Magda and Basia Arrive

One of Lise’s best friends from Denmark is Magda, who has been here before. We three went to the Outer Banks together a year ago. Now Magda’s sister Basia (pronounced Baa-sha) is here, too. The sisters flew into Toronto, then visited Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Williamsburg VA. We have talked non-stop since they got out of the car. The first thing one notices is their excellent command of English. They grew up in Poland, and Basia still lives there. Magda has lived in Denmark for years, which is where she and Lise met. I am always amazed that many Europeans know at least two languages. How I wish I did!

The last time Magda was here, she missed seeing hummingbirds by one day. Today there were plenty coming to the feeders. We could see them easily from our seats on the porch. After we sat and chatted for a while, the girls went out for an American experience – shopping at Walmart.

Scenes in the Neighborhood

Daughter Lise will always pet CAT when we walk. This time the cat made it extremely easy.

When the family went out in the golf cart, Logan (16) took his usual place hanging on the back. Shawn, Bob, and Izzie the dog were in the front.

Most amusing was the tangle neighbor Julie’s dogs wound around her legs. How I wish I had taken a video when she nimbly stepped out of that trap!

Visiting Nathaniel

Daughter Lise and I drove to Charlotte to visit grandson Nathaniel. When we asked about his new job, he showed us the work shirt he wears. His last job evaporated when the restaurant closed all units except the original site in Texas.

When Lise showed interest in barbecue, he took us to one of the nearest restaurants that features it.

Lise heard him talking about Lowe’s Foods and requested a field trip. I took a shot of them just inside the entrance, where specials for the month were on a huge blackboard.

We made our way to the community table where a young man was on duty to give out samples. He had the gift of gab and kept us entertained as he made a parfait of yogurt, maple syrup, frozen raspberries, Graham cracker crumbs, and several other ingredients. It was tangy and refreshing. Lise took my photo, and this shows the size of it. None of us would call it a sample, as it became our dessert for the day.

Nate talked about buying herbs there, and this is the garden with the plants. You cut as much as you want and put it in a plastic bag. It’s a marvelous service, but I suspect it would be too expensive to draw me in.

So Long, Joyce

The last time neighbor Joyce was with all the neighbors was at the Fourth of July celebration. We all hugged her, knowing we wouldn’t see her regularly again. We lived on this street together for about 10 years.

Joyce’s final moving day was spent steadily cleaning and getting the last of her things into her car. Lise and I were hours away, visiting with grandson (and nephew) Nathaniel. Joyce sat in my house for an hour or so, I think, while the last POD storage container was moved. She texted me a very amusing note, as if she were Goldilocks, looking around my house to choose which bed she wanted. I replied that she could choose any bed and we would make it work. She will be in this area of the state for several weeks, staying with friends and waiting to finalize the deal to buy a house far away, near one of her daughters. I will see her again during this time, but she vanished as my neighbor.

I had two final photos. She graciously agreed to let me take her picture with Lise after we had walked to the stop sign together for the last time. She would have been much more glamorous if she had been dressed for church.

She and Lise agreed to pose with one of the PODs, which lacked only the final items at this point.

Fourth of July

The neighbors gathered to celebrate the birthday of our country. We’ve done it every year for 11 years, and this was one of the very best. Everyone was here and ready to party. It was special for me because daughter Lise decorated the porch, the kitchen, and the dining room. She had flags, holiday towels, a big helium balloon, and a hanging streamer. Everyone brought a dish to share, and the food was delicious.

It had been very hot most of the week, and we opted to eat at the dining room table instead of on the porch. I liked that, since we had one conversation instead of several at separate tables on the porch. I usually take photos, but Lise did it this time. She will share with me, though she isn’t here right now. She and Shawn have gone to the next town to see fireworks.

Everyone’s favorite, Logan, was working at the supermarket and couldn’t come to eat until after we finished. Being 16 years old, he greeted everyone politely, ate, and went to be with his friends.

The group chatted longer than usual, then we said our goodbyes to Joyce. She has sold her house and is moving to be near her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. We are very happy for her but sad to see her go.

