PNewL PNewS
Volume 20 No.3 “All
the pnews that phits.” October already? 2012
I went into Weaverville this past Friday to meet Millie, my new friend who I met in California, for breakfast. She sat across from me at breakfast one morning at a conference (www.edgefunders.org/) in Berkeley and she thought maybe my coffee cup was hers—it was from a company in Asheville. It was one of those, what-is-that- doing-here moments. I hadn’t seen anyone from Asheville on the list of attendees but she works for an org out of NYC—so there’s the confusion. Anyway, we hit it off and have met up a couple times and this was for me to meet her friend—we’ll call her Cathy, because that’s her name—who is a quilter.
As I got out of my car in the “downtown lot,” I saw my neighbor Jeff sweeping the stoop of his store and putting out his signs. It was a gorgeous crystal clear fall morning and the scene was a precursor of things to come—it was sweet. I went into the store to hassle Jeff a bit because it’s so much fun. He’s such a nice guy, I enjoy harassing him. He has just become a licensed falconer and hopes in the next week to adopt his first bird. I am sure that is not the term—he’s looking for a bird in the wild that will live next door for a season and then will be released. He’s built a handsome mews which will house the bird (cuter than my shed which makes me feel just a little bad). It occurred to me...is there a gift situation approaching? A bird shower?
Breakfast was very pleasant. I have become quite fond of hanging out in coffee shops and this was a good time. Millie and Cathy were good company and provided an opportunity to vent about the upcoming election, quilting and schedules. Another moment of sweet.
Off to the library—my home away from home—where I needed to offload some books that I wish I wanted to read but never will. It is time to clear the decks—well, one of them at least. I walked in and it was kind of like a scene from Cheers—instead of Norm! I was greeted with Peggy! It’s friendly. A brief chat and then on back down almost the full length of Main Street.
The woman pruning the bushes out front of the little antique store said, Hay! How ya doin? (I won a gift certificate at her store in a raffle. Buy raffle tickets in Weaverville—you are bound to win!) I pop in there on occasion, and walk by and wave often. Next was Rodney’s Auto Repair or something like that. I buy a soda from his machine when I volunteer at the library. He usually says “Hi” and often says, “Best deal in town” (the soda) and I have to agree. This morning, a hearty hello. Continued on down past the folks hanging out at the election tent—offering sample ballots and plenty of advice. John was there with his handsome dogs. Luckily, I had a biscuit in my pocket. Next stop was the early voting booths and that took longer and struck me as pretty serious after all this sweetness and light, but glad to be there and get it done. Now let’s see if the robocalls stop.
On the way back, I stopped in at Maggie B’s to talk about the possibility of highlighting Habitat’s Women Build at one of her Friday night wine tastings. She said she’d look at her calendar and let me know. Bought a couple bottles of wine—she’s a nice young entrepreneur and we have to support the local economy, dontcha know. Dropped in to pick up a prescription at Weaverville Pharmacy and was out the door in under 3 minutes—can’t do that at CVS. (When they asked me why I wanted to get my prescriptions there—there was an application!—I wrote, I hate waiting in line at CVS.)
Did I mention it was a beautiful day, smack dab in the middle of leaf season? You couldn’t have wiped the goofy smile off my face. It was one of those days when everything seems just so darned perfect it makes me giddy. I’m going to remember this one.
Things I am Learning
& Miscellaneous Observations
• I have a small tray ($1 at the ReStore) that I load up with breakfast things, vitamins, water, coffee, blender drink, lip-stuff, pen, Kleenex. I carry all those things to wherever breakfast will be happening—lately on the front porch since I got this cool wrought iron/glass table 1/2 price at Care Partners. Bear likes it because he can keep an eye on things from there. In the winter, I use a tray that Ed and Millie gave me from their travels, and we only go as far as the dining table. It makes a little ritual of breakfast, which makes for a good start to the day. And I like my trays... they make me happy.
• Every time I settle into a coffee shop...reading writing drinking eating...I think, I should do this more often. (Note to self: Just do it.)
• It’s been a long time since I last wrote the PNewS. I have been thinking of all that has happened—the Gini/Bear/Peggy Annual Retreat at Holden Beach, a reunion of Raymond family in a funky house on the Russian River, a reunion with Lisa in Berea Kentucky which is a charming artsy town just over yonder (and Lisa is pretty charming herself), and the successful completion of duties as Publicity chair of the Asheville Quilt Show. That deserves its own bullet point—well they all do, but there isn’t room. The Quilt Show gig was a bit of a slog, much of which I have to admit I enjoyed. I think the downside was the intensity that I was supposed to maintain for eight months was more than makes me comfortable. I must like being a chair though—I picture the little maple chairs my parents had—as I am now one in a different location.
