November's Story....

(in other words....traveling with my band, family time, harvesting, music, and enjoying nature's fall show...)

Summer's Bounty...
(or a photo tribute to learning to garden as a townie, in smaller spaces. all the bounty and flowers are from my yard, except the berries, which were found along a nearby trail)

Speaking of Brave....

The little kitten tops that list. I thought I'd give an update on her after all the comments from the last post. Colleen apparently had some uncanny insight, as she left a comment saying that it seemed the kitten was a metaphor for our throw-away society.

After examining her, the veterinarian concluded she had blunt head trauma, most likely from being thrown out a car window.... and she'd probably have permanent neurological damage. I must have happened upon her right after she had been thrown out, thus her dazed and disoriented condition. They kept her at the clinic to observe her for 2 days and then I picked her up and brought her home. She was at least partially blind, not responding to visual stimuli. She couldn't walk... she would walk in circles and tumble down on herself. And she was having seizures about every 10 minutes. I really didn't think there was much hope for her.

I kept her in a crate in our utility room (i'm not supposed to have indoor pets) and tried to make her comfortable, but knew I'd have to make a decision about euthanizing. If her condition stayed the same, she would have a miserable life. It pained me to watch her try to walk and topple over backwards in the effort.... and how she huddled in the corner with a look of terror in her eyes before each seizure. The only hopeful sign was her appetite. She was a little piggy, and thus I nicknamed her "Miss Piggy". She also had a loud motor and purred contentedly when I held her or pet her.

We had plans to go out of town for the weekend, and Fiddlegirl agreed to keep kitty for us. When I was driving her there, Miss Piggy had the worst seizure yet, and my heart sank. I worried about her the whole weekend and knew the decision I'd probably have to make when I returned.

But amazingly, when we returned, Fiddlegirl told me she had a seizure the first night, but had none since. And she was letting the kids hold her, and was walking better. I took her home and observed the same. She was still a little wobbly, but could walk without falling over. And over the next week, she continued to improve. She still couldn't see well, but she would find me by my voice. I'd let her out of the crate when I'd be outside, and she would trot underfoot, and run around and chase Sir Laughsalot. And the seizures had completely subsided. You wouldn't have been able to guess that she was the same little kitty that I found limp and lethargic on the side of the road. I could barely keep up with her newfound energy and playfulness..

We can't have inside pets, and I knew she needed to be inside because of the blindness. But it just so happened that a local animal rescue organization was having a pet adoption fair this past weekend and told me to bring her. So I did..... and to my heart's delight, a young married couple fell in love with her there, and adopted her on the spot.

A small miracle, that reminded me about hope.....

Oh my, oh my..... how time does fly!


It seems just weeks ago, I was watching this little, snaggle-toothed boy walk through the double doors, into his first year of school...... and feeling as if my heart were walking away from me.

This mama had a harder time transitioning to this life change than he did. I remember agonizing during the year leading up to school about the best way to educate him.... should I homeschool, put him in public school, find a private school? I wanted him to have the best possible start for his "official" education.

Now, his Kindergarten graduation is coming up next week, and I wonder how it came so soon. I'm grateful for his little, country school that gave him a great first year.

Just last week, I came with my camera and took all the kids' yearbook pictures...... and I saw in their faces and smiles, the results of a small, close-knit community school.

Yesterday, I gathered with other school moms and community members, and peeled apples, and baked apple dumplings and pies all day in the school cafeteria in preparation for the school's annual Ice Cream Social. Everyone knew each other, and the 9 hour day of baking didn't seem tedious in the least bit, with all the conversation, laughter, and shared work. Students came in and out to help.... they made signs, and decorated the school. Community, as it was meant to be. Education, as it was meant to be.... a joint effort between parents and teachers, and the local community.

And I ended my day.... and I will end this first school year.... with gratitude.

The best pick-up line, EVER!

or 'How you know you're raising a country boy'......

Sir Laughsalot, my son, takes great pride in our compost pile. He has put himself in charge of emptying the big yogurt container that I use for kitchen scraps.... and if he catches me trying to throw any organic matter in the trash can, he intercedes, saying in an exacerbated voice, "Mommy! You can COMPOST that!!!"

He spends hours gathering grass, pine needles, leaves.... and adds them to the pile and stirs it faithfully with a big stick.

