Mountain Mama's Point Of View

  We lived in Minnesota for nearly 12 years. Some years it snowed more than others, but we were never unable to get out of our driveway and go wherever we might want to go. Of course, you expect snowstorms when you live that far north. There are snowplows and salted roads. You might need to clear your driveway, but roads are passable, stores are open, schools are open, and life goes on. It has to be really bad to close everything down. The snow started falling yesterday and within a few hours I looked out the window to see a winter wonderland. Snow can cover a multitude of sins! No visible dog poop in your back yard is always appreciated, even though you know it will still be there with a good thaw. The dreary winter gardens are suddenly beautiful. The air is fresh and all you want is a hot cup of ....., well whatever. Being a homebody has its advantages. We made a trip to Walmart before the storm to fill our water jugs. Not because we expected to be stuck at home for an extended p...

  We had some company this past weekend. I must be getting old, as I am still recovering! We had a hectic, but fun weekend. When they left the bitter cold front hit us. It is in the 20's and for once I am not sweating. I ran outside onto the screened porch this morning and I can testify that it is bitter out there! In my bare feet, I let the canine trio out because they stood at the door barking. I wanted to see what they were barking at. That white kitten has been hanging around since HeWho declared a no new pet moratorium, has been leaving food out and I figured that was the culprit for the manic barking session. I was wrong, as soon as I opened the door, I saw the little bird fluttering around the screen, trying to find an exit to avoid the barking dogs. Before I could twitch a muscle, Mr. BoJangles was on the bird, catching it in his mouth. I yelled, "NO". This did not bother Bo as he headed towards the other end of the porch with tweety bird in his mouth. Nothing to ...

  A new year looms large in our future. While I am not excited about the prospects for peace, the date will change whether I am ready or not. Christmas was very quiet this year. The oven situation is still not resolved. Not to worry. HeWho is NOT the master of gift giving bought a new appliance for me. He has never been one to choose an appropriate gift. He does try, bless his heart. He has been a giver of strange gifts throughout the last 50 years. He has gifted me trashcans and clothespins (I asked for them, I needed them, and we spent all of our budget on the kids when they were little). He once presented me with 40 lbs of compost manure for Mother's Day. In his defense, I had said I needed to fertilize my garden beds, but he could have included a nice plant. I have learned that I should not make statements or hint at what I might want. Now I will be very specific about things I want. I got into the habit of buying myself a gift, wrapping it and putting his name on it as the giv...

Our last day in Savannah we decided to go to the outlet mall. But first I wanted to check out a thrift store I had seen us pass a few times. Sort of like a Big Lots, it had a variety of goods. Some used and mostly new in packaging that was not in good shape. We found a few bargains and took advantage of the markdowns. The people were friendly and invited us to play bingo that evening. Looked like they expected a crowd with about six long tables covered in holiday cloths and some chairs that looked really comfy. Not the standard metal folding chairs one would expect. We did not find out, as we decided not to go. Neither of us are good at driving at night, most especially on unfamiliar roads. Most outlet malls I see now are deserted. This one was thriving. It covered a good bit of territory to walk, and the walkways were nice and wide. Landscaped with trees and benches set at intervals for just sitting and enjoying the day. There was a splashpad for kids at the entrance and a playground ...

  I studied all the maps that had been provided by the check-in desk at the park. We headed to Tybee Island and the rain stopped. As we entered the island, we saw a sign stating that parking was free. Great news for the man that did not want to pay for parking. The place was pretty much deserted and the parking lots along the beach were empty. We pulled into one and left the RV with only Dora, the turtle, left on board eating her favorite new treat, dried shrimp. I wanted to walk on the beach. My dogs have never been on a beach, and I was excited to see what they would do. Well, until I saw the signs prohibiting dogs on the beach. That was a bummer! We walked on the sidewalk with them, and they were happy to be outside. I spied a store that was open and decided to go in and see what they had while HeWho kept the dogs on the sidewalk. The nice clerk behind the counter graciously offered to let my canine companions come inside. They did for about a minute. HeWho held the leashes chos...

