Zero Birthdays

Both son John $pencer and friend Rose had birthdays ending in zero while they were traveling out West. We wished them happy birthday via telephone, but we had to celebrate in person when they came back. John prepared his spaghetti sauce, and I used my mother’s Apple Crisp recipe for our homespun celebration. It was wonderful to have them home again for a while.

I told $ the little present for him was a gag gift. It was a set of salt and pepper shakers in the shape of owls. I couldn’t tell by his expression if he remembered I gave him the same thing last year. We raised him right, and he said thank you sincerely. I explained that I spotted them in the store, knew he’d like them because he likes owls, and bought them. After I got home, I remembered that was exactly what happened last year – same thought, same store, same time of year, same price. Aauuggghhh! At least my thinking is consistent!

Geography with Logan

It’s easier to keep up with neighbors in warm weather when people sit on their porches or work in their yards. We hadn’t seen neighbor Logan and his parents for a long time, so we got together after school for dessert and a quick visit. We knew they had an appointment and couldn’t stay long. That explains why the exit photo had a deer-in-the-headlights aura.

Shawn said she is going on a mission trip next year, causing John to bring the globe to the table. Logan found the country, and that led to John’s talking about the Gulf stream. That’s the wonderful part about having a living encyclopedia in the room. You get information focused on the present topic. I once likened John to an interactive screen. You press him, and history comes out.

There must be a magnet in that globe. We all find it irresistible once someone begins looking at it. Shawn said geography isn’t taught in school any more. I asked grandson David if he knew where Africa was, and he pointed to it and continued identifying Australia and New Zealand as the globe turned. David was just out of camera range, but he was in on the conversation. I was relieved he had map skills, some of which must have come from early schooling.

Goodbye Season

One of the last pretty trees on our morning walk held onto some of its leaves until I took a picture of it. Autumn did not shine in the mountains this year, probably because we had a dry season when the trees were thirsty. We drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway three or four weeks in a row, trying to catch the peak of the season.

On one of our jaunts, John stopped the car beside a little waterfall so that David and I could hear it gurgling. We found the sound both soothing and satisfying. Soon the Parkway will be closed for the season, so we won’t be passing such delights again until spring.

We said goodbye to the best supermarket cashier we’ve ever had. For about five years, Laurie scanned our groceries efficiently while chatting with us. It’s amazing how close you can feel when you have snippets of conversation regularly. She has taken a job where her husband works, and they are looking forward to having lunch together.

We sincerely hope we’ve said goodbye to the yellow jackets in our garden. I was stung two different times, and after each encounter, John sprayed the nest. It was hidden under a patch of Lamb’s Ears. Recently I saw lots of the critters buzzing about some evergreen bushes, so I watched them go in and out of the nest every time I was in that area. Yesterday I found a large hole where the entrance to their nest had been. It was about five inches wide, ten inches long, and at least a foot deep. The camera was in my pocket, so I took a picture of it at dusk. I called John and David to look at the photo on the monitor. They saw it and said, “Let’s go look at it!”

I had noticed several pieces of comb, something like honeycomb, scattered near the hole. I began to wonder if a bear had dug out the nest. I read on the internet that bears do go for yellow jackets, but they are more likely to eat them in the spring when berries are scarce. The article mentioned that raccoons and skunks prey on yellow jackets at night. They must be the culprits, or heroes, as the case may be. I saw one yellow jacket walking on the comb, and David saw a few others. They will probably be killed in a day or so when our temperatures drop sharply. We will not be sorry to see them go.

Mug Shots

Grandson David and I were chatting with daughter Kate. We pressed the speaker icon so that we could both hear her. She shrieked when we told her she was balanced on the mustard while we were eating.

She laughed when she received the photo that David sent on his phone. She countered with her mug shot that says, “happy fall y’all.” She said she should bring it to North Carolina the next time she comes. I said that she should keep it in New Jersey to let her Southern roots show.

I shared a photo of the mug I was using featuring the Peanuts characters. John and I found it last year and bought it as a remembrance of my mother, a great fan of the comic strip. I’m sure she would have gotten a kick out of it.

Do you have silly conversations like we do?

