Two Recipes

I have discovered a juice bar in Lawrenceville, Georgia, that makes a magic potion.  They call it an energy blast, and that it is.  It's 12:30 in the morning and I'm still wired from a 4:00 Smoothie!

This drink is packed with blueberries, mango, carrots and kale, along with tumeric, fresh ginger, and protein powder.  Mona from Haiti at the juice bar promised it would give me energy, and it's done that in spades.

Carlene who goes at full speed all day without benefit of Energy Blast is now sleeping peacefully.

I wandered into the kitchen just now and made myself a midnight peanut butter sandwich on Sunbeam Bread--same blonde girl with huge blue eyes on the wrapper as the one I remember from childhood.  These sandwiches aren't made with jelly, but with a sprinkling of white sugar--the way my daddy always made them.

If your boyfriend didn't call, or if you got flu, or if you had to camouflage the taste of medicine, the cure was always the same--peanut butter and sugar sandwich on white bread.

Computer Basics

Carlene just got a beautiful new computer, HP.  I love it.  It's fast and the graphics are beautiful.  We plugged it in, easy peasy, and got it up and running in minutes.

However. I can't figure out how to use interactive maps.  We need a smart 13-year-old in the house!

I'm amazed already at what maps can do--but I'm clumsy with  navigation, even on my Apple.  We have to find time to go to the Apple Store before we leave for New England.

I'm still a paper map girl, but it's time to stretch and learn some new skills!

Looking at old pictures

Carlene made this dress--at about age 15

"This was me on top of Lookout Mountain.
If I didn't think I was  cute in that eyelet dress!" 

That same Christmas, Bob in his cowboy suit,
Linda with her new doll, at Daddy Jim's and Mama Jim's house

Carlene, Mary Ann, and Bea
At Perry High School, 1942

Bob and I in Chattanooga on Christmas morning
wearing new skates

Mama Jim and the youngest two of her five children,
Lloyd and Betty June

Carlene has always liked pretty clothes and shoes.
She made of her clothes, but she thinks
this dress given to her by a friend. 

Her sweetheart in the Navy 

Carlene with my daddy's parents,
Daddy Jim and Mama Jim

Carlene and Lloyd when they were dating

She bought her own car when she was nineteen
and named it Stinky--
back when a girl couldn't buy a car without a man to co-sign
(Which she got around because her daddy had a good reputation in Perry.) 

Carlene and Lloyd, September 16, 1945
the day they eloped
My daddy holding his sister's baby

Aspirin, what?

Carlene Harris must be the only 91-year-old person in the state of Georgia who:

Doesn't have an aspirin in her house!  (except for baby aspirin which she takes one of every day.)  "Do you have any aspirin?" I ask.  "No, but Mary Elizabeth asked me the same question when she was here.  Maybe we should buy some."

Drives wherever we go unless I say I want to drive.

Cooks a seven-course dinner for her kids.

Gets up at five every morning to go for her three-mile walk.

I'm just saying....

Against All Her Protests to the Contrary.....

Miss Carlene can still cook a mean meal!

Creamed corn, ham, poppy-seed chicken casserole, Mimi's macaroni and cheese, green beans, Dot's gelatin salad, and cornbread--so delicious! 

She wanted today to be a day of celebration and it was--of her September 16, 1945, wedding anniversary, of Bob and Jocelyn's 15th, and of ALL our birthdays, from her 91st in August to Mike's 71st in December, with Bob, Jocelyn, and I all having birthdays in October. 

Thank you, Carlene!

Second Day in Hartwell

Today we went to a KIA dealership to test drive a Soul--which Mike is interested in buying.  We stopped by a rental car place to see if they might have one for us to drive to New England, but they didn't have one.  Then we found a great juice bar in Anderson, started by a young New Yorker, and enjoyed a delicious green drink.

When I nap, Mike works.  I can always find him repairing something or building something.  This picture is quintessentially Mike Schultz.

His team beat Florida--ending an eleven-game losing streak to them--which made him quite happy.

I test-drove his Honda Passport.  While my muscle memory as a former Motorcycle Mama didn't activate on my first day, I'm going to keep trying until I can lean in on the curves like I used to do.

First Day in Hartwell

Growing up in Georgia, I saw this countless times--a woman hanging clothes on a line.  An iconic scene, rarely seen anymore.

Today we were driving down Old 29 when I saw this woman looking out at the highway behind her clothesline.

"I wish I could take a picture of her," I said to Mike--but I thought it might appear odd to her to be photographed by a stranger.

"Oh, I know her," he said, turning the truck around.  Turns out he had taken her flowers one day because she reminded him so much of Laura, the "woman who raised me."

Annie Ruth MaCain was born in 1928.  She's tiny and strong with the smoothest skin and twinkling eyes.  We talked for a while and Mike gave her his phone number and invited her to come have dinner with us sometime.  After a short visit in the yard, she said we'd made her day--and she'd made ours.

"You make him behave himself," she said.

"That will be hard," I said.

"When you ain't here, I'll be taking notes," she said, laughing. 

