Summer’s End and the future ahead
Dear Family and Friends,
As the first “fall-like day” arrived, we received a call to say that Martha’s son Jake had passed away. I had been thinking what a glorious day it was with cool crisp air. It was perhaps appropriate that Jake left his body on that day as it signaled a change to come. There will be a gathering of family and friend in Couloghee where his family has lived. Jake, partner Venus and daughter Jasmine live in Boone. We had the pleasure this summer to get to spend time with them while we camped on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were planning another trip within a week to see Jake.
It seems that everything is rushing ahead to the end of another year and season and the world is rushing to what seems like an unprecedented never-ending expanding crisis. So it is difficult indeed to find the time and space just to relax and enjoy life. The peace and quiet here with the rushing of the creek next to my trailer in the woods and sounds of animals can help take me away for a few moments to reflect and relax. The garden is another source of pleasure and work.
It has been hectic for a number of reasons. First, the Franklin Folk Festival was coming up and I had agreed to coordinate and put on Grandpa’s Woodshop again and make bluebird houses. I took me the good part of a week to prepare all the jigs, miter boxes, patterns and wood for this event. It wasn’t something I took lightly. I would be coordinating 10 middle school New Century Scholars and a dozen adults who volunteered to help. All I had to do was show up, set up the woodshop, train everyone and step back. That was almost how it happened. 50 kids with some help from parents too, made a birdhouse with a donated metal roof added to the top. They were colorful, mostly squarely built and functional. I still haven’t unpacked the truck from the workshop two weeks later. I will take a break for a while from my teaching duties to get some of my woodworking projects done. I have a craft show at the beginning of October with my son Andrew. We are selling spoons and bowls. I have a lot of work to do between now and then. I am building an addition onto the deck with one of the trailers for guests here. It is coming along slowly but surely.
Gardening News
After the spring crops finished up I took some seed heads and gently brushed the seeds along the rows. In a few weeks, young seedlings sprouted up all over. These became my summer crops of greens for the market, one farm to table restaurant, and a health food store. I also germinate and set out many thousand lettuce plants. Martha, my now green-thumbed companion, is a big help getting the seeds sowed in trays. This has made gardening a real pleasure this time of year. When the sugar snap peas finished up I put in tomatoes in the cages. They are just beginning to ripen and will add some nice color to the market. Green beans have been prolific and I hope the squash will hold out from the borers to produce. Volunteer butternut squash have put on quite a nice crop and are ripening. More squash pudding! The garden seems to have a life of its own and I just have to help it along a little.
Martha and I enjoy brief respites of time together taking walks, sharing meals and traveling together. We also enjoy watching movies together. We find that we are a great comfort to each other in these times.
Good Grief! Another CAt conversation and Gypsy for President in 2020!
Gypsy, the cat, is, of course, another source of comfort as well as thoughtfulness in my life and this brings us to our latest conversation. I’m not sure what to entitle it. Perhaps “On Becoming Human”. She helps me eike out what it means to be truly human in this age of what seems to be just the opposite. I hope you enjoy our latest conversation. Pass it on to friends if you like.
On top of this, she announced, just a few weeks ago, that she is running for President in 2020! I was a little taken back by this declaration and wondered what it would mean for me and my already busy schedule. So I agreed to help out where I could. A local artist offered her talents and produced artwork for a sticker that will now be part of a tee-shirt design in the weeks ahead. I will help make an Early Voting Booth for the Farmer’s Market so that folks can enter their write in candidate ballot for her I will attach the ballot so you can fill it out and email it to me. I recently wrote a letter to the editor explaining her run for the 2020 Presidential election. It was published and I continue to get raved reviews from folks here. I will attach it for your perusal. She welcomes your questions. Because her catpaign is by word of mouth she is counting on you to pass this on to at least three of your friends. She refuses to accept any donations big or small, so please refrain from sending her any money. She says “what do cats need money for?” I am working on a couple of designs for a t-shirt. Please let me know which design you like best. I will include these along with this email.
I am making some progress on building projects, mainly getting the two travel trailers roofed over. One has a metal carport over it and the other will have an addition and roof. My house will have to wait till later to work on this fall and winter.
Oh! A great movie: War Woman Don’t miss it if you haven’t seen it!!
I hope you are having a wonderful year as summer comes to a close and another season moves in. I always enjoy hearing from you and appreciate your efforts to keep in touch!
Much love and hugs!
Paul