Road Trip

Things are crazy around here.  On top of all the other craziness, I got a call a few days ago.  My job just ended suddenly as of this Friday.  It was always meant to be temporary job, but the sudden termination was sort of unexpected.  On top of my Dad getting remarried at 87, my world is rocking on its foundations. 

We're planning a trip to Florida -- actually several trips throughout the winter and early spring -- and the rental car companies really rape you during the Christmas season.  A typical car goes for $1100/week!!  So we've developed the practice of taking an old car down there in the fall and leaving it until the spring.  But this year we didn't get around to it.  Jeff's been working crazy hours, so I insisted on taking the car down last weekend. 

It was a long long drive, but it was sort of fun.  It was nice to get away from the crazy and be alone for a few days.  I had a couple of good books on tape to listen to and I was able to stop and see the sights whenever I wanted to.  In fact, I stopped here:  (Jeff would NEVER have gone along with this one)

In fact, it was a nice little tourist trap with free cheese samples.  I bought two hunks of cheese and a cool cheese knife. 

Most amazing of all, though, I FINALLY got to See Rock City!  The most venerable tourist trap of them all!  Ever since I was a child, I've begged to go to Rock City and nobody would take me because (a) we were always in a hurry to get somewhere else, and (b) it's a tourist trap. 

For the unenlightened, Rock City started out as a pleasure garden for a wealthy couple who lived on top of Lookout Mountain in Georgia.  The views are stunning and it's said that you can see five states from Lover's Leap (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama).  When the depression hit, the wealthy couple -- now not so wealthy -- opened their garden to the public for an admission charge.  The husband then had a stroke of advertising genius.  He agreed to paint barns throughout the South for farmers, as long as the farmers agreed to allow him to paint "See Rock City" on them    "See Rock City" became part of americana -- and I'd never seen it! 

So, I took golden opportunity while there was no one to complain that we'd be late to our destination or that they didn't want to go.  I paid my outrageous $20 entry fee and had a pleasant walk around some beautiful rock formations, and lovely gardens, and I saw beautiful views.  I SAW ROCK CITY! 

The entryway to all that is Rock City (and the gift shop -- who knew they would have a gift shop!?)



A stream running between enormous rock formations



Looking up into a Douglas fir

Most of the flora was labelled for identification

A damp but interesting passageway

The swinging bridge -- talk about a thrill ride -- it wobbles hundreds of feet in the air

Lover's Leap, where you can see five states



Trying to Hold It Together

Geez!  It's been crazy around here for the past few weeks.  The girls both had personal crises towards the end of the school term, Jeff is working himself to death, and my Dad announced that he's getting remarried ... right NOW.  My world is a little off-kilter at the moment. 

I'm trying to be happy for Dad.  I know he's lonely and Harriett seems like a lovely person, but I don't know her at all.  I've only met her once, briefly.  I'm finding it hard to imagine her in my Mom's place.  I know that she isn't trying to fill that role, but in my mind my Mom and Dad are a matched set.  It's disorienting to think of him sharing his home with anyone else.

And the way they've gone about it is ridiculous.  Let me vent for a minute here.  Not only did he spring it on me, but they decided to get married on Christmas Day.  I guess that made sense for her side of the family because her son from Chicago would be in town, but neither my brother or sister could attend on that day and, if they were excluded, I was seriously thinking about boycotting.  Of course, all of the planning and information was being transmitted through my Dad, who is often a bit confused, because I don't even have this woman's phone number or address.  I asked Dad yesterday for her address and he didn't know it.  He just knows how to get there -- he doesn't know the apartment number. 

Anyway, it may all work out.  They agreed to postpone the wedding until Jan. 21st so everyone can attend.  And they also met with an attorney yesterday to sort out a pre-nup.  He's 87 and she's 88.  I want them to enjoy the years they have left and keep each other company.  I want to be happy about this.  I'm trying. 

So, on top of everything else, when I came downstairs early Saturday morning I noticed water near the kitchen sink.  When I opened the cabinet, water spilled out on the floor.  I turned around and went back to bed.  It was too much.  Later, after I'd screwed up my courage, I pulled all the sodden crap out from under the sink.  It was a lot of wet stuff but it wasn't the first time I've had plumbing issues with that sink, so most of it was in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic.  The pipes were dripping in three different places.  And continued to drip after I turned off the water supply taps.  It was a mystery.  I sopped up the mess and put bowls under the drips and called the plumber. 

Of course, since it was Saturday, the plumber didn't answer and I left a message.  A few hours later, I left another message.  A few hours later, I called another plumber, picked out of a hat.  Fortunately, the second plumber came right away and showed me that the 25-year-old faucet on my kitchen sink was kaput.  The water was still flowing because the cut-off taps were so old and stiff that I hadn't turned them all the way off.  He didn't have a faucet in stock to replace it, so there was nothing he could do for me except charge me $100 for the service call. 

