Visit Draws to a Close

Daughter Lise’s next-to-the-last day was filled with fun things. She took a video of Jonathan Creek, claiming that the sound is so much better by the water than up on the bank. I liked this photo showing Lise at creek’s edge and shadows of John, Sadie, and me. The real Sadie is also visible.

We had lunch at a favorite barbecue place, Haywood Smokehouse. Grandson David demonstrated how big his brisket sandwich was.

The rest of the day was pure visiting pleasure. We enjoyed being with neighbor Joyce on her back porch. We talked for hours and drank in her view of the mountains. Her house is next to ours but higher up the hill. Our visit ended with a grand tour of her newly-refurbished shed. We loved the sign on the door that neighbor Holly gave her – She Shed.

The day was ending when we walked toward home. Shawn and Bob were swinging on their front porch, and we couldn’t resist joining them.

When Logan came out, Lise asked if he liked playing a card game her friends play in Denmark – the Set game. David taught him how to play the day before. He was so enthusiastic that she fetched it from our house. He played well, and Shawn caught on faster than I did. I left them battling it out when I went home to heat up David’s supper. The game is now packed to go to Denmark.

Happiness and sadness are so close together at the end of a wonderful visit.

Just Released! Amanda in Malta

An exciting new book, Amanda in Malta, by my friend Darlene Foster has just been released. Instead of a regular book tour, she is having a virtual tour via blog posts. You can participate just by reading this!

Amanda in Malta is the eighth book in the Amanda Travel series. Amanda receives a postcard from her best friend, Leah, and is surprised to learn that she is in Malta with her aunt. Reading between the lines, she senses Leah is in trouble. Desperate to help her, Amanda travels to Malta with her classmate Caleb and his parents. Amanda is intrigued by this exotic island in the middle of the Mediterranean, full of colourful history, sun-drenched limestone fortresses, stunning beaches and fascinating birds. But…who is killing the protected birds? Who stole a priceless artifact from the museum? And why is Leah acting so strange? She couldn’t possibly be involved in these illegal activities, or could she?

Join Amanda and her friends as they visit ancient temples, an exciting falconry and the enchanting Popeye Village, as they try to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Sleeping Lady.

I asked Darlene about animals in every book in this series, and she replied, “Amanda loves animals, as many young people do. She would love a pet, especially a dog, but her parents say they are too busy to look after a pet. She makes a friend of Ali Baba the camel who she meets in Amanda in Arabia. In Amanda in Spain, she helps a Spanish rescue her dancing pony, Pedro, from horse thieves. In England she meets a Maine Coon cat, Rupert, who lives in a bookstore and in Holland, Amanda and Leah find an abandoned puppy for whom they try to find a home. In Malta, Amanda visits a Falconry and gets to hold Tinkerbell, a sweet tawny owl. Amanda may not have a pet at home, but she meets special animals in her travels.”

My young neighbor Logan (10) enjoyed reading a short story by Darlene that I printed out for him. It was set at Christmas time, which was very appropriate that day.

Following is a list of the books in the Amanda series:

1. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask
2. Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting
3. Amanda in England: The Missing Novel
4. Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone
5. Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music
6. Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind
7. Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
8. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady

You can buy them at:

Amazon Canada here

Amazon UK here

Amazon US here

Barnes and Noble here

Chapters/Indigo here

Darlene’s bio:

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories about a young girl who travels to interesting places. Over the years she worked in rewarding jobs such as an employment counselor, ESL teacher, recruiter, and retail manager, writing whenever she had a few spare minutes. She is now retired and has a house in Spain where she writes full time. When not traveling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, she enjoys spending time with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia.

See Darlene on her blog at https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/.

Snapped!

I did a stretch with the resistance band Lise gave me a year ago, and it snapped! I stood there for two seconds, looking from one hand to the other in disbelief. I’ve walked sneakers to death, but this was the first time I wore out exercise equipment. My pink friend had been faithful, stretching herself twice a day for my benefit.

The next-heavier band is waiting in the wings, purchased last year for this occasion.

There was only one thing I could think of that would be better than breaking exercise equipment. That would be breaking a bad habit. I don’t feel like nominating one just yet. It’s time to celebrate getting a little stronger.

