Two Thoughts

Good Wednesday morning friends,
Two thoughts:
1) My friend Joyce said something on her blog that really was profound...something a bit like this: "all the things that made summer so appealing like watering my garden, walking the dog, mowing the lawn are not that much fun anymore in the dog days of summer" Now, that is really not a quote, but it is profound and oh so true....I am ready for autumn, which in NC doesen't really show up until late Sept., but still the feel comes into the air and we begin to cool down a bit here...my container plants are struggling, my garden is withering (but FULL OF TOMATOES), my lawn is either weeds or brown grass and it is too hot. Michael's already has out their great fake pumpkins and gourds plus orange everywhere.....Homegoods also is beginning to fill up with great decorating do dads for fall and of course Target is full swing. Little wonder I am feeling the urge to just whizz past August and head straight for September.....especially since it is my birth month and I will be hitting a milestone age-wise....and it isn't 40!
2) I am moving on....have committed to getting rid of my tea shop "stuff" that has been in storage for over 3 years now.....I will get a space at the weekend flea market in Raleigh and set up shop, hopefully selling tons of stuff and then downsize my storage unit by half.....that is a big deal for me, but no longer am I waiting for someone to come to me with tons of money and want me to open a tea room using all this great ...."stuff"!!! Not going to happen. Get over it. I was blessed beyond measure with the shop in Durham and for that I will be eternally greatful to a God who loves even me. Now, He wants to do something else with me, so I am moving on.
So, that's it, two thoughts from me. Hope you are keeping cool wherever you are and that you are also looking forward to a wonderful autumn.
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cathy

Just past MidSummer

Good Wednesday morning friends!
I have been checking in on some of my favorite blogs, people who inspire and delight, and I am so thankful for this new opportunity to connect with people.

I am definately a people person. I enjoy people-watching, I love to hear their stories and listen to their lives. I love to make them comfortable, feed them and make them laugh if I can.....Anyway, blogs are a great way to touch others in many ways, altho feeding them is hard to do....maybe recipes and photos of good food is a way???? So, thanks to all you who take the time to share a bit of yourself through a blog, you are my hero (is it heros or heroes? I am a terrible speller!)
I want to see Kit Kitterage.......am I too old? I love anything American Girl. Years ago, when I was librarian in a small private school, American Girl was owned by Pleasant.....can't think of her last name, but love that first name! (thought of it! Rowlings) Anyway, they would send their dolls (there were just 4 at the time) along with their accessories and tons of neat free give aways to libraries for a week. I did an American Girl week and we culminated the whole week with a tea on Friday! It was glorious....now that I have 6 granddaughters I have established a time table for their ages to receive their doll....at 4 they get the Bitty Baby, at 6 they get their American Girl doll! Breana got one of the first just like me ones with blond hair and blue eyes....just like B!, Camryn got Kit!, Jazmine got Felicity, and Izabella got Samantha.....Olivia turned 4 this year and got her Bitty Baby and now just Sophia is left. I have been to American Girl place in NYC for tea!!! it was perfect. The noise level is rather high as the entire 4 story building is busting out with little and big girls all chattering at once..such a happy place to be tho....would love to take any or all of my grands for tea some time....Atlanta has a smaller version of American Girl place, maybe......
Oh, I have my very own Bitty Baby and also Kirsten and Samantha's friend....oh I forgot her name...she is adorable with honey colored hair and freckles....I don't think you ever outgrow your love of dolls and doll things, do you? Would love to get Molly as that is closer to my age....I am a boomer, post war baby....but had many of the same accessories as Molly such as desk at school and camp stuff....I would also love Kit and Ruthie.....oh, I need a job!!! For just a bit over $200 I could own both of them and ALL THEIR ACCESSORIES. Well, not all, just their hankies and purses, but it is a start....only $200........hey, that tree house is something and it is $250, but I have seen it and it is huge and ultra cool.....am I getting carried away? yes, I am.
It is almost 9, I must walk my friend Fiona before the heat starts up....so off I go...did I mention that American Girls has its very own Fiona-type pup called Coconut??? A westie for pete's sake!!!
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cathy

Roughing it easy

Jordan Lake
The MegaStation!

Our camp site, Paul and Izabella relaxing

Lovely, shady campsite...right across from the bathrooms!