Shopping for a Car

Daughter Lise has been talking about the age of my car, and we agreed it was time to look for another one. I have no desire to pay for a brand new car, so today we went to CarMax in Asheville to try some on. Even though it was the hottest day of the year so far, we had a wonderful time. She knew it would be good to have a car higher off the ground than Snot, my current car. She says I got in and out of 20 cars, although it didn’t feel like that many to me. The lot was well organized, so we didn’t have to walk far to all that we wanted to see. She brought home photos of eight that I liked and will analyze their features. She really is making this very easy for me.

We rewarded ourselves for that sweltering time by having hamburgers at Five Guys. It was wonderfully cool in the restaurant, and we spotted a soft-serve ice cream shop two doors down. Then, on the way home, we stopped at Aldi’s, a grocery that I used to go to once a week. We sipped huge glasses of ice water at home to rehydrate. All in all, it was a very rewarding day, thanks to Lise.

Lise to the Rescue!

Daughter Lise and I had been in the kitchen area for hours, then headed to bed. As I stepped into my bedroom, I heard that dreaded smoke alarm chirp. Another followed within half a minute, meaning we didn’t have much time until it would be sounding relentlessly through the night. There was no one we would call to help us, since it was nearing midnight. We flew into action. I got out a new battery as she tried to find a video to show her how to change it. Unfortunately, only newer models were shown. She climbed on the bed and began to poke and prod the unit. There was nothing to pull open. Finally, she pressed the right area, and a door opened so that she could slide out the old battery. Whew! It was simple to replace it. We thought we needed to test it, so I covered my ears as she pressed the button. That seemed to be all that needed to be done, and indeed, we heard no more chirps. Thank you, handy-woman Lise!

If I had been home alone, I would have gone to the furthest bedroom, closed the door, covered my head with a pillow, and tried to sleep. Thank heavens Lise saved me from that!

Lise Arrives

Neighbor Holly took me to the airport to pick up daughter Lise. The photo I have shows none of the angst of the 24 hours before. Lise’s flight was canceled, and she was told she could make it to Asheville by 8:00 pm instead of 5:00. That wouldn’t work, because Holly doesn’t drive at night. By sheer persistence, Lise was able to get a seat on the original flight from Atlanta. I knew when I got up the next morning, that Lise had already landed in Amsterdam. Whew! When we stopped for a traffic light, I asked the girls to face each other and took a quick photo.

The next day Lise and I ate at a local restaurant that no one else is willing to go to. It’s like a Southern diner, open long hours seven days a week. To me the food is good and the prices reasonable. It was a lovely way to start our first full day together.

A few hours later, we were sitting on the back porch when I got the message from son John $ that he had returned safely from his camping trip. He had been in some big wilderness in either Washington state or Idaho. A hiking rule is that you always let someone know where you are going and when you are due back. I was the appointed person who knew the facts about his car, license tag, and camping plans. Knowing he had seen a grisly bear on his previous trip there, I was happy to know he was safely home from the current hike. Lise and I were chatting on the porch, so I took this photo of her to send her brother.

John sent me a picture of a waterfall and a selfie he had taken by using a timer on his phone. I am a stay-at-home person, but my children get around!

Goldfinches

I’m sorry neighbor-naturalist Joyce was not walking with me when I saw a flock of brilliant male goldfinches. As I neared a bank of wildflowers by the side of the road, six or seven of them rose in unison and flew to the nearest tree. This underscored her statement that goldfinches nest later than other birds. She said they wait until there are seeds available for them to eat before they mate and lay eggs. That’s what clicked in my head. The birds were eating seeds before I scared them away. I couldn’t help but wonder if I disturbed a bachelor party in progress.

Rules

Today I was thankful for self-imposed rules. The background is that I make up rules for myself all the time. A basic one is I must not leave my bed unmade when I head to the kitchen. A friend used to laugh at my rules for walking to the creek. I think I waved to every vehicle until I got to the stop sign, and then I acknowledged only those cars coming toward me. That one is no longer in effect, since I only go to the stop sign now. Everyone gets a smile and a wave.

Today I began cleaning all the stones lining the pathway in the garden. Those defining stones were placed by the original owners about 20 years ago. Some have tried to bury themselves in dirt and roots. Within the first five minutes, I made the rule that I had to return to full upright position (like an airplane seat) if I moved my feet. It was easier to remain bent over, but it was not in the best interest of my whole body. BODY thanked me at the porch steps by walking proudly into the house.

Stones between the pergola and solar fire bowl have now been unearthed and somewhat dusted off.

Do you have personal rules that you make yourself obey?