Three Square Meals a Day

While daughter Lise and grandson Nathaniel were here, I took a number of photos while we were eating. It reminded me that having three square meals a day is considered the norm in this land of plenty. Those square meals make me rounder than round!

We did more than eat. We watched food being prepared. After Nathaniel laminated the croissant dough, he let it rest overnight. He measured it meticulously several times, then he cut it and rolled it into the classic shape. He was highly critical of the result, but we savored every bite.

There was only one shot with everyone here, and we were having a late snack. You can see that my place was marked by an emptied plate.

Between eating times, Lise and the boys got in a little exercise playing Throw Throw Burrito. It was the most active card game I’ve ever seen. They drew and discarded cards, and suddenly everything would erupt as they jumped up and threw fake burritos at each other. The most avid spectator was dog Sadie. She could have shredded those burritos in three seconds flat.

The last photo was taken at Stone Ridge Tavern in Asheville before Lise drove Nathaniel back to Charlotte. My plate did not remain empty. Nate and I shared a steak and a baked sweet potato.

This group of people was very special. We had all but one of our children here and both grandsons. When daughter Kate comes in August, we might have six again, but Lise will be back in Denmark.

One-Thud Morning

Daughter Lise noticed sun on a mountain as we came down the steep hill. When we came back, I paused in the middle of Jonathan Creek Highway while John and Lise continued to the other side. This is the best shot I’ve taken so far of the highway we cross to get to the creek, and the sun-splashed mountain shows clearly.

We live out from town. This is the connecting road to I-40.

The Thud game began right at this point seven years ago. We are careful crossing this highway, because many vehicles go far beyond the speed limit. Once in a while we miscalculate the speed. It’s a close call if you almost run and your heart rate increases dramatically. We say THUD! exactly as the car comes to the point it would have hit us if we hadn’t hurried. When Lise walks to her office in Copenhagen, she plays the Thud game when crossing busy streets. She has to watch out for bicycles, as well as cars.

There was a car heading toward me in this photo. By the time I put away the camera and crossed the road, that car was close. I said Thud! as I rejoined John and Lise.

A Couple of Days with Nathaniel

Grandson Nathaniel is at university in culinary arts, so he had a suggestion for lunch when we asked for it. We enjoy going to independent restaurants, especially when recommended by a local. Lise was excited about the place, even before we entered. A new sign on the door stated that anyone fully vaccinated for the COVID virus could enter without a mask. Freedom!!

I got a kick out of the photo taken in poor lighting. I immediately saw a giant halo over Lise’s head and a small ghost rising out of the table to menace her. Two people couldn’t see the ghost when I showed them. I was left wondering if I had paranormal powers, seeing a ghost clearly when others couldn’t. The head is over the black dish on her plate, and his arms are raised over his head. It seems more visible when viewed slightly right of center. If you see it, I’d enjoy a yes vote in a comment.

Angel Lise threatened by a streaked white ghost over her plate

Skipping the mirror ritual, Nathaniel went right to work in the kitchen. He had promised Lise he would make croissants with some of the Danish butter she brought him. Son John $ came in to greet him, and the two of them started their banter in fake English accents. They think of the most outlandish things to say. $ backed against the counter when he thought I might record their nonsense. I wanted to, but respecting his privacy was more important.

An hour and a half later, Nathaniel was really into it. Can you see the columns of butter standing to the left of the mixer? All of it was used in the lamination process before he went to bed. We know all the croissants were consumed at once the last time he made them for a group. We hope David will be home from work when they come out of the oven tonight.

This morning he baked cardamom blueberry muffins for breakfast. What a treat! I told the family to enjoy that perfection. They all like soft muffins, and mine tend to be crisp around the edges. I should have taken a photo of the empty dish, showing their popularity. Too late!

Lise on Vacation

Daughter Lise worked the first half of her COVID visit, and now she is on vacation. She always loves relaxing with Sadie. The dog considers the green recliner her own, so when Lise sat in it, Sadie jumped up and pushed her way to the back.

Four of us were free on grandson David’s day off. We celebrated by having lunch at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. After eating, we went outside to the observation deck to see the mountains stretched out before us, or in this case, behind us.

Lise hadn’t seen Looking Glass Falls recently. John found a parking spot only a few steps from where this photo was taken. David and Lise went down to the base of the falls, while I enjoyed the sights and sounds above.