Then we popped into a new arts gallery in downtown Hartwell and met two very special women of our tribe--Bernie supporters, no less!

Diana and Kathy own the Hang It Up Gallery, and they live upstairs.  It's an amazing old building, beautifully remodeled by them and a couple of friends.  This is the view from upstairs, looking down on the gallery.

Mike loved the architecture which included a huge old vault that was used for keeping money for cotton traders in the past.  We both loved the gallery space and the women who live there and run it.

Diana in front of one of her paintings

Diana and Kathy

We decided against the car show in Charlotte and have had a great day in Hartwell.

The journey begins

My alarm tells me it's time to get up and line my bags by the door for my 4:30 cab.  I'll arrive in Greenville at 11:15.

Mike and I are going to a car show in Charlotte tomorrow--although since gasoline is limited in the Southeast, the show could be canceled.

On Monday, Carlene is making a family dinner at her house, then Mike and I are heading for New England to soak up the colors of fall I always miss in Texas.

Wild Imagination

Polling Children

Last night at Adalante's, we were talking politics.  It was clear from Nathan's comments that the other side of his family--with whom he lives on alternate weeks--is pro-Trump, anti-Hillary.

"Trump is going to build a wall to keep out all the Mexicans that bring drugs and crime," he said.

"Do you think all Mexicans bring drugs and crime?"  I could tell that Will and Veronica weren't trying to convince him, but to let him air his opinions and ask questions.

"Well, Papi is from Mexico and he's not bad," Nathan said.

"If there had been a wall, we wouldn't be here," his mom said. "Papi and Tita brought us here when I was your age.  If there had been a wall, we wouldn't have come...."

"Then I wouldn't be here," Nathan said.  "And Elena wouldn't be here.  And I wouldn't know...." he started naming  the people he wouldn't know if he'd never been born, including me.

"Mommy and I are voting for Hillary," Elena said, sounding very definitive about the whole thing.

"Most people from Mexico are good, just a few bad ones," Nathan decided.  "But Hillary is a bad liar.  Isn't she?  That's what I heard."

Out of the mouths of babes--you can hear the soundbites and beliefs of their parents.  Having two sets of parents, Nathan hears both sides.

Nathan is a brilliant little boy, soaking up everything he hears and trying to make sense of discrepancies.  Unlike Elena, however, he doesn't get to vote this year.

THE GRANDS

Dress Rehearsal: the Ninja Nathan and the Unicorn Elena trying on their costumes for the Halloween party at my house

Jackson's first day in high school

Marcus' first day in sixth grade

The Newsroom

Three seasons.  Amazon Prime.

Today I watched Season 3--excellent ending for a compelling HBO series.

Last full day of our retreat

Nellie and I walked a bit on the river walk today, but it was really hot.  We'd gone on a mission.

Nellie wanted to have Boudro's guacamole again--the one they make beside the table while you watch:

It's the best!

You cut up one avocado (don't mash it) and season it with kosher salt.

They you add the juice of one lime and the juice of about 1/4 or less of an orange.

Then about two heaping tablespoons of chopped red onion.

About three of roasted Roma tomatoes with roasted Serrano peppers.

And a whole bunch of cilantro--maybe even a cup.

Then  you scoop it into a beautiful mound in the mocajato.

We rested, drew, read, and looked for my lost keys, which I found on the porch, then had Cappy's delicious shrimp nachos and crab cakes.

Nellie is inspiring me to take a watercolor class--my first efforts are not impressive, but so much fun to do.

Nellie flies back to Florida tomorrow afternoon and I fly to Georgia on Thursday.

Tumeric

I've been drinking tumeric now for several weeks and feel so much better!  I just got this email from Nellie from the casita to my house: https://medium.com/forever-young/science-confirms-that-turmeric-as-effective-as-14-drugs-9547edc0073b#.ss2vmaxrn

Together with my physical therapy, tumeric seems to have contributed to an overall sense of feeling good and reduced pain.  If I miss a day, I can tell the difference.

Amanda's wedding night in Helotes

Amanda and Mike

After getting new glasses and a frame for my Nellie painting and eating at Supper at the Pearl, Nellie and I went to La Escondida in Helotes to the wedding of Amanda and Mike.  Thirteen years ago, Amanda was part of the Tuscan retreat, so it was fun to have the three of us together again.

High Lights

A highlight of yesterday was listening to conversations between a four-year-old and two sixty-something-year-old friends, Chris and Nellie.  Intent on decorating masks with Nellie, Elena said, "This is the greatest day!"

After a brief warm-up meeting people, she holds her own in conversation plus some.  The girl loves to talk! When Chris was showing us her beautiful arrangement of jewelry made of natural stones,  bones, silver and copper, Elena wanted to be sure she showed Chris her new plastic bead bracelet from Bonnie.

***    Friendships

"You sure have a lot of friends," she said. "Who is your best best best best friend?"

Well, that's a hard question to answer on the spot, every friend a treasure.  "You," I said--to which she responded, "That's what I wanted you to say!"

