Last Thursday I got up at 4:30 a.m. and was sitting in the living room about to have my devotions. The thought suddenly crossed my mind, “Hmmm. I miss taking road trips. I should go visit Cheryl on Saturday.” (Cheryl’s faced some challenges in recent weeks and it seemed like a good time to visit.)
Then I Googled her address, remembered she was five hours away, and thought, “Well, maybe that’s not going to work after all.”
Just a few hours later, I got a text from Cheryl saying, “Hi! Do you want to meet halfway for lunch on Saturday?” Talk about reading each others’ minds.
So Saturday I spent 11 hours on the road, driving to and from Raleigh to have lunch and do a little thrift store shopping with Cheryl. We had such a great time together; it was therapeutic for us both.
I could have made the trip in a whole lot less time, but you know me. If there’s a back road to be found, I’ll find it. I spent eight hours in the car by myself and never once turned on any music or podcasts. The silence and the joy of solitude were all I needed.
Even though I am usually the Photo Gal, I only took three photos that day.
This one shows what I love to see most on my GPS screen; a road with nothing around it.
Taken from the car. (While driving slowly.)
On the way home, I realized that a church my dad pastored over forty years ago was just a few minutes from the highway I was on. I pulled in for a look at some old memories. I was about seventeen years old when I first came here with my parents and sisters. A couple of years later, I came back here with Steve as newlyweds and we served as music ministers for a short while.
THING TWO
Sarah and Gage invited us to their house for dinner last week.
Sarah made one of her delicious meals, this one featuring spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, and eggs. She also made soda bread, something I’ve never heard of but was so good!
She had two choices for bread dipping: red wine vinegar and a fancy olive oil which was a gift from one of Gage’s students. It has wonderful ingredients like rosemary, oregano, sweet basil, marjoram, rosemary, chili pepper, and several other spices. So proud of my cooking daughter!
We enjoyed eating and talking and when it was time to leave, we transferred some lamps over to Gage’s car that he was going to take to his school. Of course, Gage being Gage, it didn’t take long for one of the lampshades to end up on his head. If he hadn’t put it on, I feel sure Steve would have.
Love our kids!
Okay, be honest. Did you grow up in a house where this was a common sight? Or is it a common sight now?
I always have to laugh when I automatically drape stuff to dry. My mom never did it (she used empty peanut butter jars instead of Ziplocs) but I saw Vernie do it so many times. Children of the Depression were all about being thrifty and I so admire that about them.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about our kitchen reno. Catherine Young asked about seeing a photo that showed the difference made when the wall was removed.
Here are a couple of shots where the wall (to the right) was still there.
And here is the same space without the wall. Removing it made such an enormous difference. (Sarah is standing right where the wall used to be.)
Many years ago, Steve and I found this figurine at a store and immediately fell in love with it. We named the figurine, Raymond, because at the church we were pastoring then, we had a very tall trumpet player named Raymond. Raymond became such a part of the family that when one of us said, “Put the outgoing mail by Raymond,” we all just knew what that meant.
Meet Raymond. He’s been in our family almost two decades.
We’d always wanted to find some musical friends for Raymond but since his design is unique, it wasn’t easy. However, Steve hit pay dirt a couple of weeks ago when he found two friends for Raymond on eBay; they showed up at our house shortly thereafter. Raymond is happy not to have to play solo anymore.
At first, we just put the three bandmates/new friends toward the side of the fireplace but didn’t think that set them off to their full advantage.
I told Steve that it would be nice to center them on the fireplace and have them standing on something to raise them up and give them more presence. I had no earthly clue what thing might be but Steve’s eyes lit up and he disappeared downstairs.
He reappeared with one of the circles we had saved when our big oak tree was cut down.
He cut a little off the back and when we set the three guys on it, it immediately looked like they were on a stage! Is that not so fun? Raymond and Friends–appearing at the Smith home!
Do you see this thing? It’s an antique copper coffee samovar that belonged to Ken and Vernie.
Steve and I have had an ongoing disagreement over it for the 18 months we’ve lived in the house. He thinks it’s interesting and a conversation starter and I think it is a little on the weird side. It’s quite old and might be worth something except that it got dropped and dented in a family move years ago.
I actually put it on FB Marketplace where it got very little interest. I would happily take it to Goodwill but Steve doesn’t love that idea. We have yet to agree as to what to do with it; the latest plan is to put it in the attic so that our children have to deal with it someday.
You’re welcome, kids!
When my friend Greta came for a visit recently, I told Steve it would be nice if the dead, dried flowers in the pots out front could be replaced with something new and more welcoming.
When I pulled into the driveway on the day of her arrival, I had to laugh when I saw that he had diligently done what I had asked. (He just ran out of time at the end.)
Thankfully, a few days later, he had properly potted them.
Every once in a while I have to pull this old photo out because it is just so delightful. I’m sure you can easily pick Steve out of the lineup.
Isn’t it crazy how some of the chapters in our lives seem so very long ago? Almost from another lifetime? I look at this picture, or the picture of the church my dad pastored in my teens, and feel like Steve and I have lived a hundred years since then. (Or maybe that’s just our aching joints talking.)
Life goes by so fast. On this Monday/Eclipse Day, I am treasuring the memories, treasuring today, and looking forward to whatever the days ahead hold.
What about you?
Are you a person who dries out Ziploc bags?
When you take a road trip, do you like quiet or do you like to music or podcasts playing?
Is there something in the house you and your spouse/roommate disagree over whether or not to keep? Or maybe something from earlier in your marriage?
Have you ever made soda bread?
Are you doing anything different today to view the eclipse, i.e., going to another city or state? Getting together with friends to view it?
