Lots of Things in Life are Junk

It’s cold here and snowing, and our county officials are urging us to stay home until Winter Storm Pandora passes us by.

• Our birds are really hungry and show up en mass to attack the feeder on the deck.  I wind up scattering seeds on the railings too, and bread crumbs.  All manner of seemingly desperate avian visitors arrive and Bill and I consider them friends.  They add life and even joy to a wintry world where nothing else seems to move but the wind.
• This is the only time since we lost our dog, Rozie, that I am grateful we have no pets.  It has been so cold and the snow pack lingers, so a walk with a dog would be painful for both of us.  On the other hand if a dog (or cat) wandered to my door right now, well, yes, we would have a newly adopted pet.  And wouldn’t adding another warm sweet friend to the family be a wonderful thing?
• Our neighbor lost her old horse this week.  We think he died of a heart attack right in his stall.  There was no evidence of thrashing or pain.  He just went.  And our neighbor lost a friend.
• The gravel road to our house has been plowed, thanks to a very devoted, dedicated friend/neighbor who has a large tractor.  He began his work at 11 PM the first night the snow fell and then was up again at 5 AM for another round, and again later in the afternoon.  Thank you Pete!
• This week there was one travel-right day between storms and warnings when friends in town invited us to dinner.  There is something bright and beautiful about meeting to share a meal and trade lovely stories and lots of laughter – especially on a frosty, shivery cold evening.

Writing away about random ramblings this week, it dawned on me there emerged an obvious theme – the importance of friends.

I have featured it before but there is a plaque on my kitchen wall that says it clearly and says it all:

“Lots of things in life are junk

Troubles never end,

But there’s something never palls,

A really truly friend.”

~Author Unknown

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Memories of Burgers and Beauty

Beauty

A Week of Random Ramblings

One night Bill and I went to see Wuthering Heights performed at our local university theater of the arts.  Occasionally we get out at night like that.  I should have taken “night” pictures but forgot in the excitement over seeing city lights and other real people.

They have Cream Cheese Jalapeno Burgers here!

On Wednesday we drove to Harrisonburg to take our grandgirl out for lunch and a stop at Costco!  At her suggestion, we dined at Jack’s local hamburger joint where oddly enough, that’s all Jack served – hamburgers.

Bill ordered a plain one in spite of a wide variety of options including a “Peanut Butter Burger!”  And  Kendall and I got Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Jelly Burgers!  Costco is always fun too but seems Enormous to us country bumpkins.

Thursday was dedicated to Getting-Ready-for-Winter.

At our house that means moving out summer clothes and moving in winter.   Somehow sandals don’t work well anymore in these cooler Fall temps.  But I am loathe to store away the new sparkly ones that make my feet look 17 years old.  The object today was to accommodate cooler weather, but the object remained elusive and the sandals still sparkle in the closet.

I did manage to go Monday and Friday to the gym!  And now increasing “footage” (walking), though nowhere near goal.  Today, due to the energy giving qualities of a new vitamin, and the usual self imposed mental delusion  that I am an energetic 17 year old, I set out in earnest.  Never made it to the gym, but…..

Hoping to find apples, there was a farmer’s market at the Virginia Horse Center.  No apples, but lots of honey!  Honey is my next recommendation for hoarding.  And as long as I was there, I did a little walking around the horse center and watched young people jumping things and a very graceful horse and buggy team.  Lovely!

 

I have determined that walking is a good thing.  You never know what you will stumble on.

Late as usual but this was a week of random ramblings gone by and it was a good week after all.

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