched birds feeding on the ground and hummingbirds flitting about their hanging feeders. Seeing a couple of bluebirds was exciting for me, and Kate liked the detail of the towhee, which she had seen from a distance before. We were serenaded by a croaking frog. This year, for the first time, the frog was there almost every evening. I haven’t seen it yet, but it was moving about on the ground, judging by the sound.

Kate used an old windshield wiper to clean off her car windows before leaving at 7:00 a.m. Seeing the mist behind her, I knew the gorge would be foggy and a bit more dangerous than usual. The interstate highway shares a narrow space with a stream between mountains. She drove carefully and was soon in bright sunlight heading north. Watching her progress on my phone, I knew she was near her destination. She called at 8:00 p.m. to make sure I knew she was home safely.

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Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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25 thoughts on “More Time with Kate”

  3. That is a nice photo of Kate with the mountains and mist in the background! It always makes me smile to read about your visits with your children…and truthfully, to miss my visits with my mother.

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    1. Did your mother live nearby? I talked on the phone once a week to my mom. She and Dad lived 1,200 miles away. Well, I lived that far from them; I was the one who moved.

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  4. looks like you both had so much fun together visiting. I’m so happy she came to visit you !

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  6. I remember seeing Chicken & Waffles on many menus on our recent trip back east. I can’t say that I was ever even a little bit tempted (not a waffle fan) but I’m glad you enjoyed yours.

    It’s always nice to have visitors, but I also like getting that “I’ve arrived home safely” call afterwards.

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  7. I love seeing the blue birds too, Anne. Now recently we have an oriole that sits high in the tree and sings to me. I mostly hear it but see it occasionally.

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  8. I’d glad you were able to work on some of the puzzle too – that’s great. You always get a nice showing of hummingbirds. I never got my feeders up this year – first it was too cold (we had a late frost), then it was either perpetually windy or very hot. Next year for sure. I’ve never had chicken and waffles – they look good though. Years ago when we routinely drove back and forth to visit my grandmother, we would get home before 7:00 p.m. when the phone rates were cheaper, so we had a signal … let it ring three times, then hang up. My grandmother knew it was a four-hour drive from her house to ours, so she would stay within earshot of the phone.

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      1. That made this puzzle all the more special. I am glad it gave you such joy and hopefully you’ll be able to work on when Lise tackles it too. We did use that trick for many years as we usually got home mid-afternoon.

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        1. This puzzle was super special because your choices were fantastic. I’m still amazed that you had such a great balance, even though you’ve done a great job every year. I think these puzzles are a great legacy to leave my children and grandchildren.

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          1. I am very glad you enjoyed them Anne. I enjoy putting them together for you. I will have lots of photos from this year … you had many visitors, Lise and John$, Nate and Sarah about their engagement, Kate, then Lise next month, not to mention your brother Bob and his wife bringing the clock sandwiched between the above visits and Logan … those are just off the top of my head.

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              1. Thank you – I guess my mind was making a mental note what to go back and get while I was reading the posts. I’m glad you liked them. I hope you find a camera before Lisa arrives – more memories!

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  9. What a wonderful puzzle. Do you have fireflies there? We are seeing them again after a few years without. I do love using that phone app to see that my daughter arrives safely too.

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