reporting in

I confess I'm astounded that my last post was a month ago. We've been on the road quite a bit this spring, starting with a visit to Fort Bragg to beam with pride at the graduation of our son as a Green Beret. Then there was the annual spring Templar convent in Huntsville, and most recently a trip to Melrose that combined that ritual with the opportunity to welcome our newest grandson to the world. Lots of good stuff, and certainly plenty to write about.

I'd love to share pictures from the GB graduation, but we've been cautioned not to post identifying material online. Should there come a time when an enemy has access to and a use for such information, undue torture and pressure could result. Although unlikely it's a sobering possibility, and so we keep our pride and our pictures under wraps. I would gladly share them in person. I am including this one, blurry time exposure (the result of insufficient light and movement in front of and behind the camera) from the entry of the graduates to the auditorium. The auditorium was dark, and the group was behind a curtain at the back of the room. Led by a lone piper, the curtain parted, a fog machine imparted a little magic, and the strategically placed lighting that focused narrowly on this group created a dramatic and breathtaking entry. Wish I had a video. I'm still learning how to use that feature on my phone.

 

Okay, I found a youtube video from a previous graduation ceremony. It's not the greatest, but it at least suggests what we saw (you only need to watch the first 20 seconds for the impact). I'm so glad they've upgraded the uniform worn to dress blues instead of the every day basic duty uniform. Love that Scotland the Brave is what the piper plays!

En route to said graduation we had a couple of days in Durham to enjoy the company of a soon-to-be bride and groom at whose wedding I will officiate. The bride is the sister of my goddaughter, and like a daughter to me as well. It was an opportunity to get to the know groom (whom I had met once before), and we really enjoyed our visit with the almost newlyweds. It is totally fun to be in relationship with Jenny as an adult. We look forward to the Big Event and celebrating the new incarnation of their relationship.

We had a great weekend with our fellow knights and dames in Hunstville. The weather was glorious, which is always a delight when traveling through beautiful country, and the occasion launched a new road trip ritual. You may have met Cassie, our not-so-sheepish travel mascot, on facebook, where she made her debut. She has become part of our travels as the result of a querying post about what people consider staples of travel in their vehicles. Cassie has developed quite the personality already, letting us know what sights she wants to take in, and where she might like to have her picture taken as documentation of our various road adventures. She was particularly keen to make a stop at the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem, GA when we were at Melrose recently, but we simply didn't have a chance to work that in. She posed on the tree swing in the front yard instead, and joined us for happy hour when Jimmy and Barbara came for dinner one evening.

Lest she becomes the focus of this post, let's move on to the real highlight of our time at Melrose: grandson number four, Rock! We scheduled this spring's visit to coincide with Rock's anticipated arrival. Due on May 2, we left home the day before. This is the first time we have been able to be on hand at the birth of any of our grandchildren, and it was a complete joy to be at the hospital and have him in our arms so soon after his birth on May 7. Nana loves her boys, and her heart has been captured by this newest addition to the family. We enjoyed time with him at the hospital, back at home, and then for a brief visit to Melrose for an early birthday celebration. Unfortunately  my camera appears to be completely out of commission, so the only pictures I was able to take were on my phone. None of them are focused well, and some taken on my mom's camera are awaiting an opportunity for her to download them and send them on to us. Here, at least, is one I took of Ken holding our sweet newborn. He's precious. Ken too.

I'll save other assorted news and reports for tomorrow. This seems enough for this effort to catch up!

lelftovers

And by that I mean these are the memories that linger after the event has passed.

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with our friends Jimmy and Barbara. Jimmy thoughtfully took a turn behind the camera so that I might actually show up in a photo. One of these days I'll learn how to get him into the picture via photoshop.

We were at Melrose for the long weekend, something I didn't mention out of a sense of caution not to advertise our absence from home. I've never worried about that before, but this time I erred on the side of, well, caution! Friday morning we had some dense fog, and it occurred to me that some pictures besides the obscured front view might be out there somewhere. Here's one.