  How to sum up 50 years of marriage .... Looking back, I seem to remember many more good times than difficult ones. I have laughed more often than I have cried. This man I have been attached to for so long, aka HeWho loves me, is the most tolerant and exasperating person I have ever met. We pulled out last Monday morning, believing that our trip was a mere 6 hours to our destination, Skidway State Park in Savannah. No hurries, we ambled along roads we had never traveled before. My view was limited, as usual from my perch on the dinette "bed" in the RV. I always ride in the back with the dogs, fearing that they might end up under the driver's feet. They are happy to be with me. Toni Louise sits right behind the driver's seat and will stick her head onto his shoulder from time to time for a pat on the head from her master. I can only see out the window to my left, but if I scrunch way down, I have a sliver of front wind shield to see ahead. As we headed south, dressed ...

  Mr. BoJangles here. I am using Mom's new computer. She was reluctant at first, telling me not to scratch her keys. I am no novice, I tell you, she should know that I have done this before! We have been traveling a lot lately. I would include photos, if Mom could figure out how to load them. She keeps saying not to worry, that Jeff is coming soon and will help her figure things out. I like Jeff okay, even if he did say I was a funny looking little dog. I will try to set that aside and be on my best behavior while he is here. Mom has no qualms about confining us dogs to her room should we become a nuisance. Yesterday was very strange here at our house. Mom got up and let us out and the day was going along. Mom had her vile smelling coffee. She will offer her cup for me to sniff (why do I always fall for this trick?) and I will dutifully take a sniff. How does she drink this? I have heard Dad say that it smells good, but I don't think his nose works! After the sniff and a few mi...

  We do not put up a Christmas tree anymore. Nowhere to put one and we have no company coming for the holidays. We are the visitors that go elsewhere. This year, though, my son is coming the day after Christmas. Still, no tree, but we must have cookies, right? So, I consulted Pinterest and found some recipes for no bake cookies. Lots of cream cheese and powdered sugar, and everything dipped in chocolate. Lots of boozy options. The whiskey laden pecans that soaked overnight, then went into the creamy base are potent! I licked the spoon after I made the little balls to be dipped into melted chocolate. Rum balls still await construction. I can give you some trivia that might prove useful if you find yourself at a loss for conversation. People may think you are a bit odd when suddenly blurt out, "Did you know that one box of vanilla wafers will yield 3 cups of crumbs?" Well, now you know the rest of the story. What story, your listener might wonder ...... My personal favorite wil...

  Winter had arrived here, down in the 20's at night, then up in the 30's during daylight hours. Not conducive to being outdoors. I put the heavy quilt on our bed and made the lighter comforter ready for storage. I was all ready to store away my summer clothes and find some indoor projects to amuse myself. Doctor appointments pop up with great regularity and rains started blurring the days as we motored along the highway to be told that all was well with HeWho and his cow vein legs. It started getting warmer as it drizzled, and fog rolled in to obscure the mountain tops. I woke to sunshine, and it is already in the mid-fifties. This means I can play outside today! The possibilities are endless. I sip my scalding coffee carefully as I consider the number of hours at my disposal today. I want to use them wisely, as this weather cannot hold for long! I need to make the RV road ready again. But that will make me be indoors ..... Maybe I should finish my retaining wall mural. I need...

  Having arrived at our destination for the next few days, I fed my animals and then managed to drag He-Who away from his new friends. Have I ever mentioned that this man will talk to anyone? I sent him out with the dogs on leashes to take care of their business and he returned a lot faster than he should have. I am expecting to have to clean up a mess in the near future. We have never stayed at this park, and I don't know that we ever will again. Looks like a lot of the sites are permanent occupants and the dogs are not leashed. Big dogs and I am afraid to take mine out. The neighbor to our left is having his vehicle towed. This seems to have attracted all the bearded and tattooed men on golfcarts to the front of our site. We are blocked in for the foreseeable future it would seem. Despite He-Who's assistance (they have been winching it on by hand) with some of our leveling blocks, the going is very slow. Not to mention loud. The trip was uneventful with the exception of lunch...