"Who is your best best best best friend?" Nellie asked Elena.

"Yenna!" she said.

***   Ravens

So today, Nellie and I drove to Castroville and met Joy who showed us around and told Nellie all about the Alsatian history.

Nellie loves to read all the historical markers wherever we go and she loved soaking up the history of beautiful Castroville.

At lunch, Joy and Nellie were talking about their shared love of ravens--and the lore of them.  Later, on our way to a wine party at Fiona's, Nellie stopped by Dollar Tree.  She came out with three plastic chirping ravens for us to wear to the party and one to give to our host, Fiona.

***  Bright Colors

Nellie brought me a beautiful print of one of her flower paintings!  It's perfect for the new room I'm building--and looks great with the wild fabric I chose.  I'll post pictures later.

Chris--whose color palette in her home is more rich earth tones--had a small quilt in my colors and she gave it to me!  I'm going to hang it on the wall too.

Tomorrow morning, we'll be looking for frames at garage sales.

*** Wine

Fiona and Lee own the upholstery shop.  Lee is married to Fiona's daughter.  Every other Friday night, Fiona and Sarah (her daughter) host a wine party.

Nellie took a bottle of Trumpeter wine and everyone else brought wine and cheese and crackers and dips.  We had such a good time, Nellie and I wearing our ravens.

Fiona is from Scotland, but she lives in Spain three months out of the year with her husband, Justin.  She's planning a trip to Spain for a bunch of us women at the party, and Nellie and I are in!

Fiona and her mosaic bathroom

       

Letting Go and Hanging On

I went to bed too early after a long day and then woke up in the middle of the night.  Checking my e-mail, after just posting about "letting go," a serendipitous thing occurred.  I got an email from Pam, a link to Malini Parker's post about Letting Go!

http://www.maliniparker.com/news/my-year-of-burning-hands/

Letting Go

Growing into adulthood involves a lot of getting.

Then we get to a certain age and we start letting go of things.  As Marion Woodman says in "The Crown of Age," certain objects had resonance for us, then they do no longer do--and we pass them on to someone for whom they can have fresh energy.

The best story I know about letting go is the one about Zen monks who create intricate mandalas out of colored sand, then--as soon as they are finished, they let the wind sweep them away. They don't frame them, hoard them, or display them; the point is the doing, not the keeping.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/22/buddhist-sand-mandalas_n_6185680.html

Roaming in the Hill Country

Another fun day!

Elena joined us and Nellie had an art project for us to do at the river--painting wooden masks.  We fed the ducks and painted and had a breakfast taco by the river in Boerne.

Then we went to visit Chris in Kerrville.  We got to watch the farrier shoe Chris' horse and Elena got to pet every horse on the ranch and look at the three little donkeys and the mammoth donkey.  She was in her element!

A threesome selfie with our masks

Chris, Elena, and Nellie

Shoeing TJ

After all that roaming, Nellie and I  had dinner at El Chaparral and stopped by Floore's Country Store--where the Willie Nelson original sign still stands after all these years.

A Day in The Hill Country

Nellie, head cheerleader,  was voted "Best School Spirit" our senior year.  I was new to the school and voted "Friendliest."

What I remember most about Nellie and me--besides going to church together--is doing the ouija board at her house at a sleepover.  The main question we asked was "Who are you going to marry?"

A year later, I'd be married and know that the ouija board was right.

We had a fabulous day today, buying fabric for upholstery and walking around in Gruene, then going to Wimberley where I bought Christmas presents and a shawl for myself and an antique bird cage at a thrift shop benefitting stray animals.

The Leaning Pear is the place for a late lunch--ending with lemon panna cotta with blueberries.

Tomorrow we have Elena and are going to visit Chris in Kerrville and do an art project by the river in Boerne, painting masks.

Nellie bought some Trumpeter wine and we got some good jokes out of the title which I'll refrain from sharing right now. And she captured me doing what I do--taking pictures.

Life is good!

Cantina Del Rio in Gruene

The Saga of San Antonio

After Nellie and I walked the River Walk ( festive year-round)  and had margaritas and tacos at Casa Rio, (which Nellie pointed out is older than we are!) we watched "the Saga of San Antonio"--a beautiful narrative in lights and music created on the canvas of the San Fernando Cathedral.

Saga shows on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 9, 9:30, and 10:00, I believe (check the website to make sure) and will be there for eight more years.  So no rush--but if you haven't seen it, be sure to go there on your next trip to SA.

Then we came home and slept in the casita.  The whole night reminded us of our trip to Italy together 13 years ago, walking magical streets at night.  To make the memory complete, Nellie brought her well-worn slippers from Hotel Danielli in Venice!

This is the year of our 50th high school reunion.  According to my notes, Nellie was the soloist at graduation, I was her piano.  Her song?

"My work is done."

How little we knew back then!

Traveling--and sitting--duo for a fun week

Nellie arrives today!  I woke up this morning to this photo from her of two wonderful dolls that I'm planning to make our mantra for the week.

This is US--except for the hair rollers.  We're both so excited to get to spend a week together in Texas!