• I have two small action hero types (one from Star Wars that I found in the Bed Bath and Beyond parking lot, and the other found at Folly Beach one Thanksgiving a couple years ago) that are sentries for my back gate (I stapled their feet to the posts). They are beginning to show their wear. S’pose they are not warranteed for two or three years outside 24/7? The brightly colored one from the beach has to lie down now as the elastic in his knees has worn out—know the feeling?
• Bear thinks the only reason I should have my hand in my pocket is to retrieve biscuits. He is wrong, of course, especially now when it’s getting cold.
• I threw a CAbi party this week. So unlike me. CAbi is where Chico’s clothes and Tupperware meet. Personal shopping in my home. I worried this one to death. I painted the kitchen, shampooed the rugs, boxed up reams of papers and months of NY Times, shoveled Bear’s toys to make room for this event. Rebecca, my CAbi representative, arrived at 3 for the 5pm party. We hauled in hundreds of pounds of clothes and racks and lamps and mirrors. Set up was painless, wine and cheese were set out, and folks arrived. Rebecca did her spiel and the moment she stopped speaking, women were throwing their clothes off and trying things on. There was a spot for the shy among us to change but she wasn’t there apparently. Soon, folks were placing orders and Allison and I were putting things back on the racks and then they were gone. It was the most frantic less than an houre I can remember. Rebecca is still tallying but says it was a success.
• It’s hard to remember life before iTunes. This morning on our walk, I was humming and singing a John Prine tune which it suddenly occurred to me I didn’t own. That made me wonder how I could know so many of the words (phrases of three or four in a sea of ones I couldn’t remember) of a song I didn’t own. Well, I might have owned it on a tape or album…Anyway, I got home and dialed up iTunes, typed in “Come on baby, spend the night with me” and there it was…actually called “Six O’clock News”…and 99 cents (plus tax) later, it was mine. The joy of technology (and John Prine songs) and credit cards.
• As most of you should know by now, I am bonkers about Habitat’s Women Build program. I am the head groupie for the Asheville affiliate. I have investigated getting my own hard hat, perhaps in pink. Anyway, I am on the leadership team which is now focusing on advocacy rather than fundraising (phew)—though I still encourage you to donate (go to http://www.ashevillehabitat.org, hit donate, donate-online, and at the drop-down menu Area to Support, highlight Women Build). Betsy noticed, in her infinite wisdom, that Women Build Leadership Advocacy Team could be shortened to WomBAT, and so that’s who we are. My reaction was to google wombat to find a good image to put on our agenda and oh the things you can learn on the internet. How much do you know about wombats? How much would you like to know? Here’s the best factoid – one you can share at parties when things get a little dry. I am hoping this won’t offend…From Wiki.answers.com: “Wombats produce cube shaped ‘scats’ …(they) leave scats to mark their territory atop rocks and logs, and cube shaped scats are less likely to roll away from the wombat's territory.” They also are rumored to have eyesight issues and they can mark their way home (like Hansel and Gretel) with the aforementioned scat and know that it won’t be rolling away. Fun facts to know and tell.
• A late addition to this year’s New Year’s resolutions: I am going to work on being a normal person during the holidays and not the depressed Scrooge I was last year. No comments please, I am trying.
• I take a while to get to parts of the Sunday NY Times and then I save bits of it to share so it’s old news, but I think it’s worth sharing—and it will get it off my desk…July 8th Sunday Business, the article is called “Has ‘organic’ been oversized?” It’s really interesting. Matter o’ fact I may not be able to throw it away as there are some statistics and company names I want to remember. First, Eden foods is one of the few organic product companies that have remained independent. Kellogg, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Cargill, ConAgra General Mills Kraft and M&M Mars own many of the so-called organics these days. The most concerning takeaway for me: The National Organic Standards Board, which is peopled by folks from the aforementioned mega businesses, has increased the number of approved “nonorganic materials” allowed in “organic” foods from 77 to over 250. Huh? You say. Me too. You can read the whole depressing business at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/business/organic-food-purists-worry-about-big-companies-influence.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
• I am reading a book called “Where did I Leave My Glasses?” (Martha Weinman Lear). It’s really comforting. A lot of talk about normal memory loss. Confirmation that our ability to multi-task decreases as time marches on—everything apparently decreases which may be why time seems to move faster. Time is not moving faster, we are just slower. One of my favorite subjects is the “Worried Well.” If you can relate to wondering if you have a disease after hearing the symptoms of a disease on a commercial or from a friend, then you are a Worried Well. I guess something is going to get us, so we are trying on the possibilities. Onward.
I do so many things well, I can afford to fail at something. Gini’s friend Mike