  I still have no working oven. I will say that I am becoming quite adept at alternative cooking. My giant 18-quart roaster is currently taking up most of my counter space. I made a meatloaf Saturday. I have the three-container insert, so I cooked everything in that one appliance. While it worked okay, it was a lot of food for two people, and I don't like to have that much prepared food on hand since we get tired of the food before it is all eaten. In my meager spare time, I have exhausted every avenue of actually communicating with GE. As the holidays approach and we make plans to be with family I am trying to finish projects started with good intentions, yet never finished. The warm weather always finds me outside and I will put aside things to be in my gardens. My son and daughter-in-law will be coming the day after Christmas, and I am now in a frenzy to finish a project for my daughter-in-law. The weather has turned cold, so I have been busy going through box after box of photo...

  I have a new computer! Bigger monitor and letters on the keyboard and this one is not falling apart. Lighter weight, too. It has taken me a week to jump through a bunch of hoops to get back on Blogger. I will honestly say that I am not really sure how I finally got here. Lots of codes to get in and then it would ask for a password and would not accept it. I changed it four times, then it did not recognize my email address. Instructions were to "click on forgot email". But those words did not appear anywhere. This is not the most frustrating event of the day. I am still without a fully functioning stove. No, I am kidding. Last Tuesday was supposed to be the day that the second repairman would come and remedy the situation. That did not happen. Supposed to have been a flat tire that prevented the visit and was rescheduled to today. I was up with the rising sun, awaiting the highly anticipated appointment that was scheduled between 8am and 5pm. As per usual when a stranger ent...

  The big day is finally here!! We got up quite early in anticipation of the repair man visit. Oh, sorry, were you thinking I was referring to the election? Yeah, there was that, too. I had an appointment with the cardiologist at 10:30 and our window of repair opportunity was 8 am til noon. This meant that HeWho loves to sleep until midmorning or noon also had to be up. I was busy making sure the kitchen was clean and nothing was in the way of the fixing of my oven. HeWho was grumbling as he held that recliner to the floor and said to me that the repairman had not called yesterday like they did before the previous visit. I suggested that he call them and see if they could narrow that time window down. "Who do I call?" Really? He is the one who called and set up the appointment! Since they had returned his call the day he called I suggested he look on his call history. Do I have to be the brains AND the beauty?  He called only to find out they were not coming!! The parts are n...

  The past week was strange. My jaw locked closed. Why? I have no idea. I was outside in my happy place with stencils and paint as I created a mural on the retaining wall. I had just finished with some bees when I realized it was getting much cooler, as it does when the day is ending. I gathered my toys and headed inside. When I started to answer a question posed by HeWho sits in his recliner, I discovered I could not open my mouth without considerable pain that shot into my ear! My hand flew to my left jaw as a tear trickled down my face. HeWho was alarmed, no doubt wondering about who would be cooking supper and already trying to decide about take out. The more I tried to speak, it just got worse. Finally he understood. This has happened before, my jaw clicks audibly and will sometimes make me keep my mouth shut. Once it locked up in an open position and I must say that was worse. Your mouth dries out and it is hard to swallow. I usually just wait a bit and try to relax all my mu...

  I told you about the new deck  porch yesterday. Tomorrow, I will be crawling under it to retrieve the pieces of wood HeWho left under there as he worked. There is a 4' 4X4 under there! There were a bunch of scrap pieces that I collected into a pile as he worked. Didn't get them all and I saw him picking up short pieces of the cedar rail pieces. Maybe 6" long and my mind was planning what I could do with them. I thought he was just adding them to my pile. HE TOOK THEM TO THE DUMP and disposed of them. One would think he didn't even KNOW me. I save stuff. I compost for my organic garden. I am so upset about this. All those pieces of treated wood. I have no idea what they would have become! I save popsicle sticks to label my vegetables I plant. I save all those sets of plastic cutlery. If we ever have a crowd of folks to feed, I got it covered. I am thrifty. My Dad was thrifty and so was my mother-in-law. I am not as thrifty as she was. I will not be washing that plasti...

