Valentine's Week, Feb 14-18

Monday:  Bill and I celebrated 50 years as a couple this Valentine's Day. We started with a leisurely morning in bed.  I later went into church to work with Pastor Linda to finish the grant for our children's program.  It morphed to Wacky Wednesday!  After lunch, Bill and I went to Turkey Creek for more jeans for him and a bathroom rug.  I also needed to restock wine.  We brought home Asian take-out for supper from PeiWei's.  Bill had chilled a bottle of Champagne for me which I shared (a little) with him.  He always buys the Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry that my father favored.  After dinner and Champagne, I fell asleep watching a Nat Geo documentary on the Clothilda.  I'll have to watch it again!  The Clothilda was the last know illegal slave ship.  It delivered 100 Africans to the shores of the Mobile River in 1860 and the ship was burned to destroy evidence.  The remains of the ship has been recently discovered.  Descendants of the Clothilda Africans have kept the stories alive through oral and written histories.  Their stories are fascinating.  We have been reading about this story for a few years when visiting the Alabama Coast. https://www.al.com/life/2022/02/national-geographic-documentary-on-clotilda-to-premiere-monday.html

https://www.fox10tv.com/news/mobile_county/netflix-picks-up-clotilda-documentary-after-film-wins-prize-at-sundance-film-festival/article_934bc07e-82e4-11ec-8f33-6bd6d0bca5b9.html

Song: Clothida's on Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJh-eq3WGuc

Tuesday:  

The Weekend - Feb 12-13

Golden sunrise to start the day

Wayne Brock's birthday, same as old Abe Lincoln. Kathy hosted a celebration for Wayne on his actual birthday and this was certainly the day's main event.  His sister Ingrid and niece Rachel drove down from Covington, KY, bring lots of good food.  The Matzek family, Claire and Amanda included, came bearing two delicious pies - butterscotch and French coconut. Aiden was also an active participant.  Kathy provided a honey-baked ham.  We didn't take anything because Kathy insisted on including me in the celebration since we missed mine due to COVID.  Everyone had a great time with food and conversation.  Kathy gifted me with a very unusual piece that might be used to served hors d'oeuvres or for a taco bar or ???

Wayne, with Ingrid and Kathy

Us, with pies

Rachel, Ingrid and Kathy

Talking with Aiden

Sunday's lesson was on the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13.  We had 13 in attendance, including newcomers and old friends, Susan and Larry.  Sunday evening the Superbowl was played, with the Cincinnati Bengals and LA Rams.  Normally we might have watched with the Brocks, but not this year.  Bill and I had ribs left from a Food City Smoker purchase a few weeks back. They've been waiting in the freezer for the right occasion.  I made sweet potato fries (from frozen) and a salad as accompaniments.

Monday, Feb 7 - Friday, Feb 11

 The first Monday is usually UMW meeting at 10:30.  I had responsibility for presenting the program, a pledge service on gratitude and generosity.  I worked on it Sunday afternoon and incorporated the songs, accessed on YouTube, that were suggested in the program material.  After UMW, there was a brainstorming session on a potential summer program that I conceived and am promoting called Terrific Tuesday!  I would be a weekly VBS-style program for kids that would also incorporate an adult component.  The discussion was enthusiastic.  I am writing a grand due Feb 15, so we needed to clarify enough detail to flesh out the grant and make sure we had sufficient commitment to move forward.

We are having a spell of unusually nice weather for February. Monday afternoon and Tuesday were home time working on the grant. We planned a short day-trip on Wednesday and decided to explore a wetland park in Roane County near the Kingston Steam Plant.  Surprisingly, Amanda was home from school for the day and came over for lunch.  She joined our outing - a lark, my mammaw would have said.  The walk was ok for a sunny winter day, but not very scenic under the TVA power lines. The waterfowl on the wetland ponds were very scarce with just a few Canada geese, Northern Shovelers and some non-descript ducks that were too far away to  ID field marks.  They were all "dabblers," not divers. We detoured to look for the eagles at Melton Hill before we got back home.  All Amanda got to see was the nest.  I had put a beef stew in the crock pot before lunch, so we had a comforting supper.

A pair of unidentified ducks

Northern Shovelers "dabbling" and a row of turtles catching some rays

Nice walkway at the other end of the park near the steam plant

From the walkway looking toward the steam plant (and sun).

Lovely sunset to end the day.

