Cats

  I had the thought recently that if I could only have one pet, it would be a cat.  Not that I don't love my dogs and birds but cats are so easy and so loving.  I always remember having cats but we didn't aquire a dog until I was 4.  The dog was more of a long term project requiring quite a bit from us.  Cats have always been independent and adaptable.  My Memphis cat has been a good example of this.  Cats can live inside or out, the city or country.  Grandma's cat disappeared for 6 months before turning up a half a mile away in a barn.  He was none the worse for wear.  And nothing is better than  a kitten.  No one can be depressed that owns a kitten.  It's entertaining to just watch them.  Right now we have 6 cats in the immediate family.  They all have their own personality- some more likeable than others, some don't get along and others seem to like each other.  A cat in the lap is a wonderful thing.

Saluda Girls

   On the first weekend in May, a group of women gather together in Saluda, NC for the  weekend.  We have been doing this for 20 years now.  It started out as stay at home moms wanting a break.  My friend Millie's in-laws had a summer home in Saluda.  It started as 5 or 6 of us in 1992.  Mainly we shopped, talked and ate.  Over the years it's grown into so much more.  Our numbers have grown and we have all gotten older.  Our kids have flown- some really far away and we all have aging parents to care for.  I have moved away, so for me it's a homecoming each year to catch up with my friends that I miss so much. Millie and David own the Saluda house now and they care for it as the family heirloom that it is.  The house has been in the family for 4 generations and it was built as a summer house to escape the heat of Cuba. Thanks to Millie and David, it is still serving as a wonderful escape.  It welcomes you with a large porch, old trees, lots of beds and games and wonderful memories.  Going to Saluda is like having a warm quilt of love draped around your shoulders.  These are friends that you can be yourself with and confess everything.  They are never shocked and they even still like you.  I always learn something new at Saluda.  This year for the 20th anniversary we did a winery tour.  It was really fun and we think we've found a driver for future adventures too.  There were 13 of us there this year from GA, KY, TN and DC.   I feel so fortunate to be part of this group.  

Paducah and Quilts

  This past week Paducah Ky hosted it's 28th annual Quilt show.  I doubt that I would have ever attended if I didn't have family that quilts.  My mother grew up quilting and made her first one at age 19 as a young married woman.  It was the way that scraps of fabric could be used to make something useful.  It also became a creative expression for those that did the piecing of the quilts.  The actual quilting was laborious, so women often got together to share the work.  I'm happy to say that women are still getting together in quilting guilds, bees or shows, not so much to hand quilt together any more but to share ideas and fabric and friendships.  All of this was very apparent this year at the quilt show.   
       My older sister has been sewing forever and more recently quilting.  She owns a gammel quilting machine and turns out hundreds of quilts every year.  For a number of years she has been coming to the Paducah quilt show and I go when I can.  I really consider it an art show.  The work is awe inspiring and mind boggling.  I still have no concept of how these women can make life like paintings out of fabric.  Even some of the simple techniques seem a bit complicated to me.  (My seamstress gene has never been fully developed)  As I long as I'm the recipient of such family heirlooms, I doubt I'll have any reason to develop it either.
    Paducah has been blessed by hosting these quilters for the last 28 years, both economically and spiritually. The quilts come from as far away as Japan and Australia. It's amazing the way women (and men) all over the world can find inspiration in the everyday. Quilting has come a long way since my mother made her first quilt.

  

   

Bikes and Blooms and contradictions

  Recently I got myself a new ride.  My old bike was a faithful friend.  It's been with me from Canada to the gulf coast and I hate to get rid of it, but it was starting to show it's age.  My new bike is a commuter friendly trek.  I've ridden it to work for the last two days and loved every minute of it.  You see I'm a practical person and,  it feels so much more right to me to use my muscles and energy for something useful like commuting.  The gym will always seem artificial to me.  Let me haul some mulch or garden any day to burn calories.  Anyway my new ride has a basket and a light and I'm so proud.  I can't wait to take it camping soon.

       This spring has just been unusually early and extra pretty.  The azaelas and dogwoods have been gorgeous. (My new white azaelas have bloomed this spring)   I have some beautiful wisteria and lilacs. My new buckeye tree bloomed.   I love growing flowers.  This goes against my above practical nature but I have gotten over it. My husband can grow food- I put my efforts into flowers.  I felt guilty for just a little while.  I have really enjoyed my flowers this spring.

Spring Anniversary

   I spent the most gorgeous day yesterday outside weeding and gardening.  My wonderful husband of 26 years (as of yesterday)  worked outside also redoing the chicken house.  The hens clucked all around us approving of the work while the dogs and cats lazed around in the sun.  I have lilacs on the kitchen table, all the fruit trees, azaelas, and dogwoods are in bloom and the wisteria is budding out.  It's been such a mild winter, which might make the spring less beautiful, but it hasn't.  They grass has been cut and it was just one of those perfect days.  There is alot of work in front of us, which sometimes makes spring less than enjoyable to me, but not yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day.

     We have had chickens for 4-5 years now and like anything else after some time doing something you discover better ways to do that thing.  So my husband pulled the chicken house out and cleaned it up.  We had put a screen floor in it thinking the chicken manure would fall through.  That didn't happen and it was hard to muck it out.  So now the house has a wood floor and built in nest boxes that can be accessed from a part of the house that chickens can't get into.  So we'll  have a place to store their food and hopefully won't get chicken poo on our shoes when gathering eggs.  I think we'll paint it and maybe call it the hen hilton.  The ladies are obviously missing their house since a few hens have taken to daily inspections and lay their eggs in the new nest boxes while my husband works around them. 
    After our day of work, we went to Doe's one of my favorite places to eat steak last night and then to the movies in Paducah.  It was a wonderful day of celebration and thankfulness for 26 years together.

Ash Wednesday

    Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  I attended service last night and recieved the ashes on my forehead.  It is a powerful service and humbling to remember our mortality.  A reading from Isaiah 58:1-12  included the verse about being like a watered garden.  This will happen for us when we feed the hungry, do justice and bring the homeless into your house.  Fasting and wearing sackcloth will serve only our own interest, according to Isaiah, which is interesting to hear.  Growing up Catholic, Lent was always a big production.  We tended to give up something, usually in a food category.  In the Episcopal church Lent is less emphasized, which is a relief.  Discipline is important to our spiritual life, physical well being, and work life.  But discipline comes from with in and should be encouraged, not legislated.  I am still pondering a spiritual discipline that would be appropriate for this Lent.  It's hard not to think in terms of food about discipline. but I am trying to expand my options.

Memphis the Musical

  Back in October me, my two sisters and two daughters went to see Memphis the musical in Memphis.  I kind of talked my sister into getting us tickets, not really knowing much about the show or what we were getting into.  I was blown away by it.  Maybe since I grew up in Memphis, I had a connection that not everyone would.  But I loved the music, the story line, the actors,  everything about it.  I've played the music over and over.  The previous October we all saw Wicked and we  agreed that Memphis was much better. 
I haven't heard alot of hype about the show but we all loved it and can vouch for it.  If you get a chance it's worth seeing.