 

 We promised Mom a picture of the Thanksgiving spread. Melrose is a place of hospitality, and over the years gatherings of all sizes have been seated at this table. Ken, especially, wanted Mom to see Melrose hospitality being enjoyed at his favorite holiday. Alas, we do not have a group shot of everyone at the table.

 

Here's Jude, at 4 and a half months looking every bit the chunky monkey (Trisha's phrase!) wearing 12-month clothes. I was reminded by his attire that I had forgotten all about a "my first thanksgiving" bib I bought for him. Note to self: Ashley covers all those bases, so I don't need to do so in the future. I now have a bib I can gift to someone else at some point.

 

And here's Cross, wearing a thanksgiving headpiece (made by his Mom--where does she find the time?) and a look deserving a caption. Anyone? 

And finally, at least for this round, another Pinterest copy! I decided that a project with the boys (collecting sticks from the yard) to create this vase/candle holder would be a fun thing to do. They were all about gathering sticks, and watched with some fascination as I glued the first two onto the vase. Beyond that, not so much. Poor Cross, he couldn't grasp why I didn't immediately attach the 1-foot, 1-inch diameter piece of kindling onto the glass.  Just a note should anyone else want to tackle this very easy project--it's more time-consuming than it looks, especially in a group of nine with three young'uns commanding attention.  Kenneth picked up where I left off when I needed to shift my focus to dinner. Who knew an army ranger was  so handy with a glue gun?

And that, friends, is a wrap for now. We did capture a great family photo that is being used for our Christmas card. Once those go out I'll post it here. I don't want to steal the impact for those of you who receive our card.

a typical routine

Most days at Melrose include a walk after breakfast, and there are a number of options for that walk. The road leading to the cottage also leads to a neighbor's property, and though we are permitted to be on his grounds, our own property line ends down that road about 1/3 of a mile past our driveway. The preferred walk takes us back down our road to another dirt road, known as the Plantation Road. Don't read grandeur into that name. It is so-called because it leads several miles through the property of more than 1000 acres until it ends at the Savannah River.

Other options include a walk through a portion of the "West Dam Park" at the J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake--a handful of miles from Melrose--or at a park on the area known as the lower dam. While growing up we spent all our spring school vacations at Melrose, and a staple of that visit was a trip to the dam to see the diagrams and inter workings of its generators and sluices. Since 9/11 the interior isn't open to the general public, but the grounds outside are available for picnicking, fishing, and general recreation. Perhaps it's the sentimental attachment I have to the dam from those visits in my youth, but it is a special place to me. The playground and fishing deck are relatively new, as are dual swings and designated picnic areas, and we found them to be very appealing. Fiscal drought was also apparent in the lack of upkeep on the grounds: the grass was past needing to be cut, and downed limbs from recent storms littered the picnic areas. We found this to be prevalent at highway rest stops in Georgia, as well.

The lake created by the dam is beautiful, with easy access to the water for swimming and boating, and campgrounds at various locations around its extensive perimeter with sites by the water shaded by tall pines. I regret that these sites are so close to Melrose, because we would be making reservations at them in a heartbeat otherwise.

The days that we walked at the dam parks (upper and lower) were beautiful, clear and dry, with perfect spring temperatures. Juliet enjoyed the time sniffing new territory, and even took a drink at the river's edge when we visited the Georgia boat ramp site. If you followed the river downstream about three miles you'd reach our place, but there is nothing to identify it as such.

Access to the lake is one of the perks of Melrose, of which we don't take enough advantage. But as Mom always says, "we never want to leave Melrose!"

And so we walk.

back and happy report

It was a wonderful week at Melrose, with lovely, cool and sunny days, cicadas, breezes on the porch, cicadas, crossword puzzles to my heart's content, cicadas, visits with dear friends Jimmy and Barbara, and cicadas.