  Still waiting for a working oven. Funny how everything I want to eat needs an oven! I am staying busy in the meantime. The weather is glorious and I have spent many hours outside with my gardens. HeWho builds has been occuppied with another deck. It is just an extensin of the very small front porch that leads you into my tiny abode. The one that sufficed for I don't know how many years was okay, but when trying to enter, it was tight. We now have an 8X12' "porch with rails like a deck. The back side looks straight down into the ravine. I left him doing the build while I was cleaning out the vegetable garden. Maybe I should have done more supervising, since he chose to leave the post of the previous porch about a third of the way to the end of the new porch proudly standing in place. I expressed my thoughts about it quite gently and suggested it would be better if he had cut it off BEFORE he put the decking down. He says he didn't "notice" it until I pointed...

  After almost two weeks the repairman showed up. I gathered the furry ones to the bedroom, lest they attack the man and waited there for the verdict. I could hear everything form my perch on my bed with Charming Eddie. HeWho could "conversate" with the good old boy sent to fix my oven, stayed out ther with the man and they chatted about parts and gaslines and such as the man fiddled with this and that. I smelled gas as he played with all the knobs on the stove and proclaimed the appliance to be able to work perfectly if only the gas line was sufficient .... How that would explain that the oven WAS working and then wasn't will remain an unsolved mystery to me. I didn't see the man or talk to the man, so I suppose I shouldn't judge his intentions. But I will. I think he just didn't want to properly investigate the situation and just blamed the gas line. So, four days later the gas company guy shows up and I retire to my room with my dogs again and eavesdrop and...

  You all may recall the Christmas present I was given last year. Remember, the new stove. In anticipation of the delivery, we removed the old stove and received a defective stove that had to be picked up BEFORE they would even reorder a new one to replace it. And then another defective stove arrived and had to be sent back while they (Lowes) still had the money from TWO stoves tied up while they tried to pull their heads out of their butts to issue a refund. I am sure you do! Well, guess what? The oven has already stopped working. The irony is that the old stove's oven worked, it just needed a new thermostat. I kept a thermometer dangling from the rack and adjusted the temperature to what I needed. Inconvenient? Yes, but it DID work. I don't even use the oven during the hot days of summer to avoid heating the entire house. But, as the cooler nights lead to some downright cold days, I like to be able to bake. I love a dinner that is cooked entirely in the oven. I like to prepar...

  Although the hurricanes spared us, we are still having some issues with packages and mail. Most everything goes through Asheville, so that is just a slight bother and totally expected. We use Ingles Pharmacy, also based in Asheville and could not get refills, but a call to our clinic had them calling in to another pharmacy, so another slight, unavoidable delay. But my current and growing irritation is with Chewy. We have been here for three years and the first time they delivered my auto order to our old address wasn't such a big deal. They have good prices and deliver for no additional charge, so why not let them take care of it? Since that first time they have delivered to the old address two more times. I was not happy and I suggested that they simply remove the old address from my profile. I have suggested that too many times, but so far they seem to be unwilling or unable to do so. I got notification of delivery last week, but no package. I waited a couple of days, knowing t...

I am still here, despite the weather that skirted around us. I have been getting my gardens bedded down for the winter. Building structures to contain the delicate plants and harvesting the last of the beans. Also collecting annual seeds from those plants that have, so far, refused to succumb to the cold night air.  It is also that time of year when all the annual check-ups come due. First we have the blood drawn, then return for the report. Mine was good, just a little off on my kidney funstion, so now I am taking another drug, allopurinal, to prevent gout. Having lived through two attacks, I didn't object to another pill to swallow. I will admit that the second attack was a lot milder that the first. Maybe because I recognized the symptoms early and started drinking cherry juice right away. My favorite chaser is apple juice. Simply Juice, it looks brown in the bottle, but the taste is fantastic. Reminiscent of biting into the perfect tree ripened apple. I deserve a kick-back from...