A Morning in the Mountains

Grandson Nathaniel chose a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway as our last activity before he flew home. The brothers enjoyed the scenery and each other. As always, the mountains performed beautifully.

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After an unseasonably warm debut, winter turned down the heat. Icicles decorated the roadway. For the four of us who had spent much of our lives on Long Island, this was a rare treat.

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Nathaniel posed with his prize ice weapon, brandishing it until his hand froze. With a mighty heave, he threw it over the cliff. David and I waited to hear it land below, but to our surprise, it broke into three pieces in midair. That was as good as a cartoon “POOF”.

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David’s weapon was a camera, and he turned it on me! He shot me in cold blood! At least, I was cold when I got back in the car.

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Nathaniel performed two tasks before we drove to the airport. He wound the grandmother clock, which is something he used to do all the time when he was with us in NY.

The other ritual was lowering the mirror. I was cleaning house before he came the first time, and I hung the mirror on an existing hanger to get it off the floor. There were many items still unhung at that point. John and I laughed at it, saying only Nathaniel could use it. Since then, we always hang it high before he comes, and he returns it to a normal height as he leaves.

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Musical Mayonnaise Jars

What a dream I had! I voluntarily pumped gas into a car so that strangers could get to New York. As they pulled out, I watched the driver playing music with his feet. Instead of organ pedals, he was playing mayonnaise jars, Hellmann’s mayo, to be exact. Two of the jars were open. It must have been a Bach Toccata and Fugue, the way those jars were flying about. He ended with a flourish – karate chops to his legs for the final notes. I was satisfied with the performance, even though I hadn’t heard any musical notes at all. That was as bad as all my dreams of food, where I put things in my mouth and chew without tasting a thing.

Does anyone else have sensory perceptions missing in dreams? If not, it must mean I’m losing my senses.

New Year’s Eve

Logan (5) might have been watching for us to come home from the noon church service on New Year’s Eve. He was chasing grandson David before I was out of the car. Grandson Nathaniel cheered them on, yelling to David to go on the porch. Of course, Logan followed, so David climbed on the railing and jumped off.

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It was something like running from a dog. If you don’t run, the dog won’t chase you. David’s long legs put him ahead, while Logan’s boundless energy the young boy going. The standoff came when David took refuge on the roof of the Jeep, all in good fun.

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Nathaniel took a turn entertaining Logan on the porch by playing with the trains.

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We have fallen into the habit of eating a late lunch, so I asked Logan if he had already eaten. He had. I didn’t think to prepare a hamburger for him, but I should have. Two of us offered to share ours when he expressed interest in the food on the table. After a bit he pushed a chair between John and Nathaniel and nibbled on cheese that John cut for him. The best was when Nathaniel shelled a few Kentucky peanuts.

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I bailed and went to take a nap. Because of the silence, I thought Logan had gone home. He hadn’t. David pulled up simple games on his iPod, and the boy was entranced for an hour. He reluctantly left when his parents called him home.

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The house was energized again when three other households joined us for a New Year’s Eve party. These were our nearest and dearest neighbors from the end of the street. We all had extras, too, grandchildren for three of us and Joyce’s sister. That’s the way to celebrate! I hope everyone else had as much fun as John and I did.

123115 NYE N D Paul Logan Anna Lily.JPG — Grandchildren — ours and those of neighbors

Bob set off some fireworks in the street as we watched from the porch. As soon as the first big one exploded, we heard the mountains echo with repeat blasts as loud as the original. The same thing happened a second time. Why didn’t the sound fade as we expected? Before Bob lit his third one, we discovered why. Someone looked to the left and saw fireworks further up the mountain that just happened to follow Bob’s. We were happy to be outside in the cold air to see both.

At midnight, a stalwart five of us watched TV to see the ball drop in Times Square. The countdown came, but there was no ball to see! Amy mentioned the number of Waterford crystals that were reported to be on the ball, so we knew it was on the agenda. Perhaps we were watching the wrong station. Did anyone see the ball drop?