Did I mention cicadas? They. Were. Everywhere. Holes in the ground announced their communal hatch (my shoes are in the picture, below, as a measure of their size). Shells left behind clung to trees, leaves, and branches. With wings free to launch them into their mating pursuits they hurried from tree to tree, branch to branch, and by day buzzed themselves into full concert mode. When you're surrounded by woods the serenade is constant during the day (they rest at night), like an incessant roaring crowd just over the next rolling hill. Not one of God's more lovely creatures they were nonetheless not much of a bother unless they flew into you. While pruning a crepe myrtle among its lower limbs I experienced several dive-bombing episodes, but that aside, they're tolerable in their short-lived time on earth. That said, I'm grateful that they only visit every thirteen years.

Tomorrow I'll share photos of less noisy passages of time. Stay tuned!

creating

Does anyone remember the Dewar's Profiles? Eons ago when I subscribed to The New Yorker the ads would often grace the back cover of the magazine. They featured a well-known person and shared some "profile" information, which always included the person's drink of choice (which was Dewar's, of course).

Over the weekend one of my friends (who doubles as a scrapper, among so many other attributes) posted on facebook a scrapbook layout she made. She referred to a scrapbook web site that provides "challenges" to scrappers to offer people like me some parameters for designing layouts. I love challenges--it narrows the field of decision-making to a manageable degree, and I can actually accomplish something, rather than be paralyzed by too many options. There are standard challenge categories each month (color, predetermined template, fashion finds, trends, etc.). Many of the challenges displayed on the web site triggered ideas, so I decided I would do my best to attempt those that caught my imagination. They number, oh, about 17? This would be for the month of April.

Yesterday my creative juices were flowing, so I decided to tackle one of them in the afternoon instead of deferring to the usual nap. After playing around with a multitude of choices (I mean, I had to choose which challenge to do!), a picture stored in Picasa suddenly clicked as one I could use for the "ad challenge." The idea is to take inspiration for a layout from an advertisement.

The above layout is the finished result, a Dewar's inspired layout (click on the image to read the profile portion). It isn't exactly "scrapped," but the heavy lifting is most certainly done, I have only to print and apply to a backing/mat. It's also got me thinking that it would be fun to do similar profiles for others who love Melrose. Jimmy and Barbara, you may be next!

wordless wednesday

 

mosaic monday

It's been an uneventful weekend here, which means there hasn't been any blog fodder. While catching up on other blogs I follow I found inspiration via A New England Life to post this collection of photos from Melrose a la the Little Red House blog. For those who don't know, Melrose is my family's tree farm in South Carolina, just a holler from Augusta, GA. In the above collage is a portion of the view from the front of the house, my favorite place to idle when I'm there. The bloom at left is from a bush along the driveway, and the lower right image is a view from the yard looking to the southwest across a section of our property. Most of what you see is across the Savannah River.

Melrose has been in the family for over a hundred years, and there is scattered evidence that my great-great-grandparents spent some time there after the Civil War. One of these days I will track that down. It was primarily a summer place for my grandmother's family, where they could escape the heat of Augusta (it is a few degrees cooler, and the hilltop location of the cottage reaps the benefit of breezes blowing in from the west). My great-grandfather also started a peach orchard there, and bears the distinction of being the first South Carolina peach exporter, or something like that. Eventually the peach trees succumbed to blight, and natural reforestation offered a means of income for my grandmother.

I tell you all this to convey a sense of history about the place, more than the people (at least today!). By modern standards Melrose is lush with ancient plants. Crepe myrtles line a section of the front porch. Tall and stately, I love the pattern of the bark that adorns the trunks. At the back of the house one of the crepe myrtle has "sprouted" shoots of new growth. We dug up four of those to bring home to plant, two of which are doing well. The other two may need last rites, but I'm giving them an opportunity for renewal before that pronouncement is made.

