Grandson Nathaniel and wife Sarah came to celebrate Lise’s birthday. The photo is too dark, but while Nate was baking Lise’s cake, we chatted with daughter Kate on the phone. Kate’s birthday was the day before, so it was a general celebration for the sisters.
For dinner, we had chicken and stuffing casserole and yellow squash, both favorites of Lise.
The girls posed with the chef to show that delicious cake. The cake was dark chocolate with dark chocolate chips, as intense as could be. The fluffy frosting was perfect for the cake. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed eating it. Since three were not the singing members of the family, we did not sing Happy Birthday. No one missed it. However, we did have a wonderful time together. Nathaniel suggested we freeze the other layer and perhaps crumble it to put over ice cream.
Daughter Lise’s friends had a birthday party for her in Denmark, and this was the cake or giant cookie they had. She explained that something like this is always cut at the throat, and everyone screams as the knife slices through. She finds this amusing. The party with work friends was at a place for high tea. I can’t believe how many people celebrated her birthday, including all the greetings on Facebook today. She is certainly well-loved.
We walked to the stop sign a bit later than usual, because Lise had a lot of work to do. A big project is in progress, causing her to spend hours at the computer to keep up with her Danish counterparts. Although it was below freezing when we started walking, we warmed up enough that we sat on the porch while she finished her cigarette.
Lise talked often about cardamom muffins, so that is what she had for her birthday breakfast. I made enough for three mornings, and two sets are now in the freezer. Actually, I had muffins because I like crusty ones, but I made hers into loaves with minimum crust.
Daughter Kate in New Jersey alerted her sister Lise that she should look out of the window. She had seen that we were having snow, light though it was. I had already noted that the wooden deck was covered with a thin layer of white. We went out to walk while there were still a few flakes floating about. I would have forgotten to take the obligatory photo at the stop sign, but Lise drew out her phone to do it.
We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant where the tables were quite high. I told Lise I didn’t need utensils, because I could lean over slightly and eat like a dog. I didn’t. The food was so delicious that we used knives and forks properly, forgetting the height of the table.
Snow fell for several hours during the night, and we woke to a winter wonderland. A few hours later, everything had melted, except where shade kept the sun from reaching the snow.
Lise had a few travel problems before she landed in Atlanta, but I wasn’t a part of those. Her flight from Atlanta to Asheville was canceled. The first reservation she could get was for the following day, early in the morning. First, she had to get her bags. She has had lost luggage several times before, the worst being when she was in Asheville and her luggage in Amsterdam. This time her tracking tag told her the suitcases were around the corner, but the clerks insisted they were downstairs and hadn’t been sent up. She kept checking, until after four (4!!!) hours a supervisor sent someone around the corner to check. Yes, the bags were there, just as Lise had told them. Only then could she make plans to get to me. She could have spent the night in Atlanta, gotten up very early, and taken a flight that would have gotten her here at 9:20 in the morning. I began checking to see if anyone was available to take me to the airport. She had been traveling 24 hours by that time and just wanted to get to her bed in my house. She hired a driver, arriving here at 1:15 am. She would have been a bit earlier if there hadn’t been heavy fog in the mountains.
Lise unpacked the perishables (butter and cheeses) before we fell into bed. She slept for an hour, then couldn’t go back to sleep. She tried again while I went to church on line. We had bagels for breakfast, after which she went back to bed. This is the first chance I’ve had to tell you that I am going to be quite busy for a month while she is here – a month of activity and joy!
My West Coast son was the only one available to text with me when I was wondering what to do with a safe that wouldn’t open. I wanted to add photos to the pile of letters already in there. He could tell I had done all I could do, and we began to discuss getting a lock smith. I said I’d ask grandson David to look at it before taking a step that would cost money. David was due in a few minutes. When he heard my request, he walked straight to the safe, knelt down, touched the top, pressed the lever on the side, opened the top with a flourish, and sat back on his heels. It couldn’t have taken more than 10 seconds, and that included walking the length of the house! I was amazed and very grateful. The moment had to be recorded while the triumph was still written on David’s face.
We headed out for lunch. We drove through Maggie Valley, looking for an eatery that was open but not swamped with diners. Not seeing anything, we headed halfway up the mountain to the Twisted Spoke, which we knew was open. Perfect! All the window tables were taken, but we got something even better. Our seats both faced the windows, away from the cold air and in line with a heater sending warm air our way. We could see the lovely fall trees on the opposite mountain without turning our heads. The photo did not turn out well because of glare, so I took one outside when we left.
A few days ago, Lutherans celebrated Reformation Sunday. I was dressed for it, wearing something red in honor of the day. I also wore my Lutheran rose symbol earrings. No one saw me, since I attend church on line.
I was concentrating on the excellent sermon by a visiting pastor, when I was distracted by his laptop in the pulpit. I took a quick photo of the screen so that I could put my mind back where it belonged. I found it most amusing that Martin Luther was peering at the congregation from his picture on the back of the laptop (upper left corner). I showed my photo to grandson David when I saw him later, and I asked if he would agree that it was Luther. I didn’t trust my eyes. Yes, he said it looked like the reformer himself observing everything. Here is the photo with the pastor’s face blurred, because I didn’t ask him for permission to use it.