The men relax

Thought I would report on our weekend at the lake. Jordan is just 20 minutes from our home and such a lovely spot. We spent Friday-Tuesday nights out there just relaxing and enjoying the area. The younger set enjoyed the MegaStation and after they left, Paul, Fiona and I enjoyed it too! Not many folks out camping so we had the place to ourselves most of the time. Tent camping is alot of work, if you do it like we do, which is to take everything you own...just about! *whew*. We both agree that next trip we will pair down. We have to. This trip we loaded up the red pickup truck and the "W" to the brim! Took two coolers full of food and one cooler just for drinks...now I did bring food for 10, so that won't happen again and I brought dishes for that many too. We ate real good (smile). The megastation is what I would call a poor man's pontoon... it is a blast and when un-inflated it folds right up to a nice small size thankfully. I fixed taco salad, hambergers, steaks with baked potatoes, tuna salad, hotdogs and potato salad, lots of snacks and breakfasts too. Wore me out, I admit, but I also enjoyed doing the camping bit. Next trip will be a bit smaller and easier on the loading up...we have determined to take only what will fit in the "W" (that's our VW beetle), so will let you know how that works out!

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cathy

After then Before....

Above is a photo taken this morning...just one month after Paul's surgery on his Right foot!

Here's the "before" shot taken on June 21st

What a difference a month makes. Feet are not very pretty, and we don't spend alot of time gazing upon them....usually, but in our house, lately, we have been obcessed with feet, Paul's in particular. Now, we have noticed that his big toes are different, one is longer than the other, we have noticed also that his feet are extremely dry too. I'll be honest, I have not spent alot of time wondering if Paul was putting lotion on his feet, it just never occurred to me to think of that. Anyway, Paul has a new appreciation of his feet and I am thankful that all went well as we do need our feet, that's for sure! Oh, Paul just reminded me I forgot to mention the "callous" (actually, there were two of them...they are all but gone!) There, they have been mentioned!

Here's hoping you have happy feet!

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Cathy

American "Gothic"

Just a photo of our bounty
I love Crepe Myrtles, they are amazing!!!

One of our planters on the porch

Bunny basket

our cottage look

The stone path to our front door

Wild cottage

Happy summer everyone,

Thought I would show some photos of our yard...we had an awful drought last year, but this year...just the opposite! Rain every day....now we even have a great crop of mushrooms out front. With Paul being off his feet for a while, our yard has grown a bit wild, but it is green. My summer cold has kept me a bit off my game, so yard work is in our future.Just bought the newest release in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Just love these books and I look forward to reading while lounging this weekend at the lake. Hope to have some family out there with us too. Will take photos. Hope you are reading and lounging and eating fresh fruit and veggies....

I am

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cathy

Announcing...

Our first Better Boy tomato!!! We will be eating this beauty later today, but had to share how lovely it is...hope it tastes as good as it looks! We have lots of other produce and so far, everything is delish. Finally acquired enough snap beans to cook up, they are buttery and fresh and sooooo good. Our cucumbers are delicate and flavorful and the squash, both yellow and green, are full of flavor and taste. What can I say? I am overwhelmed with satisfaction from our meager efforts in food gardening. Our raised beds are working very well. We have several lizzards making the garden their home, and a huge yellow and black spider...they are all working on keeping our garden free from bad bugs! So far, they are succeeding. The birds are at work too. Some failures are our beet crop, they never came up at all, our radish harvest was disapointing and carrots didn't show either. Tomatoes, squash, green beans and cucumbers all have been roaring successes...I am content. Already planning next year to do some early crops of lettuce, spinach and onions...How are your crops growing?
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Cathy