This past spring we were there earlier than usual and saw things in bloom that we miss, typically. Among those blooms is a row of daffodils planted along a ledge of sorts, just down the sloping ground away from the house to the north. These are heirloom dafs, and this fall I plan to dig some up to bring home to plant here.

The cottage was originally two-rooms structure moved from another site, with a detached kitchen. Joined by a common chimney, two bedrooms were added at some point, with two smaller rooms that house a bathroom and what was great-grandfather's office. It is called "the den," and now contains a twin bed and about enough room around the bed to turn around. Old as the house is, there is no insulation or "weather-proofing." Given its latitude, this means that the only comfortable time to be there without benefit of a central heat and air system is in the early spring and mid-autumn. On cold days, the living room is best warmed by a fire.

It is the family tradition to enjoy the close of day with happy hour, watching the sun set. When I was growing up chairs were set out on the lawn under the large Live Oak, and trays of nibbles accompanied our consumption of beverages of choice. In more recent years the event has receded to the front porch, where chiggers and other nibbling critters are less likely to snack on us. I love the golden light that bathes the house and yard at that time of day.

For now, that concludes our tour of Melrose. Thanks for stopping by to visit. It's a tradition at this wonderful place.

one more thing before turning the page

Before returning to the world of the every day I want to share a few things about our post-wedding week at Melrose.

First, the weather was glorious. Cool nights, warm days, clear skies and no humidity! It was truly an amazing week to enjoy the porch, the breezes, the view and no responsibility. We had a good deal of wind a couple of days, making it too cool to be out on the porch for long, but any discontent as a result was compensated by every other aspect of good weather. It was a dream week.

And we weren't the only ones enjoying our time away! Juliet came with us for this trip to Melrose. As the matriarch of the canine crew she well deserved a break from the frenetic pace and attention of our younger dogs. As a well-behaved dog she also deserved the freedom of exploring the yard and enjoying time in the sun unhindered by the usual constraints of life at home.

And then there were the birds. Outside the kitchen window, between that window and the doorway leading to a small courtyard sheltered from the western wind, a pair of brown thrashers had built a nest deep in the branches of a banana shrub. During our two weeks at Melrose we kept vigil as she hovered over and protected her eggs. When the eggs hatched several days before our departure we couldn't keep ourselves away from peering out the windows and straining to set our sights on the next where the wee birds opened wide beaks, eager for food. It was difficult to get any pictures, since focusing on the birds was hindered by the layers of branches and leaves seeking the attention of the camera lens. The best shots I could manage of papa thrasher for identification purposes were these, and the nest, well, click to enlarge and use your imagination. To the right of mama in a bit of a blur you can make out the black down of one of the babies, nearly indistinguishable from the shadows of the nest.

The report from Mom last night is that the fledglings have now left the nest. How quickly they came, captured our hearts and attention, and now seek life on their own. We live in an amazing world.

jumping back into the fray

morning mist at Melrose

There are certain advantages to being without the use of my own computer. My time is being diverted to other things! Yesterday I did a very thorough cleaning of the kitchen (sans floor), scrubbing counters, items that sit out on counters, washing up dishes that have lingered, relocating seldom-used things from the countertops to storage, etc. The only remaining task is to clean the top of the refrigerator! I also moved a teacart from the dining area out to the pantry, in the process putting away the things that had, by default, landed on it "temporarily." It's a great feeling to declutter the house room by room and get it clean at the same time. Just don't look at baseboards!

Had an absolutely lovely time at Melrose with Mom last week. We had some gorgeous fall days and a few overly warm ones, but sweaty weather notwithstanding, it was wonderful. How can one not enjoy time that involves sitting out on a porch looking at this view? I finally got some reading done, and am now halfway through Diana Galbadon's Outlander. I did some further reading on it yesterday after my due diligence in the kitchen! And in the patting-oneself-on-the-back department, I finished the NYT Sunday crossword puzzle without benefit of Google! I have concluded that I will print out future puzzles instead of doing them on the computer--my little gray cells seem to know that help is a mere set of keystrokes away when I work it online, and I actually do better when my brain has to draw on its own resouces (and occasionally, the dictionary).

