A change in tradition

After toying with changing Christmas traditions for a few years, my family and I have decided to forego Christmas gifts this year.  It's kind of exciting, to tell the truth--the prospect of not having to shop and wrap and ship gifts because the calendar says it's time.

I love giving and receiving gifts, but am finding it more pleasurable to do so on birthdays or random occasions.  

One family is going to a local theater production of Annie in lieu of gifts.  Some people agree to give gifts to people in need instead of exchanging gifts with friends and family.  We are going cold turkey and hoping to find other ways of being together--with the time we'll save by not shopping. 

Among my friends, we all seem to agree that a meal out or at each others' houses is a great substitute for wrapped gifts.

I feel liberated today without the prospect of frenzied shopping, and without the worry of whether or not the receivers, especially men, will even like my choices.  

Pain and Pudding--while we're on the letter P

The stress of driving set off my feet, so I'm spending the day in bed reading.  Enough about that.

After nearly five years with my furry girl, I thought I knew everything, but she revealed a hidden passion last night.  

Unlike her human mama,  Luci always turns up her nose at any offering of sweets.  She doesn't even like Starbucks' pup cups or ice cream.  Chocolate doesn't tempt her one bit.   She does the Corgi look of disapproval every time--as in "You actually eat that stuff?" 

In my near-empty refrigerator last night, I spotted three or four packs of one of my favorite treats--a cross between vanilla pudding and creme brûlée, excellent with berries of any kind on top. They are packaged in little glass jars as a French dessert--in vanilla, rice pudding, dark chocolate, or pistachio.  Day included some of these in a Whole Foods order of food for my recovery days after dental surgery, and I've been hooked ever since.   

The little glass pots are great for storing do-dads and paper clips and batteries.

Knowing how she feels about sweets, I've never offered Luci a bite, but last night her eyes said, "Let me try that," and I did.

She got that Nirvana look on her face as she delicately licked the first spoonful, then the next, then the next.  I think she has been won over to Sugarland--at least the pudding variety.  Now she follows me every time I go to the refrigerator--just in case. 

All the P's of Monday Morning

After a short walk with Luci, 

just long enough for a Poop and a Pee 

I am eating Popcorn, Pasta, and Pumpkin bread--

and soon going to bring in some beautiful Papers I bought in Virginia 

and open the Packages that arrived in my absence--

after my morning Puff,  American Spirit.  Inside, not outside

as is my morning ritual 

at home.

I made it to genius on Spelling Bee

Then went to Spelling Bee Buddy for hints,

to make it all the way to Queen Bee

(with the word Palp!) 

before un-Packing the car.

It's going to be one good lazy day! 

Notice the irony of the three P's in these two adjacent signs in Natchez:

Home in San Antonio

I arrived home this afternoon as weary as I've ever been!  Jan had left a yummy orzo dish in the fridge and met me as I was taking only the bare essentials out of the car.  Then, within minutes, Bonnie delivered a delicious loaf of pumpkin bread.  What a welcome home!  

I fell asleep within minutes, and just woke up, Luci thinking she's going to get her nightly walk--but, alas, I don't have it in me.

The days IN Georgia and Virginia couldn't have been better--and the drives TO each of those places were good, too--but the 1500 miles from Falls Church to San Antonio were the notes of my swan song as a long-distance road traveler.  In the space since doing it before, I've developed a wheel gripping fear of big bridges and no longer enjoy driving at night.  Since the days have gotten shorter, it took me five days to get home--with several long traffic blocks and last night's inability to find a place to sleep until way after dark. 

Carlene says it's important to know when it's time to give up some of the things we used to do.  And in my case, that means flying the long leaps between places and renting a car to poke around while there.  I needed to prove to myself I could still do it before admitting that--as some wise person once said--"Just because we can doesn't mean we have to." 

In former days, I'd have stopped often, chatted with people longer, and meandered down any road that looked interesting.  I did, however, spend a happy hour in Jonesboro, Tennessee, home of the National Storytelling Conference.   Tennessee Quilts was an amazing store with two floors of luscious fabric, cutting tools, samples of quilts, and offers of classes and retreats. 

This quilt, called Crosswords, was so beautiful it almost made me consider making a quilt.   What I did instead was to buy a few fat quarters to turn into book cloth for book covers. 

In former days, I'd have gotten out and taken pictures of old barns, hay bales, houses, and rusty old vehicles. On this trip, I took a few pictures without getting out of the car--just enough to jog my memory about the countryside at the two book-end Golden Hours of the day.  From the windows on interstate, all exits look pretty much the same  but if you go off the main highways,  you get to see some of what makes each little hamlet or farm its own unique self.

Itinerary Modifications

 I woke up Friday morning 30 miles east of Nashville, hoping to include Parnassas Books and a paper store before heading due west.  But I was too early and decided not to spend two hours waiting for either to open at ten. I pondered: how to do it better next time and I came up with a very conventional travel plan.  Fly to the place you want to be, rent a car, and stay put for enough days to get to know the place and the people better.  

But, of course, that's never been my style.  I've always preferred wandering and encountering whatever shows up.  It's not a traveling style enjoyed by many others.  Day tells me she's too "destination oriented."  I could not bear the thought of traveling from Point A to Point B on interstates.