I was rather excited about the photo, because it was the first time I used AI. A few weeks ago, I asked niece Kathie for suggestions of things to play with, since she uses AI in teaching. Blurring a photo seemed a good place to start.
Niece Chrissie and Chris had one full day in North Carolina. We packed it full of leisure and relaxation. I was glad, since they ended up driving all the way to Utah without stopping at a motel! I think it took about 35 hours. Chrissie and I walked first thing in the morning, and I took the obligatory snapshot with the stop sign.
I like that Chris (christopherpollockart.com) always checks his creations when he is here. Many of his mobiles hang from the mantel, and once in a while one might have gotten knocked down. This time he picked up the bear ornament, one of the most versatile of the mobiles. It hangs from a stand, but it can also be lifted off to hang on the Christmas tree. He tweaked it a little, making it a bit more responsive.
They wandered into the study and looked for a puzzle piece or so. David had started the one for the year John died. I told them I was finding at least one piece a day. They were drawn in and spent relaxing hours finishing it. I drifted in and out and found at least two pieces while I was cooking dinner. I hadn’t stopped to think that this puzzle was a memorial for John, too, since his photos were featured. It’s great that they completed it, because Linda (https://lindaschaubblog.net/2025/10/26/a-walktober-stroll-that-was/) has already sent the new one for this year.
To finish off the evening, we had an impromptu dinner with neighbors across the street. Shawn, Chrissie, and I share Connections and Wordle scores every day. We make a few comments, enough to feel very connected. It was a chance for us to see each other face to face. I wanted Logan, King of Boggle, to played that word game with Chrissie, knowing they are both better at it than I am. My failure was not getting a photo of the fierce competition. The King reigned!
I was eager for Chris and Bob to be together, because both of them are Mr. Fix-It people. They think out of the box and make unique repairs that are impressive. They had a chance to share a few stories before the evening ended. Because Logan’s school day begins at an ungodly hour, the party had to end early.
One full day in South Carolina would never have been enough, but it was very satisfying. For breakfast Chris and Steve served Norwegian pancakes, a favorite of mine. That’s something I have never prepared for myself. A vital ingredient – family love — would be missing.
The night before, Steve brought out a huge jigsaw puzzle. He explained he worked it and was giving it to me as a memorial for John. I was thrilled. What a lovely tribute it was! He said later that he was thinking of John and our family while he put it together. There were lots of memories bound up with it.
I didn’t think about how it could be taken back to NC. The next morning five of us were standing beside the car, and Chris Pollock asked if we could guess where he stowed it. It was not visible, even with the trunk open! The very large puzzle was somehow hidden in a smallish car. It defied reason. When we couldn’t guess where it was, Chrissie pointed upwards. I leaned down and saw that it was strapped to the ceiling!!!
I had plenty of time to marvel at the stowage, since it was over our heads all the way back to my house. The more I looked at it, the more impressed I was. Who on earth could come up with that solution? It was totally out of our way and didn’t limit our movements at all. Brilliant!
Chrissie took my photo while we were traveling. Straps held the puzzle, with the help of the handles over each door. Only a person with a handyman brain would have cobbled together a sling with things already in the car.
When we got to my house, the puzzle was the last thing to be taken in. The natural place for it was the living room. Chris had it securely on the wall in minutes. I can see it from the laptop I use most of the time. John’s ashes are across the room. If he could see out of his box, he would be smiling and laughing. He would know there are matching sounds – the ringtone on my phone is a steam engine whistle, as is the chime for the doorbell. Yes, John would know that he lives on in our hearts.
Niece Chrissie, husband Chris, and I spent one full day with her parents. It was short, but we got a lot of visiting done. While Chrissie helped her mother with computer things for a presentation, Steve, Chris, and I took a walk in their neighborhood. We walked through the public gathering place and on toward a lake.
Steve pointed out the sign that warned of alligators! I think I’m more comfortable with black bears and skunks.
Back at the house, the unusual light fixture made Chrissie appear to have stars in her eyes. I couldn’t resist recording that.
When we went out to dinner, Chris and I shared a decadent chocolate dessert. I don’t usually have dessert, so it was a very special treat for me. There were others there, but I didn’t ask permission to include their names or photos.
Niece Chrissie and Chris drove from their new home in Utah to a relative’s birthday party in Kentucky. The next day they picked me up before noon, and we went to a town near Charleston to see Chrissie’s parents, Chris and Steve. We hadn’t even left my neighborhood when we had an exciting surprise. A flock of wild turkeys crossed the road. I had never seen so many at once, and Chrissie counted nine while snapping a photo of them. I think I can see six in the picture.
On the highway, I nestled into the large seat and enjoyed chatting while watching the scenery slide by. The back seat arrangement is different from any I’ve seen before. An armrest divides the space into one large seat and one quite small one. I felt like a queen, ready to wave to the crowds.
Steve treated us to dinner at an Asian restaurant. Three of us had sushi, and oh! how good it was!
As we relaxed later, Chrissie caught all the seniors on their phones.
A blog about life challenges in mostly fictional writing based on some fact. I am trying this Blog thing out because I need a creative outlet and am amazed at everything my iPad can do to help me along the way. So why not, right ?
My name is Suki, my human is a writer, and this is about my world. The world according to Suki The Cat. My humans smell funny, look weird, and I can't understand a thing they say, but they feed me, so hey, what are you gonna do?
Mehrling Muse 