In addition to these leisurely pursuits we enjoyed several meals with our friends Jimmy and Barbara (they are the best people in the world!), and we also did some research on rehearsal dinner options and venues, selecting and securing a wonderful location on a bluff overlooking the Savannah River (see picture below). In April the view will be a bit less obstructed, and will also feature that lovely shade of new-growth-green. Now to work out the catering!

In the meantime there's lots of events coming up back here at home. Friday night my friend Clare arrives. She hails from New Zealand and will be half way through her "North American Tour" when she lands in Music City. Saturday morning we have a Halloween brunch and jewelry party (if anyone wants to order some Silpada, let me know!), then head to some friends' for the Gator-Georgia game and more halloween fun. Sunday we'll board a plane for Florida for shenanigans with other friends. At Church we're planning a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for one of our outreach projects, and holiday activities begin to warrant attention. Phew! So much fun I can hardly stand it! LOL!

And now it's time to relinquish the computer to Ken and get on with the work of the day. Hope it's a lovely Tuesday for one and all!

just a note

Mom and I hit the library for a quick email check, and while she is busy sorting through the thousands of pieces in her inbox, I thought I'd try to work in a blog entry.

Had a beautiful day to drive down yesterday, and arrived with twenty minutes to spare until sunset. Fall sunsets are more deeply gratifying than those in the spring because the air is clearer, making the colors sharper. There were a few whisps of clouds above the horizon, but they were essentially inconsequential. But my, oh my the colors of the sky after the sun went down were extraordinary! I wish I had been able to capture them on my camera, but I'm not learned when it comes to such low-light images (yes, I need to learn for just this occasion). The hues were golden orange, pink and purple, and went from pale and striking to bold and commanding. Such glory!

It was a cold day, which at Melrose translates to indoor heaters, a fire in the fireplace, piles upon piles of blankets on the bed, flannel sheets, and tossing jammies into the dryer to warm up before diving into bed. It was 51 degrees when Mom went to bed, not sure how cold it got during the night. Remember there is no insulation in this house, and hear souces are as described above! Such an experience is old hat for long-time Melrosians. I fear that some who might have arrived to encounter this would have made all manner of unpleasant faces (duly warranted!) and thought grimly about it. We're just used to it and we joke about it regularly. I even told Mom not to be surprised if I decided to climb into bed with her, since she had the electric blanket!

Today is another beauty of a day, and we are here in town for an assortment of errands. It's a very tolerable 65 degrees and sunny. Perfect fall weather. After the library we're heading off to look at some venues for Junior and Trisha's rehearsal dinner (they're getting married in Augusta), then will dash home to throw together dinner for our friends Jimmy and Barbara, who will join us this evening.

I may get a chance to post again before the end of the week. This oppotunity was unexpected, so I thought I had better sieze it!

Love to all!

on a happier note

This past weekend a local bank sponsored its annual "Oktoberfest," at which the church had a booth. Some months ago a vestry member related hearing about an organization that had put together gift baskets by theme; baby boy/girl, afternoon tea, coffee lover's, and so on. The idea captured our imagination (or at least it captured mine and I was an enthusiastic endorser), so we decided to adopt the idea as a means of doing a little fund-raising while raising awareness of our existence in the community.

The baskets were tons of fun, and we ended up with 34 of them (a good showing for our small church!). We sold them by way of silent auction, where shoppers could place bids on the basket, or buy it outright for its full value. I have to tell you that there were some real steals, since we started the bidding anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 of the value of the basket contents.

