Sunday, September 23, 2007

Mother Nature and Remembering Happy Memories

Mother Nature didn't get caught sleeping this first day of fall. The sky is that particular color of blue we only see in the fall and there are fluffy white clouds floating around. If the drought hasn't ruined it we'll have a kaleidoscope of color soon. Then comes the gray, cold, wet (hopefully) winter. Time does march on doesn't it?

I have many want-to-do projects on my plate. I'd like to complete at least some of them while the weather is cool. The 100+ degree weather we've had this summer robs me of all ambition to do more than find a cool spot. Thank heavens for air conditioning. I'm originally a mountain girl and I've never acclimated to the hot humid summers here.

Last evening there were some documentaries on Alabama Public Television about Appalachia. It really made me homesick. My hometown isn't in Appalachia but I lived there for several years where I taught school and strived to become part of the community. Living in Carter's Valley was a comfortable and happy time for me. I made many friends who I will never forget. A lady who was born and raised in the mountains taught me to make chicken 'n dumplings but she forgot to tell me that, in her recipe, the first step is catch the chicken. That and what followed was a real education. I lived through it but vowed my version of the recipe would begin with "go to the local grocery and buy a ready-to-cook chicken." I had lots of adventures there and cherish each and every one. I'd love to go back for a long visit but my home is here now. I closed that chapter of my life years ago.

Let's go outside, take a deep breath, and be glad for all our adventures then take a minute to plan another.

6 comments:

Cheryl said...

Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for leaving me a comment today and letting me know you're a regular visitor. That means a lot to me. I was a lurker for a long, long time. I always felt that the blog authors I read along with their commenters were much more skilled than I, and I was very reluctant to contribute. Then I read a post by a favorite of mine, asking his readers to comment so he'd know he wasn't writing into a void. I started commenting all over the place and have made a lot of online friends. Reading today's entry, I see that we're both nature lovers. Have you read any books by Robert Morgan? I love his writing and his stories take place in the mountains of Appalachia. You might enjoy them.

C.A. said...

Mary, I really like your blog! I lived in Stanley, Virginia for awhile, which is VERY Appalachia. It's just such a simpler, more grounded pace, isn't it.

Keep writing! You're doing a marvelous job!

Thank You for reading MY blog, also!

Hugs....

Cindi Ann

SOUL said...

hi mary...
i really like the way you write. you did a good thing by starting this ..
it took me months to get people to actually find, read, or comment on mine. it was really more of a diary than much else for quite some time.
this is great that you are already meeting people, and good people at that.
my soulman saw the reef on the desktop and said wth is this? so i explained, and he then thought it was very cool!
anyhow... the best chicken n dumplings recipe i have found and actually made... is paula deans'.. it's online somewhere. rolled dumplins.. not the bisquick generic dropped crap. YUMMY true homemade chicken n dumplins.. no runnin or axe required! :))
happy monday!

Mary said...

Everyone thanks for commenting. It lets me know that I'm not alone.

Cheryl, Yes I'm a nature lover and I love the mountains. I've read some of Robert Morgan's books and you are right I do enjoy them.

Cindi Ann, I'm familiar with Stanley. Did you ever drive the Limberlost Trail? Thanks for commenting.

Soul, Good to see your comment. Glad you liked the tank pictures. They give us lots of pleasure. You can bet your bippy that the "catch the chicken" was a one time event for me!

SOUL said...

bet your bippy! that's good.

Anonymous said...

Aunt Mary Ruth: Love your blog. Cant wait to hook up aunt Beaty to it. I know that she will enjoy it as much as I have. See you all in Nov. All the continued best,love ya kid.....Ricky