Before lunch, I met Jo Alison at church to talk about another grant for Trinity's Mattress Ministry which she coordinates.  That one is due March 15.

The main activity for Thursday was an early afternoon trip to Knoxville to Wild Birds Unlimited to stock up on bird seeds and then to JoAnn for a few project supplies.  Bill even went along to shop at Belk's for new blue jeans.  We were both successful in our quests.  

When we got home, I worked on a new cell phone purse for myself while Bill continued working on RV maintenance that has occupied most of his week.  He is getting ready for our upcoming trip to Cedar Key, Florida, making sure the RV is a prepared as he can make it. Beef stew from last night was still good tonight!

Friday was another home day - for me baking and working on the Mattress Ministry grant. Both of those projects were put to rest before lunch.  I spend the bulk of this blustery afternoon making a cute pencil case for Allison. (the project for which I needed supplies). The left-over beef stew was transformed to vegetable beef soup with the addition of frozen vegetables and more broth.  Only shred of meat were left which, with the gravy, potatoes and onions, formed the base of the soup.  We watched the new version of the movie Dune which has gotten some Oscar nominations.  It was pretty good.

Looking good!

Pencil case

Cell phone purse

Sunday, Feb 6

After an active day Wednesday, I was glad to play the homebody for the rest of the week (until church-time today). Thursday was quite busy - I designated it as baking day and that consumes the better part of the morning.  In between, I tried to get some pics of feeder birds.  The beautiful little pine warbler has been around all week, as well as the juncos. I participated in a Zoom class on how to utilize features of my camera in order to take better pictures.  I learned a lot!  I also found a great YouTube resource that I can use to learn even more.  One exciting thing I learned is how to use my i-phone to remotely control the camera.  This may be revolutionary in stationary bird photography. I was glad to have indoor activities on this rainy day.  Red beans and rice seemed a good comfort food for a damp day.  I cooked the beans with a meaty ham bone with a little bit of Cajun smoked sausage added.  I made one of the bread loaves into a French loaf and baked it first so we had warm bread fresh out of the oven to go with the red beans.

Pine Warbler just outside the front window

Junco, seen through a cloudy window

Red Beans and Rice

Sourdough French loaf fresh from the oven

 On Friday I spend a lot of time practicing with the new features and got a few nice shots. Again, I was glad to be home as the temperature dropped throughout the day.  Chilly on these old southern bones! We got LeRoy in the afternoon and he spent the weekend with us.  Laura, Mike and Amanda went to Roan Mountain State Park and had a snowboarding day at Beech Mountain in North Carolina on Sunday before coming home later that day.  (pictures below)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Pine Warbler

Downy Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

Chipping Sparrow

Carolina Chickadee

Pine Warbler

Even without a specific focus or task, a day can pass quite pleasantly.  So Saturday passed.  We took a break from red beans and had a Saturday taco supper.

Sunday (today) was more purposeful because I had a Sunday School class to lead and worship and Lady Vol basketball on TV (they lost to UConn 😞.  After the game, se took LeRoy for a walk across the river on this sunny, almost warm afternoon before returning him home.  We enjoyed being out walking in the sun.  We saw one of the eagles flying, but it was not in photo range.

Matzek Photos:

Roan Mountain

Amanda

Amanda

Laura

On the slopes

Groundhog Day, February 2

 Sometimes the on-going COVIC pandemic seems like a closed loop that will never end - Groundhog day, the movie.  Locally, cases have not started declining, but given the pattern elsewhere we hope that will happen soon.

I was in my favorite chair early enough this morning to catch a beautiful sunrise! 

I had a 10 am appointment with JoLynn at church.  She was interviewing me for an article for the church newsletter - an on-going project of hers to highlight members.  It was fun and her questions brought out many good memories.  Yesterday while listening to the oldies radio I began to try to think of bands or individual musicians that Melanie and I listened to in the 60s, in alphabetical order.  I called her to challenge her to do the same. Below is my list, so far.  I'm missing a few letters.

In the afternoon I had my last PT session, at least for a while.  I hope I'm getting better.  Fried rice for supper tonight.