The weather on Saturday was dismal: COLD, with a high of 47 degrees, and windy. Attendance was extremely poor. But even so, by the end of the day we had sold several baskets and had bids on all but one. Sunday's weather was considerably better--sunny, ten degrees warmer, with little wind. Phew! I'm not sure what the total tally was, but in the end it was more important that we had fun, and the project was a success (and definitely worth repeating). I'd post pictures but I can't find my card reader!

The distraction of Oktoberfest was helpful to my spirits. And oddly enough, when I preached yesterday I got "convicted" and preached a whopper. I think there wasn't a dry eye among the women, and there may have been one or two moist eyes among the men. When I sat down at the conclusion of the sermon you could hear all sorts of nose-blowing, including mine. Yes, tears slipped down my cheeks as I preached (this happens sometimes, and fortunately, this gang is used to that).

Happier still is that this morning I will head to Melrose for the week. I will see the podiatrist first about my heel pain, which was horrible on Friday, and then I will get on the road and head southeast. Ken is staying home to tend to the dogs, work on the stewardship program for Sunday's big day, and look for a job. It will be girl time for Mom and me--the first time since 2004! It will be good for both of us.

Thank you all for your prayers and your kindness. I'm sorry I couldn't reply back to each of you to convey my appreciation for your words--I am still computerless and am trying very hard not to displace Ken from his chair too often! He's been generous during this last week in sharing his space with me.

I doubt I'll be able to report in until after my return next weekend. Know that I will miss being in touch, and pray for good days ahead for all of us.

Peace...

blazing trails, part 1

I've had a path fetish for a long, long time. They call to me, want me to follow where they go, and some part of my being can't resist the opportunity to see where any path will lead. There's something about the mystery of what lies ahead, out of view, around the next corner, at the end...

Many paths, however, are disappointing. There isn't much of interest along its trail, it doesn't weave but a time or two, and the mystery it holds at its conclusion doesn't live up to the anticipation. I have almost come to the point where I believe that the suggestion of the mystery a path may hold is more alluring than the path itself. I find that as tantalizing as the path may appear, I rarely yield any longer to the invitation it offers. Except now and then.

On the other hand, I've got my mind and heart set on a building a path at Melrose. This picture is of one of our views, known as Bampy's View (named for my grandfather). We keep limbs pruned and take down any young whippersnapper that grows up into it and interferes with the clarity of this view. Across the road and down the hill perhaps 100 yards is the road that weaves through the property. In that section of steeped land, winding through the woods and ascending and descending the elevation I want to create a path. The intent of the path is for walking, getting a little exercise without taxing aging bodies and aching joints too much.

I'm also realizing that my desire for the path goes beyond what it will yield upon its completion (which will probably take years!). Forging the path is strongly compelling. I'm not one who enjoys physical labor, so that part I will have to tolerate. But the idea of working in concert with the land and woods, responding to its openings and respecting thicknesses of growth, has enormous appeal. The creation of this path will truly be one of discovering mysteries and encountering surprises. With each section cleared the trees and undergrowth that are revealed will yield the next opportunity or challenge. And like the journey of a labyrinth, each walk along the completed path will be its own encounter with the trail, the woods, and the mysteries that life holds along the way.

I am coming to understand that forging a path, in this literal sense, is also a metaphor for an inner journey. But that is part 2. Today I invite you to see where you are led this day. What paths invite you to traverse them? What challenge lies ahead? What mystery attends you as you make your way?

Blessings to you as you journey.

river walk

A portion of the property at Melrose borders the Savannah River. We rarely trek to that boundary because until recently there has not been easy access to it. A roadway leads to a creek over which a bridge span had been built years ago, and which had been recently fortified. Traditionally that has been the end of the touring line, whether one arrives there by car or foot (roughly two and a half miles from the cottage--downhill all the way!). Tromping through the woods from the bridge to the river was always a possibility, but swarming and slithering critters populate the habitat--never my idea of fun companionship. I would not make it past the first round of any "Survivor" contest.