Sir Laughsalot also loves waitresses. Everywhere we eat, he befriends the waitresses with his charming good-looks and friendly banter. Recently, one young, friendly waitress particularly caught his eye.... and when she sat down at the counter to take a lunch break, he saddled up next to her...leaned in close.... smiled, and said with all sincerity, "You wanna share my compost?"

On My Plate.....

Besides the usual after-holidays crashing period, there has been a lot on my plate this past month. A cold virus has been present in our little family of three since before Christmas, and just seems to keep making the rounds. Sir Laughsalot was home sick from school for almost a week, and we had lots of middle of the night awakenings when cough medicine wore off. Now hubby has it, but everyone seems to be on the mend overall.

Also on my plate has been writing letters to the editor, making phone calls, and being a general nuisance about a mining permit that got approved in our county, with another pending. Despite our county government opposing it, along with the mayor and residents of the town it will affect, our state's DEP approved it. The decision is being appealed and two people are in the process of taking the decision to court, so all is not lost yet. This particular mine will be mostly underground, but some strip mining is involved. The reason it is being heavily contested is that it will take place near a water reservoir that services over 900 residents of our county. Residents of this community have already had their water supply disrupted by previous mining activity, and even in underground mining, there is acid mine drainage that runs off and is deposited in our streams. The second permit that is being sought will dump waste directly into the main river that flows through our town. This river is already struggling in water quality and health and has seen an abundance of fish kills in recent years. It seems absurd after last year's drought that a mining company is being allowed to come into our county and pollute and disrupt our water even more.

And lastly (is that a word? ) on my plate has been some music projects. I have been practicing with Fiddlegirl for an upcoming coffeehouse performance and I have also put up a music page on Myspace. The music page will serve as a way to pass along the mountain songs I love so much, and I will also use it to help spread the word about Mountaintop Removal, as it will be a wide open venue for me. There are already some songs up, and I hope to put some live music up from when Fiddlegirl and I perform locally.... You can check it out here.

Whew! :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

A Southerly Wind.......


I heard it in the wee morning hours.... It jolted me out of my dream. It shook and rattled the house. Then I heard a familiar Thud....Slam! The sound that I hear when Sir Laughsalot has had a nightmare.... the thud as he jumps out of bed, and the sound of his door slamming behind him as he bolts to our room. He jumped into my bed, wide-eyed... "what is that sound, mommy?"

"Just the wind, sweetie..... it decided to come out and play tonight."

'but it's scary..... i want to sleep with you.'

"No, let's go back to your room and get all tucked in... it's the middle of the night. Do you remember, in our book, how Laura Ingalls spoke of the wind howling in the winter time, rattling their windows and doors, like it was trying to get in? But she wasn't afraid..... She felt safe and warm and cozy, tucked into their little cabin.."

'yes, mommy....'

"Well, that's just what the wind does in the winter. I think it wants to come in out of the cold, too. So it raps on our windows and doors. That's why we should be thankful, like Laura, that we have a warm, cozy house to sleep in....and we don't have to sleep outside in the cold, like the wind."

'poor house......and poor wind', Sir Laughsalot sighed, as he snuggled back under his covers.

I went back to my room and lifted the window shade. The sky was grey and wintry, and I could see all the trees bending and swaying.... and my heart was grateful for this early winter wind.... because it brought a little, stolen moment of sweetness and comfort in the middle of the night.

Home......

After spending over 9 hours last night in the chaos of Sunday-after-Thanksgiving interstate traffic, it is good to be home. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, as we exited I-81, to make the hour and a half jaunt over the steep, winding mountain road that separates us from 'civilization', so to speak..... the mountain that keeps us from becoming the tourist and retirement destination that the Blue Ridges of Western NC, my former home, have become. The moon was full, and although it was cloudy, it silhouetted the valley below. The barns, farmhouses, and silos were outlined in the dark, against the mountain ranges behind them. I was keenly aware of the vast contrast of driving a mile without seeing a single light, and the scarred mountains that we had just come from... where monstrous vacation homes line barren ridgetops, and the lights from them seem to be floating in the air. I guess 'progress' and development is inevitable, but I hope our little valley stays pristine and untouched just a little while longer.... that our state can keep its claim to being 'wild and wonderful' and 'almost heaven'......

