Christmas is Upon Us

Well, Christmas is almost upon us and the weather prophets say it will be 70 degrees for our annual walk on the beach.

GreenPeace with Kathy and Lee

It was a great weekend in Black Mountain and Asheville with Kathy and Lee and their dogs at GreenPeace. We've known each other since 1974 and it's still a lot of fun to be together. We tracked down Rick and Joy Icenhower who they knew at State. Rick and Joy got married in school and went back to Rick's family farm in Leiscester and had a thriving greenhouse business until just recently. We were impressed by the pristine state of their home -- built by Rick's grandfather -- their big farm and cows and pastures and fish ponds -- they have to work hard to maintain all that. Their nursury business is greatly downsized now, due to drought, major storm damage to the greenhouses accompanied by the dramatic rise in the price of oil to heat the houses. But they are being resourceful and are selling water collection devices and active in addressing the regional crisis in water supply. You've got to admire them and wish them the best. It's never has been easy to be a farmer and it's not now.

We also had Kathy's nephew Luke over for dinner a couple of times. Kathy is an excellent, creative cook and Luke was a wonderful guy -- a serious bicycler and student at UNC-A. He will be in Charleston after the New Year. I invited him to stay with us and I think he's going to take me up on it . It will be nice to see him again. Here's a picture of Kathy and Luke and a good shot of Lee and Lucy.

Thanksgiving is my favorite

Before we leave Thanksgiving and dive headlong into Christmas, let me just say our Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. We visited lots of family in lots of places, and everyone was pretty much in a good place in their life. Everything was easy and relaxed and we had some wonderful meals, and did not wash dishes but once. We attended the famous Thanksgiving Breakfast at the Pilot, NC Fire Station -- and it was indeed, a great gathering. I enjoyed our somewhat circuitous route through Franklin County Thanksgiving morning. It is pretty and rural through there -- fields and woods going bare with the last remains of fall color -- covered in frost. It reminded me of Grandmother and Granddaddy's and I enjoyed seeing it.
Mom and I went shopping on Friday for my birthday and Christmas presents. For my birthday I got a beautiful, beautiful reversible jacket I can wear all year. She picked out one present for me to give to her for Christmas, as well. In the afternoon, we went to see Australia! -- a grand epic tale. On to Winston Salem -- very easy and relaxed time there. I had not been to W-S in I don't know how long and Duncan had never been to Debbie and Wilson's house. I got to see the rug from Grandmother Bowles' living room now in Debbie's living room after being in Uncle Bill's attic for 30+ years. And she has had grandmother's sewing machine cabinet refinished, too. We got to see Jeffrey and Adam, too. It was great. Now, if we can just manage for Christmas to be as warm and comfortable and nice.