Because there IS access to the river now (that's a story and a half), Sunday morning we ventured there with Ken's sister Margaret, who visited with us for part of the family reunion weekend. We drove to the bridge and covered the rest of the distance on foot. An ATV would have worked nicely as well. Here are a few of the "views" on our walk...

The woods through which we passed

The Savannah River

Along our path we encountered evidence of woodpecker activity, as well as the mystery of five turtle shells missing most of their innards. They were near the confluence of the river and the creek that runs through the property, obviously having met their fate at the jaws of a predator that we were stumped to identify (turtles 'r' not us). We have no idea how long they had been there (likewise we don't read forensic evidence), but they appeared to serve as attractive landing pads for butterflies.

We saw, additionally, blue herons along the creek, and too many snake holes for my comfort, as well as what looked like frog "dens." The sound of birds was soothing, and in spite of increasing humidity through the day a constant breeze kept the walk pleasant.

To reach the creek, not to mention other portions of the property, we cross a railroad line, and while on our sojourn heard the warning whistle of scheduled trains as they approached that crossing. It was a journey of sights and sounds, of wind and water, spring growth and the decomposing evidence of seasons past. We saw life and encountered the signs of death, cycles all of the world in which we live. It is part of the joy of Melrose to witness and celebrate all that awaits discovery. We are a lucky family, indeed.

we're back!

It's hard to know where to begin a description of our week at Melrose. There were lots of small projects (most of which fell into Ken's domain as handyman), errands, meals, a family reunion, early celebration of my birthday... The collage here is a mere sample of the week: honeysuckle blooming in the backyard; the low country boil birthday dinner prepared by our friends Jimmy and Barbara (yumm!!!!--thank you again, J&B!); a walk down to the river with Ken's sister, Margaret, who flew in from Denver for the family reunion; and a beautiful Victorian house in a small, county-seat town where we played tourist one day.

In all it was a great week. As noted in an earlier post we had incredible weather, and for the most part Ken was spared any "heavy lifting" projects to give his system some time for rest and recovery. I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of reading one afternoon, so made about two chapters of progress in my current book, Three Cups of Tea. It wasn't the kind of relaxation I had hoped for, but there were lots of compensations for that each day. I was grateful just to be there, to hear the birds, to walk as often as we could over at the local park by the lake, enjoy time with Mom, and simply soak up the beauty that is Melrose.

Today I am settling back in, settling the dogs back in, and looking forward to a little Cinco de Mayo gathering tonight with friends. Details of the week will unfold in upcoming days, with more pictures to share! Stay tuned, and know that I look forward to getting caught up with everyone!

reporting live from the local "wife saver"

This is a brief report from the "wife saver," a combination take-out and eat-in dining establishment that serves, essentially, chicken. And things southern. You know--banana pudding and sweet tea. "Put a little south in your mouth" is their slogan. They're just 10 minutes from the cottage and they have Wi-Fi here. I was desperate for a communication link that took fewer than 10 minutes to load an Internet page. Additionally, I had to send attachments for Sunday's bulletin and announcements to the parishioner who prints our bulletins, and time was getting short!

Not to mention that the phone at Melrose wasn't working for four days. This is not a great shock in the rural world where local phone companies attempt to imrove their technology and don't quite get it right when they make the switch. This is not to disparage rural areas--only to recognize the reality of budgets and resources in those areas. Sigh.

This has not been the vacation I imagined, but the weather has been glorious (GLORIOUS!), the sunsets modestly colorful, the view spectacular as always, the company great, and the soul-nourishment beneficial notwithstanding stresses that pop up here and there. I think that this afternoon I will actually have a chance to read on the porch!