Best Pun of Year

John came home from choir rehearsal telling about grandson David’s show-stopping pun. Bear in mind that Asheville is noted for people who have a very liberal lifestyle. Choir member Nick saw an equal number of men in the tenor and bass sections. He asked the director, “Would you rather I’d sing tenor or bass. I can do either one.”

David said, “Nick is bi-sectional.”

There was stunned silence for a moment until people realized it was a pun, and then everyone burst out laughing.

Halloween with Logan

Neighbor Logan (9) makes Halloween worthwhile. He came dashing through the rain after school, proudly wearing his costume. I kept myself from asking what character he was, because I would probably have lost stature in his eyes for not knowing. I’m short enough, as it is.

His eyes zeroed in on the bowl of candy by the door, only for a nanosecond, before he looked at my face. Now if that isn’t self-control, I don’t know what is. Take a proud bow, Shawn and Bob, for training in good manners.

I was surprised that Logan took off his shoes, because I thought he would have too many other things to do than spend time here. He said he could stay for a little while. We had a drink and played with a balloon. I used my hands; he used his feet. As he bounced around, he shared that he had broken a record of the school. If I understood him correctly, that school has existed for 38 years. I don’t know what the previous record was, but Logan ran a mile in 6 minutes, 11 seconds. No wonder we thought he ran very fast in our yard! He’s a winner, that’s for sure.

I had two items for him to find today. Usually I hide a granola bar for him, but this time he was to look for two packs of orange things. He quickly found the faux-Lego pieces in the dining room. His choice was to play with them here or take them home. Home won. When he left, I put the blocks in a bag and dumped all the candy in, as well. Some day he might realize there were hugs included with every piece.

A Visit from Logan and Lily

Neighbors Shawn and Bob stopped their car to say hello to us while we were walking. We noticed Logan and his niece in the back seat and found out there was no school today. The two children came over to visit as David was leaving for work. I loved the way Logan (9) looked after Lily (7), interpreting her speech for me when I couldn’t hear what she was saying. We usually hide something for Logan to find, so I hid two items. I quietly suggested to Logan that he not tell Lily when he found the first one and to keep looking for the second. He signaled when he found the first in a mug and kept searching until he found one in an antique egg beater on the wall. He gave hints to her until she found hers. The children posed for a picture, cooperative as always. I thought Lily looked cute with her cat whiskers and lashes. I wondered if, in twenty years, she runs for elective office and will be hounded from the roster because she dressed in cat-face.

All four of us played with a balloon, and they went outside to fly the gliders. Lily was diverted by the horses, staying by the fence while the fellows flew the plane and retrieved it from the evergreen tree. I was on the deck and zoomed in with the camera as Logan joined Lily.

The horses loved the children. They won’t do more than look at me and walk away, unless I have treats for them. Not so today. They stood still and let Lily pet them. Logan asked if we had anything to feed them, so we got an apple and some horse treats. John doled out the treats to the children, freeing me to aim the camera.

John went inside when he got cold, followed shortly by Logan. They took advantage of being alone and played a game of checkers. Lily perched on the fence, chatting to me and the horses. DW kept nuzzling her, making me wonder if he spends time with children when his owner takes him away from the pasture for months at a time. He liked the smell of her hair and her sweatshirt. Lily and I were still with the horses when Logan called her in. The children were told to come home in an hour, and Logan kept an eye on the clock. We enjoyed their visit, having missed seeing the young set for weeks.

DW enjoys being petted as Vixen comes up behind Lily

Flying Visit in a Car

Nieces Kathie and Julie, with great-nephew Max, stopped by our house on their way home from a quick get-away. I was thrilled to see them. It was the first time Kathie and Max had been here.

Julie said this trip was modeled after the Mystery Trips SIL Beth used to plan for her grandchildren. Beth would tell the parents how to pack for their children, but none of them knew where the children were going. I remember seeing a photo from one of those trips where Max, Sam, and Kate wore matching tee-shirts with the theme of the trip.

The three drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway, took a hike in the mountains, went to a concert in Chattanooga, spent the night there, had lunch in Knoxville, came here, and headed home in the rain. Maybe it was more of a whirlwind than a flight.

Frozen!