Most of my former traveling companions have, understandably, opted out of traveling random.  A couple of the ones I enjoyed road-tripping with are, sadly, no longer in my orbit.  But Carlene--the one with whom I've traveled most and who was a far trustier navigator than GPS--remembers these roads as well as I do and rides along with me by phone, suggesting routes and recalling places we had meals along the way.  I admire the way she is able to give up the things she can no longer do with ease.  I love the way she adapts to changing stages of life!  But still, I miss the way we improvised together on the road and collected stories we still find pleasure in remembering.

I woke up Saturday morning in Meridien, Mississippi, working out a plan to go to visit both Oxford and Natchez--two of my favorites--and to drive at least a part of Natchez Trace.  The problem with my plan was that Oxford at one point was three hours north and Natchez only a couple hours south, so I had to choose.  

For old times' sake, I walked around Natchez--but only for an hour until my feet gave up.  In earlier years, Natchez would have been a 2 to 3 hour walk.  But the weather was perfect and Luci waddled along happily, glad to be out of the car.  I figured I'd drive two more hours before dark.  But my GPS routed me along farm roads and small towns, no accommodations anywhere.  

As dark fell, I became anxious.  These are hours when you wish for the convenient cluster of eateries and La Quinta signs.  I was so road weary that I considered a couple of local motels, but they were shabby with hard mattresses, and I soldiered on.

It was way past dark when the road I was on intersected with I10 just a few miles from Lake Charles.  When I saw the huge looming bridge, I panicked, no way no way at night! Luci and I shared a burger in the car and finally settled on a Howard Johnson for the night--my only option unless I headed back east toward Lafayette. 

Maybe it's time for me to reconsider Random!  To embrace the idea of staying in one place and getting a rental car to explore during daylight hours!  Furthermore, if I'm honest, I should put more effort into exploring the kinds of places I'd like to be sure to see--ahead of time.

I'm aspiring to be adaptable, to restore my love of the open road but with some guardrails in place.  To admit to myself that driving back roads after dark is no longer do-able--especially when bridges are looming.  

Traveling solo would be a lot more fun with another solo traveling sort of person! 

The Beginning of the Build

 I had to stay long enough to see the ground broken and gravel laid for Day's studio foundation!  

Yesterday Jackson and Marcus drove up for the day and we all posed to mark the beginning of Day's dream Glass Casita with a Secret Garden. 

Day's appliquéd and embroidered jeans

My daughter the football coach

Last night Tom and I bundled up and went to see the Girls Jaguars play two games of flag football!  I, who have not an athletic bone in my body, found it surprisingly exhilarating to see girls running and intercepting and making home runs!  Day is one of the four coaches and until she married Tom, I never saw athletics in her future, but she's loving it and good at it.  Until the second game last night, her team was undefeated.  

Tom told me that fifty-six languages are spoken in this county!  The team was a beautiful mix of ethnicities and skin colors, all intent on playing good football.  

I drove here on Sunday and Monday and Tuesday in rain and fog and sunshine, thinking to myself, "You've still got the road warrior thing going on, Linda!"  It had been years, but driving cross-country is like, well, riding a bicycle. 

The cold weather and rain reminded me that my suitcase contents are in need of a change.  Packing when it's 100 degrees, it's hard to imagine the need for thick socks and heavy coats.  I have driven Highway 81--and the parallel 11, into Virginia countless times, and it's always a pleasure to see the patchwork of fields and farms, especially in fall colors of golds and reds and oranges.  I couldn't bear the thought of I95. 

Yesterday, after walking the dogs, I spent the morning at Artistic Artifacts, a one of a kind store for mixed media and quilting and Bernina sewing machines.  I left with a bag of papers and stamps and ribbons, inspired to make a book or two while Day is teaching.  I also left with two potential friends, Amy and the owner Judy.  

 ON the previous post, I included some pictures--as I just figured out how to post them again!

We have had and are having a wonderful visit in the month of five of our October birthdays: Bob's on the 7th, Jackson's on the 13th, mine on the 14th, Day's on the 15th, and Jocelyn's on Halloween. 

Will and Bonnie and Elena had a long weekend in Georgia.  Carlene took us all out to dinner the first night and Elena loved and was loved by her Nana and her Uncle Bob and Aunt Jocelyn!  You can see her soaking up Southern accents, stories and sayings for future reference, too.  I love the pictures Bonnie took of the youngest and oldest hands in our family--Elena's at 13, Carlene's at 100!

Jocelyn and I went to a Mexican-Asian fusion patio restaurant to celebrate her birthday a little early.  The food was so good and the staff welcomed Luci with chicken and water.  

Yesterday Luci stayed with her new Georgia pet sitter, Annette, a jeweler.  Annette lives in her half of a tiny duplex in Athens set way back from the road under huge trees.  She's about to have her final chemo therapy, then planning a trip to Cozumel with her friends. 

Yesterday we had breakfast at Starbucks where we saw a woman who works at Presbyterian Village.  She got out of her car to see Carlene and introduce us to her daughter.  "I told her not to tell her brothers and sisters about this," she joked. "With five kids, I can't afford Starbucks, but she told me she had a dream last night of going to Starbucks, so I'm treating her before school starts."  We noticed that the mom hadn't gotten herself a drink, just one for her girl! After they left, Day went inside and bought her a Starbucks gift card from the three of us which we're delivering today.  

Then we three went to a store to poke around and Carlene bought me a jacket and Day a blouse--then to Amici's for white pizza.  We're having an awesome time all around! 

Photos

Carlene in her happy rocker in her happy apartment

Day and Nana at Amici's Italian Restaurant yesterday