What another fun blog. I so enjoy all the glimpses into your life, and also, thinking alike about road trips. Smile. Your remodel is stunning – great job. And I love-love Raymond and his new band members!
They are sure to bring more smiles to you and your house guests. ♥️
Cheryl,
Yes, it’s always nice to invited new band members to come and reside in one’s home! They’ve been a little on the quiet side so far but hoping they might burst forth into music in the middle of the night sometime. 🙂
I occasionally rinse & reuse baggies, but not regularly. We live in the path of totality so we watched the eclipse at school – the district furnished glasses for all staff and students. The district had about a 75% absentee rate that day though, because ahead of time they had said it would be an excused absence. It was a very neat experience. (I posted a brief video on my Facebook page). If I’m driving any distance, I need to listen to something – usually podcasts. And how very cool that Steve was able to find such perfect friends for Raymond – they look great on their new stage!
Sue Ellen,
How cool that you were in the path of totality and that you got to experience the eclipse with staff and students. I know it’s a moment none of you will ever forget.
Yes, there are some long road trips when I listen to a podcast or music but this one just seemed like it needed silence. Podcasts definitely makes the time go by faster!
Do Raymond’s friends have names yet? My brother would like those as he is a music teacher.
Your kitchen is gorgeous. So modern looking now.
I am leaving Monday on a road trip to Daytona area. I was supposed to go in January but my friend had some issues with her disabled sister who lives with her and my parents both had issues. I feel comfortable leaving my mom now and have arranged for people to check in on her. I will probably stick to the interstate as any time spent on the road just means less time with my friend. I will have at least a couple books loaded on my phone and will listen to them. I canceled my Sirius radio some time ago as I really wasn’t using it enough to justify the cost.
My mom used to hang bags on a thing that one would hang lingerie on. It had 16 plastic clothes pins on it, two circles with 8 pins each.
I watched the eclipse from my patio. We didn’t have a total eclipse, I think it was around 89% though. I definitely felt the temperature go down though.
Phyllis,
I know the guitar player is Eric; don’t know about the other one.
I hope you have had a good time in Daytona this week and glad your parents were well enough for you to leave the area. A little getaway is so refreshing.
I’ve seen those things your mom described but not in awhile. Very useful!
I love what Steve did with Raymond and friends! Perfect!
My grandmother had a Samovar that my uncle brought her when he came back from Turkey when he was in the Air Force. It was beautiful! Quite different from the one you have. I think my uncle got it back when my grandma passed.
We had 100% cloud cover today. No Eclipse for us!
Vicky,
It must be an Air Force thing because Ken bought their samovar in the Air Force as well. Glad your family ended up with such a beautiful one!
Sorry you missed the eclipse; it wasn’t real exciting in NC but still fun to see it.
Beckie, download the app Google Lens and take a picture of your antique copper coffee samovar. You’d be surprised to see what it is worth.
Jan,
I had looked briefly a year ago. Will have to research it some more. Thanks for the nudge.
Lovely country road photo.
I admit that I am wasteful and don’t dry ziplocks. If they are dirty, I toss them out. If they are dry and maybe just crumbs in them. I place them under the sink for when I have something messy for the trash.
I prefer to have music playing when I drive and I sing (not well) very loudly if I am alone in the car.
I like having lots of things sitting our on shelfs and end tables and my husband prefers only a few things. It isn’t one object my many that we sometimes disagree on.
I have made Irish Soda Bread many times, I assume that it is the same as soda bread. If it is bread, I am all in, I love any type of bread.
We didn’t travel to see the eclipse and didn’t get any glasses. I used a colander to get a reverse image of the partial that we saw here.
Patti,
How fun to go along the road singing with your music. Cars are good places to really belt it out with no one around to make any comments. 🙂
I just read about using colanders to get a reverse image but never knew of anyone doing it. Glad to know it works!
I think every husband and wife has disagreements here and there about decor–or lack thereof. I guess that’s what makes marriage interesting.
Oh yes, I most definitely wash and re-use zip lock bags! My husband finally resigned himself to that one. lol Mom did it all the time.
If I’m road tripping by myself, I usually like to listen to my favorite music a bit louder than usual and really sing along! We prefer to be off interstate whenever possible.
For years, my husband wanted to keep so much stuff ‘because it will be worth something someday’. I wanted to get rid of it then but it got put in the attic to deal with later. Well, when we moved, we really had to make some tough decisions and clear away the bulk of that stuff. We just weren’t going to transfer it all. We are both so glad that we did and it wasn’t nearly as hard to do as we thought it would be once we got going.
Where we live, we will be able to see about 80% of the eclipse and it’s supposed to be sunny so we should get a good view. We’re just viewing from our deck. Nothing special.
Sarah’s meal looks delicious! I’ve heard of soda bread, just never made it.
Raymond and Friends are just perfect! 🙂 Love them!!
LeeAnne,
A Ziploc bag re-user. Hooray!
Nice to find another commenter who loves to sing aloud loudly to the music while driving. Sometimes I see people in other cars doing that and it always makes me smile.
There’s nothing like a move to force you to make hard decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. That’s one of the best parts of a move. Glad you and your husband were able to agree on what to get rid of. I agree; it is a GREAT feeling!
I do the exact same thing on my sink with plastic bags! So funny, we are alike in tiny ways and don’t know it!
(Seems mom would try it too, if plenty of wet baggies about.)
Also, great how you like quiet country roads…
I get off the interstate any chance possible.
I rather detest them.
Sarah’s lunch was very colorful and good to the eye and tongue, I’m sure. An admirable skill for young folk today, good cooking!
Ruth,
Remember how mom didn’t like Ziploc bags and would cut the zip part out? That always made me laugh.
You have so many beautiful country roads where you are; it would be a shame to leave them and go to the interstate–unless absolutely necessary.