Nothing Like Family

Brother Bob and Beth joined grandsons David and Nathaniel, son $, and us for a post-Christmas visit. What fun we had! We ate the leftovers from Christmas Day and were so full we had to wait until later to have dessert.

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The weather was still so warm that we spent time on the back porch. Bob adjusted the seat on the exercise bicycle he had given me, and John $ had an axe to grind. Nathaniel watched $ sharpen it as David rode the bike.

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Young Logan, the whirlwind, came to visit. I hid the candy on the counter as John opened the door. Beth and Bob were glad to meet him, having seen his picture often. We mostly sat in our comfortable chairs and watched him spin about. There was a new toy we’d gotten for the house, a yellow car powered by a balloon. In no time, Logan learned to hold his finger over the balloon before releasing the car on the floor. David and Nathaniel played hide and seek with Logan, a first for us in this house. We were batting balloons about when neighbor Bob came to fetch his son.

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We were finally ready for dessert and flamed the Christmas pudding.

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The next day we checked out the swollen creek and went up on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit. The mountains never disappoint us.

Carols and Collections

We planned to meet James at St Mark’s in Asheville after he told us they were having a service of lessons and carols. We had no idea it would start with such a poignant announcement. Pastor Webb talked about the beautiful stole he was wearing. It belonged to James, the man we were sitting with in the pew! James’ late wife Margaret had it made for James. Margaret’s sister in England had a friend who created it. Holding up a photograph, Pastor Webb said the artist had made a stole for John Paul II when he visited England in 1982. James’ stole had bits of cloth from Westminster Abbey incorporated in it. It was stunningly beautiful in a stately way. Margaret loved that service and was often a reader for it. As James said, people loved the way she pronounced Isaiah with her cultured English accent. What he didn’t need to say was that Margaret was a much-loved member of that congregation and sorely missed.

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t finagle a picture of the pastor wearing it. The photos I took before the service show the inside of the church and the front door standing open in the extremely warm weather.

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As planned, we went to the Moose Café for lunch. What a delightful time we had! James is a highly skilled conversationalist. With a deft question here and there, he kept us talking about things we all were interested in.

122715 D JC A James at Moose Cafe.JPG — David, John, Anne, and James

After James left, we wandered through the farmer’s market next door. It was good for us to walk after a heavy meal, and we were killing time. Strangling time was more like it. Nathaniel’s flight was not due into Greenville, SC, until 7 in the evening.

As we drove on, I wondered if we could go to Bat Cave. We’ve often driven by the exit for the town, and I always wanted to know what it looked like. It turned out to be an old fashioned tourist spot. There are still rooms and cabins for rent, but they aren’t slick and glitzy. John twice let David and me out beside the roaring stream to take photos and enjoy the sound of the rocks dancing around the boulders. I knew the area near Hendersonville was noted for apple production, and we saw many orchards on both sides of the road.

122715 Stream at Bat Cave 2.JPG — Stream in Bat Cave

David went in the terminal to wait for Nathaniel while John and I parked in the cell phone waiting area. We were busy with our phones. Nathaniel let us know he had landed, and David signaled that they were waiting beyond the second poinsettia Christmas tree. Without further ado, we collected them and headed home.

Having a quick exchange of gifts was the first thing we did. We had dessert of Christmas cookies and eggnog. I took a shot of Nathaniel with his head on Grandpa’s shoulder. When he was little, a long time ago, he would throw himself on his granddad and say, “Teddy.” He has a much more grown-up version now, breathing out “Roosevelt” as he plops his head down. We meandered off to bed. It’s no surprise that I won, being the first in bed and the first asleep.

122715 N D opening gifts.JPG — Nathaniel and David open gifts

122715 JC N re Roosevelt.JPG — John and Nathaniel

Christmas

We went to church in Asheville on Christmas Eve, arriving shortly before the service was due to begin. I think we got the last three contiguous seats for that very popular candlelight service.

