Now the Work of Christmas Begins

x

When the song of the angels is stilled,

when the star in the sky is gone,

when the kings and princes are home,

when the shepherds are back with their flocks,

the work of Christmas begins:

x

to find the lost,

to heal the broken,

to feed the hungry,

to release the prisoner,

to rebuild the nations,

to bring peace among the people,

to make music in the heart.

x

May we be the compassionate ones, the healing ones, the loving ones, the peaceful ones now and into the new year.

x

~ Howard Thurman

Pieces of My Heart

 

Yesterday I had a conversation with a close friend back in Florida whom I dearly miss. All the years Greg and I spent on the road and I'm frequently homesick for Columbiana (OH), New Paltz (NY), Belfast (ME), West Springfield (MA), Swannanoa (NC) ... and sometimes, for the road itself. 

Add to that list my native state of Florida.

I feel very much "at home" living in North Carolina; after all, it's where my Irish ancestors settled six generations ago. But the meme is accurate: there are pieces of my heart scattered all over the place.

At The Lagoon

 

Daddy's favorite view of Biltmore. I have stood at this very spot many times, and in many seasons of my life. But today is the first day I've summoned the courage to visit post-Helene.

The nearby French Broad River, having carved new banks in the flood, is a little broader these days. And the trees are bare ... but aren't they always at this time of year? The ducks are quietly paddling around and the Canada Geese are noisily honking - as always.

Nature allows itself to heal itself.

On Rosa Parks Day

 

"You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right." ~ Rosa Parks

Today's Rosa Parks Day, the 70th anniversary of the day she was jailed for disorderly conduct ... for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. I'd always heard that she was just too tired from her work as a seamstress to get up and stand for the remainder of her bus ride, but that's not the case. In her words, "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

Read more here:

https://npg.si.edu/blog/tired-giving

The Rewards of Early Rising

Though not naturally an early riser, I've been getting up very early to work out at the YMCA. This morning, as I was coming out of the Y, I saw pink and gold in the sky and knew just where to go to capture the sunrise.

I drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway's "Table Rock Overlook," 10 minutes away, arriving just in time to capture this sunrise.

Getting fit is its own reward, but what a nice bonus today! 

Girls' Day Out

Today was Girls' Day Out with cousin Sally and friend Bev.

First stop: Boone (NC), for the relocated "Over Yonder" restaurant. I miss its previous location in Valle Crucis: an old wooden house whose cozy rooms made for an intimate dining experience, especially if you scored a seating near the fireplace! But the debris piles and washed out bridges left by Hurricane Helene resulted in a drastic drop in visitors to Valle Crucis, causing serious financial impact to Over Yonder ... as is the case with so many businesses all over the High Country. Relocating to Boone, a much larger town that attracts many more tourists year round and is a college (Appalachian State University) town to boot, was the logical financial decision. The new location has its charms; it's somewhat reminiscent of a ski lodge. And the food is great: very imaginative culinary creations made for some hard choices.

Lunch having been finished, we did make the trip back to Valle Crucis, whose main attraction is and has been since 1882, the Mast General Store. Its old post office still functions as a post office and you can buy a cup of coffee for a nickel. For each of us it was the first trip post-Helene.

The other two did some Christmas shopping; I, meanwhile, enjoyed poking around; seems like I can always find something charming or curious there! The candy selection is amazing; it's surprising to find that candy from the Penny Candy days is still made, and you can find those Penny Candies and much more, at Mast.

I pass on the candy (never have been much into sweets) but cannot resist the socks. My sock drawer is full almost to bursting with socks, most of which were purchased at Mast General Store.

Eventually we tore ourselves away, in order to make it to the Snowy Mountain Christmas Shop in Newland before it closed for the day. 

It strikes me, as I recount today's activity, that certain "touristy" businesses are just as attractive to locals as to visitors. Sally and Bev are lifelong residents of Western Carolina; I have visited the area since I was a little girl, and moved here five years ago. I can be at any of a number of tourist attractions - the aforementioned Mast General and Christmas store, along with Biltmore Estate, Grandfather Mountain, the Blue Ridge Parkway, to name but a few - in an hour or less, yet I never tire of visiting these places.

After the Leaves Have Fallen