A Patriot

Some of the "campers" at Camp Lake-in-the-Woods

Hello friends,

As many of you may know, I am married to a fellow who served 25 years in the US Air Force. We loved the military life, with the opportunity to move all over the world...which we did...the chance to meet new people...which we did and have so many wonderful friends and fond memories...the high calling of serving our country is also one of the benefits of military life! We belonged to a community of people who were very different in many ways to include origin of birth, education, family and religion. We lived in the middle of America in both Kansas and Indiana, the "west" of Nevada, the northwest of Idaho, the east of New York and the New England of Massachusetts...and the south of North Carolina. We love every last bit of American soil, all is amazing and beautiful and the people we met and places we visited added to our lives in ways beyond measure. We were also fortunate to live overseas. Paul was assigned to Adana, Turkey (Incerlik CDI..."common defense instalation") in July of 1974. We had moved the family back to Kansas so the children and I would be close to family while Paul completed an 18 month "remote" tour of duty. Sarah was just 6 months old, Amy was 3, Matt was 5 and in kindergarten. Hey we were all just kids really...both Paul and I in our 20s. Turkey invaded Cyprus that same month and a "hold" was placed on Paul's orders....history has a way of getting involved in our lives. Nixon was resigning....what a time! Eventually, they figured out they would need Paul in Turkey and he left in August. By October we were assured that God wanted us to be together in Turkey and we began a process from both ends to complete this reunion which happened in April of 1975. Fast forward to July 1975....Turkey had to retailate when America, forced to make some kind of punishment for the invasion of a NATO ally by a NATO ally, cut off military aid to Turkey. The Turks took over the military base taking down the American flag. You have no idea what it feels like to loose sight of the flag and realize you are on foreign ground. We were a small group of Americans the end of the line as regards to mail, food supplies, medical services and entertainment. We had an elementary school. Older students were sent to boarding schools in Italy. We had a hospital that did have a maternity ward and women from all over Turkey came there for deliveries....but that ended and so pregnant women would spent the last month of their pregnancies in hospitals in Germany. All our meat came frozen, our eggs from Israel. These were minor inconveniences. (don't get me wrong, we did gripe...alot, but we were all in the same boat, it was part of the cost of being with our active duty spouses) I must admit I felt as if I was on the adventure of my life!!! wow...Cathy from Kansas City....out here in the middle east of all places with camels and strange looking sheep, people and food....wow!!! It was exciting and a bit dangerous and thrilling. Anyway, back to the flag...that was a big deal to me. Uncle Sam is fairly good at helping those of us overseas to have some of home no matter where we go...the BX, PX, Commissaries, NCO and Officer's clubs....etc. you might say we are a bit spoiled because where we are sent, there are services in place to make us feel more at home....and for that I am thankful and totally aware of the benefits of being military as opposed to those who are living overseas without those types of support! Well, it is July 1975, we are going to celebrate with a small parade on the base and a kind of carnival and picnic. No fireworks, but we will get together with everyone American and have some red, white and blue fun. All of us were there just about and we learned the Turkish base commander was allowing the raising of the American Flag for a brief moment...what a concession to us. All eyes focused on the flag as it was slowly raised to the tunes of the Star Spangled Banner as we sang no eye was dry! As the song ended the flag was lowered. Here we were in a foreign country and seeing that flag made us all once again remember patriots from long ago at the founding as well as those from across the years who joined us...in the 20th century as we patriots served America too. That was quite an experience.

Less than 30 days later our family was out of Turkey and living in Germany...but that is another story.

God Bless America!

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Cathy

Lost weekend and more!

Hey, I missed the 4th of July! I am not used to having Paul around sick...(this is not good sentence structure, but the point is...my life is in turmoil) I have not felt well since getting back from NYC too, so it has been literally "the lost week" at our home! Paul is mending, thank goodness....I think I am feeling better too. I have a whole list of stuff that needs to be done, so hope this coming week will be much more successful. I guess everyone needs some down time, but we have to SNAP OUT OF IT! My NC drivers license expires next month, my USAF ID card expired last month....both need to be updated asap. We are heading out to the western part of the state on Thursday to attend the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. We camp in Boone, NC and have a grand time!!! Lots and lots of bagpipes, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Good news is we will be able to park on the mountain this year since Paul has a handicap tag for the car due to his foot surgery!!! Hooray
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cathy

A Foot story

Here is Paul and Fiona. Paul had a bunyon-echtomy a couple of weeks ago and has been healing....a longer process than he thought! I have been trying to be a good nurse. I did leave him on his own for this past weekend to go to the Fancy Food Show in New York City! He did fine, but discovered that he needs to keep off his feet as much as possible as the one that had the surgery tends to swell.

I did not take my camera to NYC, but Marian, my traveling companion, did and I hope she will send me some photos....we stayed in Jersey City and got back and forth via the PATH train. That worked out very well and we had a great hotel. (Doubletree in Newport). We saw Wicked, had dinner at Tavern on the Green, walked up 5th ave. from Rockerfeller Center to the Plaza....(this in the rain) walked through Central Park (this in a total downpour which soaked us to the bone!), spent an entire day at the Fancy Food Show and only managed to get down to aisle 2600 in a show with over 6000 numbered booths! Ate more chocolate that any human being should be allowed to consume! and did have a great time. Hopefully, I have made some solid contacts for my consulting business....it was a good show. I am fighting off a cold thanks to the drenching in Central park....and glad to be home even tho NYC is my favorite place to visit!

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cathy