“Once in a while in an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”

I have had extraordinary moments in an otherwise ordinary life. I’m no different than anyone else. You would be hard pressed to find anything, short of my children, that has made a lasting impact on this world. Yet, I am unlike anyone else. I am unique. As are you. You were created with a specific purpose…a specific goal to achieve in this life. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent the better part of 61 years trying to pinpoint just what that purpose is exactly. The pinnacle of existentialism…why am I here?

“We Were Young and Beautiful…Now We Are Just Beautiful!”

A couple of nights ago, my aunt and I sat on the sofa side by side and called my cousin to FaceTime and watched to little ones Trick or Treat. She is enamored with the marvelous technology of the iPad and the internet. We were waiting for my cousin to call back and I was showing her what they will see when we connect. She frowned a bit and said “Oh my! I look a hundred years old!” Then I quoted this caption to her. I looked at the two of us on camera. We are 21 years apart, she and I…exactly the difference in age between me and my firstborn. I look at her beauty and her strength and hope I have half her qualities when it’s my turn to be 82. She is a no nonsense woman. She is educated, erudite, lithe, and witty. There was a time when she and I butted heads. We are both strong willed and independent. We have both mellowed with age and loss. And we are both beautiful.

“The Brush Pile”

This is my project this week. My uncle was here on Monday and he made quick work with a chain saw and cut this all down along the creek banks. However, I couldn’t leave it there to clog up the culvert and provide a haven for critters too close to the house. I’ve been hauling brush every day since and I have a couple more hours worth of work to do and I’ll be done. I’ll burn it in the spring when the woods are wet and the brush has had a chance to age a bit.

“A well-seasoned skillet is a joy to behold!”

When I was growing up, my grandma filled her skillets with soapy water and set them to simmer on the stove while we did the dishes so that’s how I thought you were supposed to wash them. I gave up on cast iron cooking a long time ago because my pans were always rusty and pitted. Then Mr. Virgo, the trained chef, came along and taught me how to turn an old rusty iron skillet into a thing of beauty. There are two rules….season the pan correctly and NEVER let it anywhere near water!

“I love the way the trees change in West Virginia!”

I hauled the brush from the cherry tree today. Then I gathered up my aunt and headed back on the hill. I wanted to see the old home place and to see if there’s any cell service on the farm. There is not, by the way, but it was a delightful drive. I love my new pickup truck! I put it in 4 low to get through some mud holes and “Free-da” went through it like butter! The colors are still beautiful, however we are predicted to get quite cold this weekend and the leaves will soon be gone. We may even get some of the “S” word in the form of flurries!

“My Great Grandpa”

This picture hangs in the bedroom to the right at the top of the steps…the “Boy’s Room”. The other bedroom of course is the “Girl’s Room”. This is my great grandpa. He was one heck of a colorful guy. My uncle regaled me with stories of his escapades…some of which I’ve heard, some I haven’t.

Grandpa Richardson used to be a Deputy Sheriff in Harrison County, WV. On his rounds across the county one afternoon, he was talking to this old feller who was complaining about a dog that had decided his farm was as good as any to take up residence. He told Grandpa he was gonna get rid of that dog and let it eat someone else’s chickens. (I apologize for the remark “get rid of” but that’s a colloquialism for “Find it another home.” Or “Take it to the opposite end of the county.” There were no rescues or shelters in those days.) The next week, Grandpa was down in the southern part of the county when he came alongside this very same dog and recognized it. So he opened the car door, called the dog, and it happily jumped in for a ride. Grandpa took the dog back over to the old feller’s house and let him out and went on. The next week, Grandpa stopped at this man’s place and was shooting the breeze when he looked over and said to the guy, “I thought you was gonna get rid a’ that there dog.” The old feller said, “Ya know, that’s the durnedest thing. I took that dog down to the farthest end of the county and let him go last week and you know what? I’ll be durned if that dang dog didn’t beat me home!”

“My Green and White Quilt”

I cannot pass up a good quilt. Well, ok….I COULD pass up a good quilt. And sometimes I CAN pass up a good quilt, but yesterday was not that day. Oh, this one is so pretty! I love two color quilts and this is beautifully hand-pieced and hand-quilted with remarkable feathered wreath medallions in the white squares. It’s a double, it only has a couple of tiny stains along one edge and no wear. AND…I got it for $75! Oh, I love a good quilt, and a good auction, and a good bargain!

“October Sunshine in West Virginia”

It did yesterday, it will today, and the next few days as well! Wahoo! I didn’t get to the apples yesterday. I did do my laundry and emptied a couple more boxes then went to town to the pharmacy, grocery, and out to dinner with a friend. It was a lovely day…except for the arrival of the dreaded Asian Lady Beetles. As soon as the sun hit the house and the temp hit around 60, those suckers swarmed out of the woods! I had hung a sweater out to dry. (Yes, we have a clothes line on the front porch. We’ve got one on the back porch, the back yard, and the side yard. We are big on solar and wind energy here.) Well, in 15 minutes the front porch looked like the fly scene from Amityville Horror! I couldn’t get out there fast enough and my sweater was covered. Ewwww! I shook the beetles off the sweater and their hooky little claw feet stuck to the fibers and when I shook harder they put out their nasty stink alarm and started flying all around and landing in my hair and I’m dancing all over the porch with the heebie jeebies! Ok, lesson learned. Screw solar and wind…use the dryer during the dreaded lady beetle season. (shiver) At least there’s a bug spray you can use now to keep them from coming in the house. Of course, I’ll probably grow a third arm in the middle of my forehead from it but that’s a small price to pay to keep those nasty little creatures outside.

“Rose Colored Glasses”

My mom always used to chastise me for looking at the world through rose colored glasses, as if that was a bad thing. I have always looked for the positive in every situation, no matter how dim or dark. When there are trials, looking for the silver lining isn’t always easy, but it can make a world of difference in how well you cope. And when life is good? Well, those rose colored glasses just absolutely rock your ensemble, girlfriend!

“Old Mama Kitty”

This little gal has been the resident mouser around here for about 23 years. She spends her days on the front porch now, leaving the capture (and eventual presentation at our doorstep of many mice, moles, snakes, and bird)s to the younger generation. This summer there were three feral kittens and their mama who showed up and caused Old Mama Kitty all kinds of grief. We had to send the mother and two of the babies elsewhere and kept one little orange and white kitten to take over the mousing duties, leaving the old gal to take her much deserved naps on the lounge chair. We named her Little Bit because she was so tiny and dainty with such a quiet little voice. She was the one her mama brought from the barn and placed at my aunt’s feet. My grandma always said that the mama will give you the best kitten and she was right. While the feline matriarch will let my aunt scratch her back with her foot, Little Bit will climb up into your lap and purr like crazy. I’ve never been much of a cat person, but these two farm cats have captured my heart. Old Mama Kitty won’t be with us too much longer, but hopefully Little Bit will provide us with years of devotion.