We drove upstream to see the water before it crashed over the falls. The sticks here were too large to be rescued.

Rescuers of Sticks

Our family has become rescuers of sticks that are stuck in creeks. It all began on grandson David’s day off. We had eaten a heavy meal and went to the town recreation center to walk by Richland Creek. All of us enjoy the sound of gurgling water, so we sat on a bench to soak up the sound.

While there, we noticed a stick trapped by a rock. It was a challenge David and daughter Lise couldn’t resist. There were two attempts, one with a stick that was too short and one that was just right. Success!

There it goes!

Another day Lise noticed one stuck on our measuring rock. This is the rock we look at to gauge the depth of the water. After almost every rain, something will get hung up on it. It was Lise to the rescue!

Sadie loves water and sticks. She walks in every puddle and stream she can get to, lapping up some water as she goes. Sticks draw her like a magnet. When Lise took her down the bank to Jonathan Creek, she pulled Lise to one hanging there. She followed family precedence and tugged it free. Unlike humans, she might have jumped in the water to follow it if she hadn’t been restrained.

Neighbors with Morning Coffee

I was going to text neighbor Shawn as soon as we got home from walking to the creek. There she was, on the porch sipping her morning coffee.

“May I come over?” I asked.

She replied, “Of course. Come try my new chair.”

As we sat down, we saw neighbor Jeff striding up his drive, holding a cup of coffee. He was on his way to my house to pick up an envelope from John having to do with the road association business. Dog Dolly barked at him like he was a stranger, so he came on the porch and sat down to wait for John. Shawn said, “I’ll get Bob. He wouldn’t want to miss being with the neighbors.”

Bob came out with his coffee as their two dogs and a cat wandered among us. I was amazed that Dolly and Jasmine cuddled together, but I guess they made their peace long ago.

We called John over when he started to Jeff’s house, and he took a chair. It was all like a movie, with everyone gathering before the real action started. The next bit was pure entertainment. We asked why Logan wasn’t in school. Shawn explained Logan has a cold, and they would have to go through the daily COVID routine of answering questions and having his temperature taken. If he had gone inside and coughed or sneezed, they would probably have had to go back to get him. Getting out of her chair, Shawn said, “I’ll get Logan. He knows the words by heart, since he hears it every day.”

Logan came out, smiled at everyone, and launched into the spiel he hears every morning. It was hilarious. I did not understand a single word that came out of his mouth like machine gun fire. It was the standard COVID drill, which you’ve heard many times by now. You are asked if you have a cough or fever and if you’ve been with anyone who has the virus. Perhaps there are five questions, but you would never have known that listening to Logan. Bob said it should be recorded, so Logan went through it again with Bob’s phone trained on him. I wish I hadn’t forgotten my camera, because I would love to have had that.

The impromptu gathering broke up when John left for an appointment. We all went back to our normal lives with spirits boosted. What a marvelous way to begin a day!

My Scales LIED

Daughter Lise and I have had friendly rivalry over weight while she has been here. She wants to get back to what she weighed several months ago, and I’m always eager to shed a few pounds painlessly (oxymoron, I know). Several days this week we weighed the same!

Frankly, it’s surprising we haven’t gained more than a couple of pounds, considering the places we’ve eaten. On David’s day off, we went to the Sweet Onion in Waynesville. For the foodies: Lise and I had pot roast and mashed potatoes. David had salmon with a drizzle of sesame, lime, and teriyaki.

Normally we don’t have dessert after a restaurant meal, but the waitress rattled off the three items on the menu. David’s and Lise’s eyes lit up. We ordered the triple chocolate cake with ice cream and split it three ways. They posed with it, looking over-eager.

That afternoon Lise told me the digital scales were not being truthful. She found out by accident. Stepping on, she noted the numbers and stepped off. Almost immediately she got back on the scales. The second time, she weighed three pounds less. Three pounds!!! This morning I saw my number was the same as it had been for several days. Remembering what she said, I stepped off, waited for the memory to clear, and stepped on again. Wow! Three pounds lighter!!!

Lise thinks the three-pound difference happens only once a day. After the scales have been used, they are set correctly for the rest of the day. Has anyone ever had scales that lie to you in the morning and backtrack in the afternoon? I wouldn’t mind one with a ten-pound difference.