David and John didn’t want their pictures taken first thing Christmas morning, but they agreed to put their feet near the stockings.

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We rushed to church midmorning, but there was no need to hurry to the church in Clyde. Most people stayed at home. The pastor must have counted the people as he made announcements, because he said we could all come up to the altar together. It was a cozy time of worship.

Things began to liven up as Belle and her friend Rita from Sylva and our new neighbors came for dinner. After they moved in, we met Marla walking her dog as we walked to the creek. They were originally from Indiana but had spent some years on the other side of the mountains in Tennessee. They brought lots of goodies – fresh fruit with a dip, cookies, candies, a grape salad, and a fruit dip with Graham crackers. We also had two dips, spinach and salsa, followed by a chicken casserole, vegetable casserole, lemon lime salad, frozen cranberry salad, and the flamed Christmas pudding.

I thought the refrigerator would be emptied after the meal, but it was chock full of leftovers. I took a photo, because I’d never had a fridge that full before.

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The day after Christmas we had no plans. We moseyed to Waynesville, walking up and down Main Street. The town was crowded with others, like us, in shirt sleeves or wearing light sweaters. I particularly enjoyed going through Mast General Store. They had all kinds of things displayed on three levels. As we drove home, David asked if we could eat lunch on the porch. He cleaned the table while I put the meal together. Can you believe we sat there eating without sweaters or coats on the 26^th of December?

122615 D JC eating on porch day after Christmas.JPG — David and John eating on the porch on Dec. 26

Warm Greetings on Christmas Eve

Warm greetings are highly desirable on a cold winter day. They seem a bit redundant during a heat wave, as we have here in North Carolina. During the night there were hours of heavy rain with lightning and thunder. This morning John drove us down to see Jonathan Creek, swollen with muddy water.

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For the noon meal, John grilled apple sausages on the back porch. We might have been tempted to eat out there if the table had been clean.

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We went to church in Asheville, driving through some patches of fog. Every seat was taken for that candlelight service. As folding chairs were added, people were asked to open the window nearest them.

Back at home, we lit candles and had the fireplace going while we celebrated with eggnog and Lebkuchen. We didn’t leave the home fires burning for long!

From the South, warm greetings to all of you.

Merry Christmas!

122415 David Anne John.JPG — David, Anne, and John on Christmas Eve

A Super Birthday

I think birthdays get better the older you get. Mine this year was perfect. People phoned, posted messages on Facebook and via e-mail, sent e-cards, and chatted via text. How rich I am with family and friends!

Son John $ cooked breakfast for us. We had English muffins topped with dilled scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon, and for two of us, livermush. For lunch, John treated us to Italian food at Frankie’s, a restaurant that we have intended to try since we moved here. It exceeded expectations.

Our neighbors are perfect, too. Where else could John have made two phone calls and conjured up an instant party? He bought a double chocolate cake, made coffee, set the table, positioned the balloon, and mixed in congenial neighbors who are dear friends.

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Five-year-old Logan was doing very well sitting at the table with adults. This boundless bundle of energy controlled himself admirably. John set up the gift Shawn and Bob brought him, a “Train in a Box”. Logan loved it, even going outside to bring in horses from the train set on the porch.

122215 Trai in a box D Logan JC.JPG I gathered three original Pollock mobiles and put them at his place to stave off boredom. What fun he had! The toy camera tried to catch the spirit and the action, but failed.

Logan quickly learned to blow on the mobiles to bring them to life.

I’m so glad I didn’t feel older just because the calendar says I am.

A New York Sunday

We missed seeing Nathaniel because he was involved in a fencing tournament all day. He was too tired to go to the Baroque concert with us, but we picked him up to have breakfast with us before church. I got a quick picture of the brothers as they goofed around in the parking lot.