1960s Favorites: An Alphabet of Music

A: Animals (our favorite); Angels

B: Beatles, Beach Boys, Baez, Buddy Holly

C: Credence Clearwater Revival (our other fav); Chuck Berry

D: Diana Ross; Bobby Darin

E: Elvis

F: Four Tops

G: Gerry and the Pacemakers; Gladys Knight

H: Hendrix

I: Impressions

J: Janis Joplin

K: BB King

L: Jerry Lee Lewis

M: Marvin Gaye; Mamas and Papas; Johnny Mathis

N:

O:

P: Peter, Paul & Mary

R: Rolling Stones; Bobby Rydel

S: Simon & Garfunkle

T: Temptations
U:

V: Martha and the Vandels; Bobby Vee

W:

X:

Y:

Z: ZZ Top (a late-comer to the 60s)

Tuesday, February 1

 I started a new journal notebook today ( 2/1/22), the 7th since I began almost 2 years ago. Mother's death and Covid's beginning prompted me to transition from an occasional vacation post or haiku to a daily journal recording how I (and my loved ones) have moved through these unusual time. I write in paper journals, then transpose to digital pages with photos.

I started the blog in February of 2010.  I had been keeping my haikus and poems on paper, my photos on my computer and my vacation logs in notebooks. I hoped that the blog would be a format that could combine all of these and be easily shared with my family. Until 2020, the blog consisted of just vacation photos and poems and so was sporadic.  I have also used the page feature of the blog to post my sermons and longer writings.

My haiku, written Feb 13, 2010 (the date I'm actually writing this in 2022). Click the link to see the first post with pictures.

2/13/10
Old Leaves
Brown leaves dripping ice
Clinging beyond their season
Refuse to let go.

https://flowersandfeathers.blogspot.com/2010/02/winter-thoughts.html

Now let me return to where I started - February 1, 2022

An ordinary Tuesday hold the promise of the kind of beautiful winter day that we sometimes have in East Tennessee.  The temperatures have been rollercoastering between winter and spring with neither lasting very long.  Today we enjoyed a clear sky, light breeze and balmy 60 degrees. Bill finished the last of his brush pick-up and decided to burn the pile since there was virtually no wind.  When he came in for lunch, his glasses were missing, so I went out with him to help search.  We scoured the ground where he had been working to no avail.  Then we began to disassemble the burn pile.  We were almost to the bottom when his glasses miraculously appeared in the grass where we had search.  It's a wonder we didn't step on them!  

With Bill's help, I got the herb and flower bed next to the deck cut back.  Because my right shoulder had been giving me trouble, I didn't get any garden or flowers beds cleaned. (At least that is my excuse this year!) Lots of work remain to be done before planting time.

Somehow in all the brush-burning the garden digging fork got into the fire!.  I'll miss my good tool.  I hope I can find a replacement.

Brush is cleared but lots of work left to be done.

Lots of garden work before planting season

Faithful old tool

Last of the cedar tree

The afternoon was devoted to RV maintenance.  Bill changed the oil and I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom.  I haven't done that in a long time because we haven't made any long trips.

Tuesday is RT $5 sandwich day at lunch, so mid-afternoon I picked up a couple of sandwiches, chicken for Bill and blackened tilapia for me, we we had for supper.

Monday, Jan 31

The last day of the first month of the new year has been a day at home.  Friday and Saturday were also home days that I used to catch up on posting this journal on this blog.  In addition, on Friday I finished the little phone purse I have been working on for Laura.  I'll make myself another one next.  I promised Bill BiBimBap for Friday supper, made with pulled pork.

Saturday, I spent some time preparing to reach a joint Sunday School class on Spiritual Gifts.  The lesson drew from a course on the same topic that I took about five years ago.  The point of this week's lesson was that everyone has been endowed with one or more Spiritual Gifts.  We used some easy tools to identify our individual gifts.  I hope to follow-up with a session on using our gifts.  Gumbo from the freezer, with added shrimp and homemade french bread made a warming supper on a cool day.

Sunday afternoon we went to the Brocks for football and supper.  It was the first time since early December that we have been at their house.  It felt good to be healthy and together.  Kathy served Cincinnati Skyline Chili, a favorite of Cincinnati-born Wayne Brock.  I contributed a salad.  Incredibly the underdog Cincinnati Bengals won the game in overtime!

Monday has been another home day.  The weather was warm enough to be outside a little bit and Bill continues to work on the tree clean-up.  I was hungry for vegetables, so I fixed mixed greens, mashed turnips, purple-hull peas (from my garden-to-freezer stock) and boneless pork chops.  I think I'll plant turnip green that make turnips this year.  It was a satisfying soul-food meal.