Wednesday, March 13, 2024

SO IT BEGINS......

We've sold a ton, packed for a month and still there are 5 packing guys here and a big truck with just boxes and wrapping paper etc. Clearly we did not downsize enough!!! Moving van comes tomorrow....but it can't get up our mountain roads so everything will be handled multiple times...put on small (shuttle) truck from here to meet where moving van is parked.  






Wednesday, March 6, 2024

FRIENDS FOREVER

 This may be overkill for you dear readers......but I can't help it.  Fiber Frenzy is the 2nd chapter of the original Fiber Junkies.....which Judy Simmons and I co-founded way back in about 2007-2008.

The goal was to bring together a small number of like minded fiber enthusiasts willing to meet once a month in each others' homes for the purpose of pursuing new techniques.  As time marched on, heath, relocation, and family matters altered the make up of our group.

Recently we invited a new member, Heather Horton who was unable to join us yesterday but the 4 of us gathered to relive memories of laughter and fun, and of course tears when saying goodbye for now.

Selfies abound.....so here are a few.......repetitive sure.....but taken with the greatest love of each other.  A trip to CA for a wine tour is in the works......

Susan Lee, Judy Simmons, Kathie Briggs, & Mary Stori



Monday, March 4, 2024

IN CASE YOU THINK I'M JUST SITTING AROUND.....

 This moving stuff is sure hard work...physically and mentally.....sooooo many details to take care of.....but progress is being made...

Piles of packed and 'to be packed' by movers are everywhere...sure hope we have room for all this in new place.......getting worried.





Friday, March 1, 2024

ANOTHER SAD SO LONG......

 It's been such a humbling pleasure to have such good friends here in WNC......and it's very hard to say goodbye for now......

But I have to say, the farewell lunches have been great, even through the tears.  My pal Arlene gifted me one of her masterpiece shawls.....this gal is an excellent knitter... just look at the variety of stitches and yarns she incorporated.  I'll treasure  it!!  



The sweets and even sweeter sentiments in her card were so special.  Hope to see you before too long Arlene!!



Monday, February 26, 2024

LOOKING BACK

 Looking back.....After moving to WNC in the spring of 2006, we visited a Southern Living Home and fell in love with the log cabin outbuilding featured by a local builder who reclaimed vintage log cabins in the area.

That company was actually just down the road from our home and soon we contracted to have an Eastern Tennessee pre-civil war small log cabin erected on our property. It housed our John Deere riding mower and all the other garden equipment that becomes necessary as an owner of over 2+ acres of land.


- View 1 was last fall (when the notion of moving wasn't even a blip on our radar)
- View 2 is the foundation being built....this craftsman's could have used cinder blocks but couldn't bring himself to do that.....instead he collected rocks and build a dry rock foundation. I recall standing for hours watching this amazing process.....it reminded me of assembling a quilt.
- View 3 is the hand mixed cement floor he laid.....encouraging us to write our name and date. (So grateful he thought of it!)
- View 4 is the completion in 2006....he even found some mule iron shoes to use as hinges and recycled tin roofing.
 
We've been honored to be the keepers of this slice of history.





Sunday, February 25, 2024

My New Address

 To all that received my address change....of course I had a typo.....too many balls in the air!!!!


My zip is 95747.        sorry!!

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

FIBER FRENZY GROUP

 As I've said over and over......the fiber friends I've bonded with here in the Asheville area are simply the best.

Yesterday was my last official gathering with the Fiber Frenzy group. Two of us (Mary and Judy) were members of the original Fiber Junkies where sadly age, relocation, and health saw that group disband after about 13 years.  The Fiber Frenzy members are just as dedicated, love to experiment and most of all love chatting, nibbling, & sipping.

We played with image transfer this month....a technique some of us had done before and loved it just as much this time.

An overview:   

After selecting an image, it's scanned into the computer.


A photo program can help you edit: reverse the image, remove or add text etc.


The image is printed onto the rough side of a transparency, using an ink jet printer.


Acrylic matte medium is painted onto fabric (we used a large sponge brush).