While I was away, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself featured on a great new blog, called Beauty on the Web. Sheila, the blog's author, describes her goal as this, "This is a blog about beautiful things on weblogs. I found that as I was reading other blogs, a brilliant sentence or a stunning photo would pop out and demand to be shared." Head over and check out some of the beautiful things she has found. The post featuring my blog is Wednesday, Nov. 21st. She has also featured two of my favorite bloggers, Colleen and Fred First.

I also found myself the recipient of a "Community Blogger Award" while I was away....thanks to June, my blogger friend.

Its an award that celebrates "people who reach out and make the blogger community a better one". I'm honored and will share this award with others soon. So much blogging love while I was away! Thanks, girls! :)

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.... and find much beauty and joy today!

Morning Has Broken......


"Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word....

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass...

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's re-creation of the new day... "

- Traditional Hymn by Eleanor Farjeon

(photo: morning view from my front porch..... )

Provision.......

(an excerpt from an e-mail I sent to my family shortly after moving to our new town)

I had a wonderful night last night....just one of those nights where it seems the stars are all aligned just for you. We were invited to Vacation Bible School at a little country church up the road..... down a beautiful, winding, one-lane road following a creek. I stayed with Sir Laughsalot through the evening... went to his class with him. He made friends with the class clown right away, an onery little red-headed boy. They carried on, laughed, and played together the entire night..... Such a wonderful thing to see after having to leave all his friends behind when we moved.

Another mom was there and I sensed a kindred spirit.... and a familiar accent. We trepidly started conversing and realized we were both from the same area of North Carolina and she had also gone to college near my hometown in Kentucky. Before long, we were laughing, too.... and didn't stop talking until the evening was through. We even got some looks from the teachers to hush. As the evening wound down, we exchanged phone numbers, e-mails, and 'See ya tomorrow's!"

It was dark when we left..... and the cicadas and peepers were almost deafening. I had a euphoric feeling walking down the little road to the car, with the sounds of the country in my ear, the little white church's steeple lit up in the background, and the sound of kids laughing. A night of good conversation, a possible new friendship, and knowing my son is getting that gentle, fun introduction to Jesus that we had at our bible schools growing up. We drove home with the windows down, listening to the night sounds, and Sir Laughsalot softly singing the songs he had learned that night.

I believe Someone did line the stars up for me last night.......

Moving In The Summer Heat............

Again! We were doing the same thing two summers ago when we moved to this area from Maryland for my husband's new job. The thing that makes it worth it is the excitement of moving back out to the country from town and living in a farmhouse again. We are moving to a community about an hour away to be closer to hubby's work. So, here goes again! Thanks to everyone that has been checking in while I've been away. It has been a crazy summer and we won't be all moved in until the end of July, so I still won't be able to post regularly until we get settled.

But soon I'll be posting about playing in creeks, sitting on the front porch while gazing at the mountains, and being right down the road from my grandfather's homeplace. Full circle....back to my roots.

In the meantime, for all you shutterbugs...... My friend and fellow blogger, Fred First, over at Fragments From Floyd has started a neat project called "Unplanted Gardens: America's Roadside Bloomery". He's asking for photographs of roadside wildflowers and is starting a gallery of them. Go here to get more information and to view the gallery so far. I plan on taking my camera out today and documenting some of the local flora. Maybe I'll see some of your photos there soon........

Also, what a treat when I checked Anna's blog for the first time in a long while, and saw this beautiful close-up of my sister. Anna lives across the pond, in London, along with my sister. And her description of my sis is quite accurate. How I miss her.............

Until next time........ :)

SNOWY DAY..... We woke up to a surprise snow this morning...a very pretty one, at that. And with a five year old in the house, staying inside is not an option. I decided to take a walk around the block and photograph the things around me that I see each day. We live in a small town on a quaint street, with lots of older homes- and we tend to walk everywhere, as most of our town's amenities are nearby.

Come....take a walk with me.....

Hmmm......I see signs of children nearby- let's see if we can find them....



Ahh hah! Found you........

That's a pretty cool igloo you've got there......

We've come to the corner...and to my favorite tree on the block....


Very majestic.......


This is the favorite stop of the neighborhood dogs .......


Like this one....who really wanted to come out and walk with me........


The snow didn't stop the church-goers- I could hear them singing......


I think these neighbors would rather be near the ocean.......

The little bungalow on the corner....also home to about 20 feral cats......



Charlie, the horse's, home......


Don't think these will get used tomorrow.......



Ahhh......back to home sweet home......

