Gray Day

I must exude a certain amount of confidence or expertise in areas that I most times do not feel. Three times in the last 24 hours, I've had people ask me for help or direction because they just knew I'd have the answer. Well, I didn't. I don't. I'm clueless. Something about how they took the answer made me feel like they didn't believe me. Why would I lie to them and refuse to help? That is not in my nature and surely they know that about me.

Liars offend me. It is probably my biggest pet peeve of all. Be honest.

Yes. OK, I'll be honest too. I'm not perfect. I have told lies ... some small white lies and some big whoppers ...like when I was 16 and supposed to be at the movies, but really was out necking with a guy ... but I learned a lesson from that. I always feel really bad when I do lie and so I don't. Even small white lies can come back on you. Like saying to your mother-in-law that you really like some dish that she made when in reality you don't, but then she thinks you do so makes it for you every special occasion and you have to continue to eat it and pretend to like it because you lied. Lessons like that make me not lie.

And when I catch a certain someone in a lie, this someone that lies so often that she can't keep track of what she has said ... it makes me not want to be around her ... it makes me not trust anything that she ever says. And yet, she continues to lie never learning and she wonders why I don't believe her. I just don't get it.

Airport Musings

Traveling from Austin to Lubbock yesterday I was struck by several thoughts. First in the Austin airport, I saw a little old lady that reminded me of my grandmother. She was walking through the airport after having gotten off her plane ... coming to visit her grandkids. Mimi used to do the same thing only on buses. I wonder if Mimi were still alive if she would be flying now. I wonder if air travel then had been what it is now if she would have flown. After watching this lady greet her grandkids, I looked around and realized that the airports of today are much like the bus stations of yesteryear.

That got me to thinking of airports of the past. When I was growing up, I had an aunt that lived on the East coast. I remember going to the airport to pick her up at least a couple of times back in the early 1960's. If we were early, we would wait in the cafe which had windows looking out on the runways. Back then, you met your traveler on the tarmac. I have a very clear picture of the airplane, silver and seemingly huge! stairs rolled out to the plane, people dressed up coming down the stairs. (no one dresses up for travel on a plane now) I remember my aunt coming through the door and pausing, looking around and then seeing us and waving before she started down the stairs. In my memory, she was wearing a full length mink coat, high heels, a very stylish suit and carrying a round make-up case. Who could ever have been more sophsicated!

As my plane was making the descent into Lubbock, I looked at the fields white with cotton and mostly unchanged in the years that have passed since the 60's. I wondered what my aunt, on seeing this so many years ago was thinking. Was she, like me, thinking what a dismal, flat place Lubbock is? or was she glad to be coming home?

Just call me Trigger

The dreaded trigger finger has returned. This time in 2 fingers of my left hand. It makes typing very hard. Last time it was the thumb on my right hand and I was able to type with no problem. Right now, I'm using the pinky on my left hand to one finger type these letters.

And as if that was not enough ... the carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand is flaring. The doctor said the two are related. Both are the result of overuse of the hand ... as in too much typing at a computer. Duh! that's all I do all day!

So it's back to braces and steriods and ice and resting the hand.

Enough with the pity party! Back to work!

On the Road - Tennessee Vacation Last Day

We overnighted in Chattanooga and chilled out in the room ... enjoyed the hotel pool and hot tub. Then it was up and about it again. We toured the Chickamauga battleground and were struck by the site. It has been kept much as it was during the battle in Sept of 1863. Open fields are surrounded by dense forest. Over 2000 men were never found and were presumed dead. Seeing the forest, it is easy to believe that a wounded man could die alone and never be found. The battleground is dotted with monuments to the divisions and regiments that fought on both sides (Union and Confederate). The park is also lined with informational boards that tell what happened at the place in the line; color coded blue for Union soldiers and red for the Rebels. The boards are situated in such a way so that if you are reading it, you would be looking in the same direction that a soldier would have been.

This picture is of the battle line of at Snodgrass Field which was the last battle at the site. You can see the monuments, cannon placements and the board with descriptions. The picture also show how dense the forest is at the edge of the field. The Snodgrass family had cleared this field and were farming it when the battle took place.


After touring the battleground, we went to Chattanooga and took the Incline railway up to the top of Lookout Mountain. The incline is a whopping 72.7 degrees! You start out sitting in the car in a reclining position and by the time you get to the top, you are sitting up straight. The first picture is one I took from inside the car. It is a really neat view and the top of the car is glass so you can see it all. The second picture is of the car leaving. In this one you can get a good feel for the incline. Lastly, here is a panorama of Chattanooga taken at the top of Lookout Mountain. Kinda hazy, but still I wanted to share it

On the Road - Tennessee Vacation Day 2

Leaving Gatlinburg and driving along the Cherohala Skyway a wonderfully curvy winding road. The highest point is Santeetlah at 5390 ft. We saw some color along the skyway but it was not as spectular as we had hoped. We may have been a little early and/or the drought is causing the leaves to turn from green to brown and drop with no color change.

I did manage to get some good shots of the mountains that make it live up to its name as the Smoky Mountains. I couldn’t decide which I liked best so here are the three best.

On the Road - Tennessee Vacation

We are in Tennessee on vacation and it is beautiful. On the first night, we drove through alittle town in Roan County and thought ... hm, we could live here!

The waterfall at the left is from our drive.

We spent the day getting to Gatlinburg and then driving the Cades Cove auto tour in the Smoky Mountain National Park. A lovely little valley surrounded by the mountains, Cades Cove was occupied until the early 1930's when the land was purchased by the Park service. Many of the original rough hewn homes and the old mill were preserved and is now a historic exhibit. The pastures and fields are farmed and/or being used to try to repopulate the area with natural grasses.

Here are some pictures from our drive. The first is from the Primative Baptist Church.

These pictures are of the Cable Mill. The first is a shot of the house, grounds with a barn in the background. This was taken from the porch of the General Store. The second picture is of the mill.

This is a picture of the Dan Lawson homestead.

And finally, this is a pictue of a very fearless deer. Dusk was falling as we neared the end of our drive. This deer and many others were coming right up to the roadway and cars. Unfortuneately, the deer have learned to beg for food instead of foraging.

Life Happens When You Least Expect It

On a recent Saturday, I got up early, scootered over for breakfast and then to the coffee shop for a cup and to read the newspaper. After I got home, I decided to give my scooter a bath. While drying it off, my husband brought me my cell phone so I could talk to a friend in need. Wham ...

After we hung up, I spent the next several hours making arrangements to travel to our friend's side and take care of some things for him. It is incredibly humbling and at the same time a tremendous responsibility to be called on in such a manner.

Our friend still is not out of the woods, but we'll continue to be there for him until he is better. We've got his back.