Then Jeff called from the airport.  He just flew in from Colorado and his car wouldn't start.  Would I come and jump him?  I tried, but the car wouldn't start and he went into a rage when I insisted that we leave it and deal with it the next day rather than waiting who knows how long for AAA to come.  He had had a long and difficult day and a dead car was the last thing he wanted.  In the end, I took him home and headed back out to Home Depot -- armed with an Internet video on "How to Replace Your Kitchen Faucet." 

It was after midnight when I finally finished installing the brand new chrome finished Delta faucet with two spray options and a built-in spray wand.  Everyone else had gone to bed.  It worked and it didn't leak (although I didn't put everything back in the cabinet until I was SURE).  It was a victory. 

Out goes the old faucet



In goes the new faucet



Waiting for the cabinet to dry ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

What a difference a year makes!  Yesterday was the anniversary of my weight loss surgery.  There's no denying that I'm still plump, but I'm 85 pounds lighter, no longer diabetic, off my blood pressure meds, off my cholesterol meds, off my CPAP, and much more energetic and full of life.  It wasn't easy, but I can say definitively that it was a good thing. 

For the first time in -- forever -- I've got most of my Christmas shopping done early.  I might actually ENJOY the Christmas season for the first time a long time.  I remember distinctly a few years ago when Sherri Buckley and I were in the bell choir together.  We were playing the bells for midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and both of us burst into tears because the stress of the holiday was coming to a head and we both had hours of gift wrapping ahead of us.  I don't want to do that again ... ever. 

The Christmas season starts for me with the Friendship Spinners' annual retreat at Shakertown.  Like many of the members, I'm not very good at attending the monthly meetings -- which usually involves driving a couple of hours to a location central to the scattered members --  but I try not to miss the annual retreat.  I've never met a warmer group of about sixty ladies (and several men!).  We joke, we laugh, we discuss our lives, and we go out of our way to welcome new people and shy people.  It's probably the most comfortable group I've ever been a part of.  I can sit alone and spin quietly or pick up my chair and join any group.  No one will freak out if I take a walk by myself and everyone will welcome me if I join in their conversation.  It's such a blessing and a release to be there. 

This year I brought curried sweet potato soup and spinach dip to the potluck.  I didn't make my usual springerles embossed with the lady spinning, and some people were disappointed.  Maybe next year.  The potluck spread was perfect for my new dietary requirements!  I could sample some soup and have crackers and a cookie any time during the retreat, so I could eat little bits all day long.  Perfect! 

I scored big on both the gift exchange and the raffle.  As my gift, I brought a Christmas angel made out of roving and 4 ounces of suri alpaca for spinning.  In the exchange, I received a brightly colored handwoven floor rug made of those little pot holder loopies!  It's so cute and cheerful and perfect for me since I don't really weave and couldn't have made something like that for myself.  My number was called in the raffle and I went home with a lovely skein of brown handspun shetland.  I also brought home one of the wonderful baskets that Ken was selling.  They're made in Africa by tribal women and the money goes directly to support them -- and they're fantastic baskets. 

Our room at Shakertown,  the cabinet cleverly hides a TV

The West Family Wash House, where we hold our meeting every year

Shaker woven coverlets in the textile museum

A shaker dress

A shaker shirt

Colorful beeswax candles for sale in the gift shop -- I bought some red ones

Shaker collars and underthings

The wagon ride all decked out for Christmas

Shakertown, of course, provides the perfect atmosphere for a retreat.  It was all decked out for Christmas -- but simple and serene as usual.  Lorain and I shared a hotel room, which brought my expense for the weekend to a grand total of $44 since I didn't eat in the restaurant. 

After the spinning wheels were packed up and everyone dispersed, I drove to Lexington and picked up Linda.  We went back down to Danville to attend a "Lessons & Carols" service where Kate was performing with the Centre Singers and the Centre Choir.  Danville's main street was breathtaking.  All the trees lining the street were festooned with white lights and it looked like a wonderland.  The performance/church service was lovely, consisting of congregational caroling and choral performances punctuated with pertinent bible readings.  Ally met us there, so we got to see both girls.  It was a moving ending to a happy day. 

After Thanksgiving

Sam is sad.  His girls left yesterday morning after being home for Thanksgiving break. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time at Kathryn's new house in Paducah (which meant a 10 hour round trip on Thanksgiving day for Jeff and Ally).  Kate and Dad and I went down on Tuesday and stayed until Friday afternoon. 

Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead on Thanksgiving so I didn't get any pictures when everyone was together.  Here are some pictures of the day after and a cool video of Uncle John's Model T in action. 

My niece, Mary Beth, and her boyfriend, Ted.  Mary Beth is working on her PhD in Mathematics at Duke
 and Ted is at Boston University working on a PhD in Physics.  They're adorable together!

Kate teaches the chickens to cross the road.

Kate and one of Aunt Kathryn's very tame chickens

My nephew William practices the fine art of chicken tossing.

Taffy is a good dog.

My sister Kathryn presides over her table with my nephew Jay

Kate poses in Uncle John's Model T truck

Just turn your head sideways ....

By the way, Kate seems to be over whatever it was that was bothering her.  It has been a tense couple of weeks with lots of doctors and tests -- but no one could quantify anything but a racing heartbeat and some strange blood pressures.  Larry thinks it was a "perfect storm" of stress, a flu bug, and a reaction to some medication -- none of which would have caused her symptoms independently but all together they packed a punch.  Anyway, I'm glad she's feeling better and thanks to everyone for your concern and prayers. 

Every Day Luxuries

As I was making dinner last night and taking things in and out of the refrigerator, it struck me to be thankful for that refrigerator.  Seriously.  Refrigerators are a very new phenomenon in the history of mankind.  Even within living memory, the best people could do were iceboxes -- and that, itself, was an innovation.  I don't know how I could cope without a refrigerator and freezer.  All of your food would have to be either eaten immediately or dried, salted, or smoked. 

I read an article once in the Phi Beta Kappa Journal (Jeff's subscription, not mine) that I've always remembered and wish I could get my hands on a copy.  The article began with a vivid description of a messenger riding hellbent for leather down the mountain with precious cargo, handing his package to a waiting companion with a fresh horse, and falling spent from the saddle.  It turned out that the valuable package was ice from the mountain to cool the emperor's drink.  The point of the article was that even the poorest person in America today lives better than an emperor in days gone by.  It somehow stuns me to think that King Henry VIII used a latrine all his life. 

So, that's what I'm thankful for today:  refrigeration.  Even on a cold wet day, it's a good thing.

Sign of the Season

I just wanted to share these two short videos I made yesterday.  A huge flock of migrating birds landed in my neighbor's yard and were making all kinds of racket.  I thought the videos were pretty cool.  How do they all fly at once like that without running into each other?

Fighting Entropy

Entropy.  That's the enemy.  We spend our lives fighting it and, ultimately, we all lose. 

Last night, Larry invited his sister to go to the movies with us.  Mary's a nurse and she's had a bad week.  She cautioned Kate, "Don't ever go to nursing school."  There was never any danger of that.  I thought, though, about the high burn out of nurses.  Their work is physically and emotionally exhausting, God bless them, and they never win.  They're constantly fighting an enemy -- disease and injury and death -- that never gives up.  Their lives are an endless parade of scared and complaining people in need.  No wonder they burn out.  It's like swimming against a tsunami.  No ... it's not like a tsunami ... more like a relentless tide.  Sometimes you think you're making progress and doing well, and then the force of the ocean overtakes you. 

I spent yesterday fighting entropy too.  I made a pretty good dent in cleaning out the garage.  It's not saving a life, but it's still a small part of the good fight.  Making order out of chaos.  Opposing the natural inclination of things to fall into decay. 

As I was writing this, the sun came up.  A new day.  I know I can't beat the enemy.  So, maybe that's not the goal.  Maybe the goal should be to make things as good as they can be for as long as possible.  Which means continuing to clean out the garage today and fixing Genny's hutch to she can't get out and run wild in the rain like she did last week. 

There's a cardinal and a titmouse on my bird feeder.  Ephemeral things, birds.  They look sleek and healthy though and I'm contributing to that by setting out food for them.  I'm helping them fight the entropy another day. 

I wonder what makes us keep going.  How do we have the courage and hope and energy to hold back the chaos?  Like a dike around Holland, we push back the waters.  We mend the dike here and it springs a leak there.  While I cleaned out the garage yesterday, the dishes piled up in the kitchen and Kate and Jeff left stuff all over the family room.  If you're lucky, you can only hope to make marginal progress over the entropy.  But I'm not ready to throw up my hands and give up.  In fact, I'm sort of encouraged by the realization that I can't be expected to win.  I only have to do what I can do.  That's giving it a good try, for myself and the people I love. 

Now that it's light, I can see that I left the lid off the rabbit food last night.  The feeder birds are curious about the rabbit food and occasionally perch on the edge of the plastic container, but no one has tried to eat it.  I'll probably have to throw out at least part of it.  Chaos wins a small victory.  But I have the lid and more rabbit food and the will to fight.