Our Daily Bread.....
"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight..." — M. F. K. Fisher,The Art of Eatin'

Organic Seeded Seduction Bread...... that is the name of the bread in the photo, a hostess gift given to me by a friend that came to visit this weekend. What do you think? Does it look seductive? It did to me...... and became even more so as I smelled it warming in the oven. What is it about the smell of fresh, homemade bread baking in the oven? It conjures up many thoughts, emotions, and memories for me, as my mom made a lot of homemade breads growing up....english muffins, biscuits, oatmeal bread......

Bread is a universal...a part of almost every culture and diet and has deep meaning for many. It is used as a symbol and for teaching, as I think of the many scripture passages and teachings of Jesus that refer to bread..... "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body” Mathew 26:26 .
We speak of "breaking bread together" when we fellowship and eat together.

When I "googled" the word bread, I found these interesting links:
1. Here is the Wikipedia definition of bread.
2. Here is a blog devoted to bread.
3. Here is a website devoted to ending Hunger.
4. And Here is a site all about the mechanics and science of baking bread.

What thoughts and emotions are evoked when you smell homemade bread baking?

Wordless Wednesday....
not something I normally do, but it was a busy day today...and a little elf had been at work in my kitchen!

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here......

An Ode To Ironing......

"An ode to ironing, the bane of my time....

Is the monotony worth it, just to save a dime?

The ironing board beckons from it's home in the corner,

as the ironing pile begins to overflow it's border....

One wrinkle down...hundreds more to go....

As the steam rises, my thoughts overflow....

towards missed opportunities and adventures to come,

my dreams rise up, and float away towards the sun.

But then my reverie is broken by the hissing machine...

and I'm back to my chore.... just the iron and me....."

Okay, excuse my lack of poetic skills. Ironing is my VERY least favorite chore in the whole world. Up until my husband got his current job, I never had to iron...a quick throw into the dryer did the trick just fine. Now he has to wear dress clothes each day and it's my job as the "Domestic Engineer"...ahem... to launder and iron them. We don't want to waste money on dry-cleaning or be exposed to the toxins it puts out. I guess there is a "right" way to iron, but I don't know what that is. I usually iron more wrinkles INTO the clothes as I'm trying to get them out. I tell my husband to blame the horrible ironing job on his hour commute.

I cope with the hour long monotony by putting in a favorite CD and doing little oompa-loompa bends to the music...or thinking deep thoughts......or chatting with Sir Laughsalot about the varied and random things that fill a 5 year-old's brain.

Do I have any ironing lovers out there? If so, please share some tricks of the trade...they would be appreciated. And for those like me, what do you do to make your chores more enjoyable? I love hearing other's ideas......

Raking Leaves...... we still haven't finished raking all the leaves from our yard and it is now December. We have the only yard on the block with trees, so we feel the neighborly duty to rake so the leaves don't blow into everyone's yard. But we tend to rake up one bagful here, one bagful there. And we get plenty of "help"- the kind of help that makes it "one step forward, one step back". But that's the best kind, isn't it?

MAKING PIES.................

























Pumpkin pie is Sir Laughsalot's FAVORITE kind of pie. I think he would eat a whole one if I let him. This year he wanted to make one from scratch. And not from the can, scratch.......fom a pumpkin. He begged and begged at Halloween to make one from our Jack-o-lanterns innards, but I explained that you had to use a special kind of pie pumpkin and we would make one for Thanksgiving. And, of course, I saw plenty of pie pumpkins for sale during October, but when we tried to find one for Thanksgiving, none could be found. We tried farmer's markets, fruit stands, grocery stores, etc. to no avail. I held out until Thanksgiving Eve and went to one last grocery store, but no luck!!! So Sir Laughsalot, much to his disappointment, had to make one from canned pumpkin. We actually made two, one to share and one to have all to himself! :) He was a very good pie maker and was very excited about the outcome, as you can see. I also learned that next year, we need to buy the pie pumpkin early. Any tips on preserving it until Thanksgiving time? Or any advice on where to get a pie pumpkin closer to Thanksgiving?

Well, we got bit last night from the first stomach bug of the season. Needless to say, Sir Laughsalot was not laughing as he managed to utter, "This is the worst day EVER!" as he leaned over the toilet. So today will be laundry day, washing the pile of clothes, sheets, and towels from the nights foray. And enduring the gurgly stomach in anticipation of it getting passed along..... ahhh..... the joys of motherhood!!