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There were many things we enjoyed at our former church. Best of all was seeing friends we’d known for donkey’s years. It was wonderful to have a service where the whole liturgy was sung intact.

We ate lunch with Barbara and Thom at a fun restaurant before dropping Nathaniel off at home.

122015 Thom squishes Nathaniel — Thom squishing Nathaniel

122015 BA J D — Barbara, John, and David

We were early getting to the city and walked to Rockefeller Center. It was an obstacle course! Imagine exiting an arena where you’ve just seen popular teams play a game, and you’ll know how many people were swarming the streets there in mid-town. It would have taken a long and patient time to get to the skating rink. I took a shot from the edge, and we worked our way to the main entrance to take a photo.

122015 Rockefeller ice rink — Rockefeller ice rink

122015 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree — Rockefeller Center

We had not been into St. Patrick’s cathedral since it was cleaned. We joined the throngs moving into the church. It had always been crowded at this time of year, but this was unreal.

I swear you can see anything in NY. A man was maneuvering near us, and he was holding a pizza box. He said to his companion, “I had no idea a service would be going on.”

I’m positive the two of them were planning to have a quiet picnic in the pews!!!! As it was, almost every seat was taken. I took a shot in the side aisle where monitors showed what was going on at the high altar. I’m not sure if the noise I heard was loud tourists or contemporary music in the main part of the church.

I assumed we were going to a regular evensong at St. Thomas, but John knew it was the classic English service of lessons and carols. What a worship treat! Because the service is so popular, they did it twice on Sunday and will repeat it on Christmas Eve. Although we were quite early, all the center aisle seats were taken. We walked to the front of the church and around the front to take excellent seats in the fifth row. Ushers scoured the pews for empty places. The church was packed, every available place taken. Some of the descants probably went over our heads, but we’ll be able to hear them by streaming the service on the computer.

You aren’t allowed to take photos before or during a service, but others were posing after it. I persuaded John and David to step up to show people we were there. We shook the hand of the main pastor who was wishing everyone “Happy Christmas.” From that you’ll deduce he was from England. He responded to John’s telling him he listens to most services from our home in NC. As David shook his hand, he said, “Nice tie.”

Family Visit and Christmas Music

Sister-in-law Barbara and Thom had reserved a whole day for us, and what a day it was! We talked and laughed non-stop. Barbara, always super-efficient, set out a lovely lunch, and they chose a Spanish restaurant for our evening meal. I hope I can be forgiven my lie. I told the singer I enjoyed her music, when I was really looking forward to the Baroque concert we went to. Believe me, musicians need all the encouragement they can get! I figured my words should have come from a real fan who wouldn’t think to compliment her.’

121915 Thom John Barbara David.JPG — Thom, John, Barbara, and David

From listening to John’s vast collection of Christmas music, I knew nearly all the selections for the evening. The musicians were among New York’s finest, and they seemed to truly enjoy singing and playing for us.

121915 LI Baroque Ensemble.JPG — Long Island Baroque Ensemble

This year they had the usual clown perform after the intermission. He did goofy things like pretending to use the bald head of the flutist as a mirror. He danced in the aisle, pulling up a woman from the audience to dance with him. John heard the story later, that she had a total knee replacement two months ago. She had a quick panic attack, thinking she couldn’t participate, but she was thrilled to find she could twirl freely. She went home with renewed confidence in herself.

David was on the aisle and wasn’t surprised that the clown used him as an assistant. He held the parts of the pole as the man added sections under a twirling plate. I got a shot or so, but Barbara used her phone to get a short video.

One of the great parts of the evening came during the wine and cheese reception following the concert. For some reason, the singers did not perform a round written for them. In the past, the new round would be sung, and the composers would be recognized. The woman who organizes the group handed out the music to everyone who could read music. She divided us into six parts, and we sight read it with ease while standing at the buffet table. I happened to be standing next to the cellist who had a rich baritone voice. It’s not often that members of an audience have a chance to perform and get a free souvenir to take home.