Pictures will follow another time. I'm tackling one technology challenge at a time! Thinking of y'all and hoping all is well in everyone's world!

counting the days

The first thing to report is that Ken seems to be A-okay. The infection that was likely in his lungs has lost its punch and his white blood cell count is normal ounce again. Lungs sounds clear. Heart rhythm is normal. Relief! He continues to be short of breath and fatigued, but all signs point to his cardiomyopathy. He has not been getting the exercise he needs for a stronger heart, and that is the only thing that will bring him back to healthier functioning. Now that his feet are getting the proper care the podiatrist has indicated that in another week he is free to walk.

Thank you all for your prayers and concern. These have been days lived in suspension while we didn't know what was going on.

The second thing to report is that we are telecommunicating on all fronts once again. I am not wireless at the moment, which is not the end of the world as long as I keep my computer in my office. We have a new router that we have not been able to connect adequately, and no matter how many times we "retry" and follow all the instructions, we are still batting zero. I will live "hardwired" for now and return to solving the wireless problem later.

The third thing is that we are now back on course for our departure Sunday to Melrose!!! See that door to the right? Imagine walking through that door to a porch running 30 feet or so across the front of the house with a view looking toward the west. That is pre-sunset light you see through the doorway. Take a seat on the glider, one of the porch chairs, or climb into the hammock and settle in for happy hour. It's a family tradition and when you're at Melrose, you're family! (For some reason I can't locate my pictures of the porch during HH, or I'd post those!).

I can post this picture of the view just after a late afternoon thunderstorm. I love the mist in the valleys between us and the Savannah River. Don't you just want to pull up a chair and stare? Well then, come on!!

il pleut!

Which is a good thing! Not only does this area of South Carolina need rain, but the deluge that struck late this afternoon revealed something rather critical: a leak. Since no one is here ten months out of the year we have no idea how long it’s been there, but chances are good that this is not a recent event—there’s paint missing on the ceiling at two locations, suggesting sufficient dampness in the wood over time to cause the paint to peel. Ouch. Poor Ken. Assuming it doesn’t rain tomorrow he will be up on the roof to examine the damage and determine what can be done to repair the problem. Last spring Mom talked about wanting to re-roof the house in a couple of years. I suspect that project is now going to move up on the list of things to do. I think it’s safe to say that there isn’t going to be any vacation for Ken this trip.

diary of a mad remodeler (as told by his wife)

Day 5 of The Project.

It has been what we call in this family a typical Melrose Project –nothing goes quite as one would expect. The most challenging aspect of installing the new kitchen cabinets is the direct result of “this old house.” There is no such thing as a level floor or a plumb wall. The variance in floor pitch is nearly four inches from one end of the cabinets to the other, and there is some fluidity, as well, from the primary wall in toward the room. This makes for truly fun times! It took Ken an entire day to get the floor and base cabinets level and installed. This morning we went to place the countertop and discovered that the drawers and cabinet doors below could not be opened because of the countertop overhang. I won’t repeat Ken’s response to this newest of setbacks.

The good news is that the end is in sight. Little details remain, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be time consuming. Under-cabinet lights need to be installed; trim added to hide their presence; molding placed above the wall cabinets to give a finished look; “kick plate” and additional trim installed at “floor level” to hide the necessary elevations; drawer and door knobs attached…” You get the idea. Although I have been useful here and there providing a second pair of hands, vacuuming sawdust, painting and so on, Ken has done the heavy lifting, literally and figuratively. He has persevered like a trooper in the face of annoying delays and painstaking attention to detail. I have at times felt helpless to lessen his stress and grateful for some time to tend to other things and be out of earshot of the running commentary that emanates from the kitchen.

As I type the faucet is being hooked up, so tonight we will have use of the (new) kitchen sink again for the first time since Friday morning. We set up a makeshift dishwashing area outside where, fortuitously, hot and cold water spigots were installed last spring (see picture).

I promise that pictures will be forthcoming soon. In the meantime I hope you’ll enjoy the little taste of Melrose beauty as demonstrated by last night’s sunset, and the more-than-content butterfly.

Until next time,
The ever-patient, and mostly sane, wife