Turning the transparency, printed side facing the prepared fabric... the back of a large spoon is rubbed over the image, burnishing the ink onto the fabric.  
Before completely removing the plastic....lift a small edge to check if the image has sufficiently transferred....if not....keep rubbing.    We all got so engrossed I missed taking a photo of that step......drat!!

But here's the best photo of the day.....

Left to right:  Heather Horton, Kathie Briggs, Mary Stori, Judy Simmons, & Susan Web Lee.  THE FIBER FRENZY GROUP.   I'm already check out wine tours to entice them to make a trip to CA!!!



Sunday, February 18, 2024

BLUEGRASS 1st CLASS - ASHEVILLE, NC

 We have attended Bluegrass First Class, an Asheville bluegrass festival every February since we moved to WNC in 2006, with the exception of the one Covid cancellation.

This year's 29th annual event didn't disappoint......great bands, great music, great friends that we've gotten to know over the years of attending.

Our reserved seating has remained the same front row seats now for nearly all the years we attended. Can't tell you how that special experience adds to the enjoyment.

Some highlights, in case any of you readers are bluegrass lovers....these are 'must see' groups.


A new 'in person' experience for us, The Malpass Brothers.....a bit more country than bluegrass but one forgets that the moment they begin to play. (I like Country too!). Their stage presence is professional and yet personal....they had the audience in fits of laughter many times.

The Seth Milder & Midnight Run band brought back an old bluegrass tradition where the players gather around one microphone for their vocals......several other groups do that too.......love it!!

Authentic Unlimited is the updated version of Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver group (one of my all time favorites).  Doyle retired after being on the road most of his life and happily many of the band members continued under a new name.  Their harmony is outstanding.

Appalachian Road Show is a newish group that has been making headlines wherever they go.  I especially enjoyed learning where they obtain their material and songs.....lots of research including the Smithsonian, resurrecting tunes from the late 1700's grown out of the mountains of Appalachia.  Great story tellers!!  An interesting detail...the guitar player on the right is Zeb Snyder.....we first saw him as a preteen at this same annual event years ago, probably in 2010.  Their group was the Snyder Family Band....father, son and daughter.  We all knew Zeb's talent would take him far. His sister Samantha is also a success and works as a coveted session player in Nashville.  Zeb was an amazing guitar player as a child and he's probably one of the best in the bluegrass world now.

Here's little Zeb back when he and sister Samantha....plus dad  playing the base in their family band.  It's one of the many things I love about this music.....family orientated, audiences are always respectful and it's just darn fun happy music and there's always a little attention to trains, death, love, and lots of story telling.

Even though we are moving across the country....there is planning underway to attend the 30th Bluegrass First Class in 2025!!





 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

NEW SPACE

 Introducing Judy Simmons' new space at Woolworth Walk Gallery, Asheville, NC. I love how much more prominent her beautiful art quilts are, framed by Judy's hand-dyed, printed scarves and her unique cards!  

Though this is a smaller space now than we had together for 7 years, the bonus is her location. It's very visible, directly to the right as one (as they say at Woolworth's) 'walks the walk' down the staircase to the lower level. Best wishes for continued success at Woolworth's.....I miss being booth partners already!!





Sunday, February 11, 2024

THE PEOPLE WE MEET

Selling on Facebook's Marketplace, which is a marvelous, helpful service both for buyers and sellers, can sometimes be frustrating due to increasing number of fake buyers waste your time by agreeing to purchase, then never showing up plus then ghosting you.

With that said we've met some really nice folks.  For instance the young couple who bought our John Deere Zero turn.  Hard working ambitious and adorable!!

And there's L. (I'll use his first initial).....who has come back so often that now when I undercover something I think he may want, I just text him first.

Then there's V., who has also been a steady buyer.  After her purchase yesterday she taught me the traditional Dominican Republic way of preparing plantains.  I've had no experience with this fruit which is generally used as a potato substitute....they look like a banana but MUST be cooked.....

After peeling and cutting on the diagonal..
They are sauted in a pan.....I used Avocado oil
Turning till crisp and easily pierced with a fork
Transferred to foil, covered and smashed with a mallet

Now back into the skillet to caramelize even further.........sprinkle with salt.....can be served with a variety of different sauces or on its own....DELICIOUS.....Thank you V.