Should I have believed the frost warning? Yes. It was two degrees above freezing when I walked and one degree above when I ate breakfast. I assumed we had not reached the magic number, even though the pasture was suspiciously white. An hour or so later there was water dripping off the deck railing. I went out to touch it to see if frost had formed there. With direct sun on it, there was only water. My eyes slid over several inches. Golly Pete! There was ice on the birdbath!

The solar pump was not working, and I thought it was broken, clogged by ice. I gently pulled it out, where it left a hole in the ice. Ice made a circular frame for a green and brown leaf under it. The ice was at least ¼ inch thick, more than enough to make a skating pond for the birds. The fountain did work, and I put it back so the birds could see there was running water for them.

Celebrating John T

For a year we knew John T’s days on earth were numbered. It was after he and his son Max climbed Mr. Kilimanjaro last year that he was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

I began to think about how people are revealed to us. As a baby is christened, we wonder what hopes and dreams for the child are hidden in the hearts of the family. The infant grows up, and if s/he gets married, we learn a lot from the toasts, roasts, and good wishes of the peers during that celebration. The family draws near at the end of life, and we hear a summary of accomplishments, both tangible and intangible. The intangibles bring in the future – how s/he influences following generations.

A week and a half after John T’s death, John, grandson David and I drove to Charlotte. We picked up grandson Nathaniel and went to church with him. A year ago Nathaniel visited churches within walking distance of the downtown campus and settled on St. Peter’s. When it was time for prayers of the church, we were surprised that the pastor prayed for the family of John T. Wow! John told Nathaniel that it was kind of him to have requested prayer for him.

“I didn’t,” said Nathaniel. “We prayed for the family last week, too.”

We were invited to have lunch with the family at the church before the service for John. A very gracious couple were overseeing it. The man saw Nathaniel walk in and said, “You’re the chef, right?” I didn’t know the man, but he obviously knew our grandson. The woman invited us to help ourselves at the buffet as she tossed a huge salad. I found out later that these lovely people were John’s parents. On the day of their son’s funeral, they served lunch to the extended family and close friends. How humbling! I wish I could have done something for them. For one, I would have told Suzanne that our daughter Lise had idolized her from the moment she met her many years ago. I’ll join Lise in admiring both Suzanne and Randy.

Not having permission to use anyone else’s photo, I took only one shot of us with niece Julie. (Julie is John T’s sister-in-law. My brother and Beth are the parents-in-law.)

In church, I took a picture of the flowers, flag, medals, and boots. On the wall is a projected photo of John with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background.

As expected, we felt we knew him much better after listening to John’s family and pastor. He was an adventurer from an early age. Wherever he went, he became a leader, though his purpose was to serve others. He was an Eagle Scout. All present and former scouts were invited to stand and repeat the scout oath. Veterans stood and were recognized with applause. Two of his friends, currently in the military, were there in their impressive dress uniforms. Pastor Rick talked of John’s outreach to everyone he met. The last year of his life was a good one, filled with joy and peace. The staff at the oncologist’s office asked each other, “Who is he that he exudes such joy and assurance?”

Pastor Rick said he regularly visited John in his roles of pastor and good friend. “He wanted to know how I was doing and if there were anything he could do for me. That’s the way he dealt with everyone. He was always willing to share the source of his strength and his assurance of an everlasting life after death.”

We were invited to go out in the parking lot for the releasing of balloons (approved and biodegradable). Students from the Christian school, where John taught science, picked up balloons on the way out. Those who couldn’t get in the sanctuary had watched the service in the fellowship hall. I knew the sanctuary was totally full, but people kept streaming out. There were hundreds of people there and countless others watching the streaming video from home. The hushed crowd listened to the haunting playing of Taps and then released the balloons. Dark clouds overhead hurled a drenching rain at us. I felt that had John been in the crowd in person, he would have laughed and helped people run for cover.

Pastor Rick, wearing a blue shirt and raising a thumb, gives signal to release balloons.

Nathaniel shared his discovery about the prayer for John at St. Peter’s. After the celebration of life service, he saw a couple he recognized. He is guessing they were involved in the school where John and niece Kathie taught, either as teachers or parents of a student. There could have been many Charlotte churches upholding us in prayer that day.