NC Beauty and Scotland Calling

When I return to mountains I wonder how I could have moved away. There’s something about the old Appalachians that fill something in my soul. And the fresh peaches, sweet tea, pine trees, hospitality…

We had a gorgeous 3 days of family reunion and 80th birthday celebration in Montreat, NC. Former home of Billy Graham. Like most mountain towns here, offspring of old timers cannot afford to settle back here. 

     Hubby at Veranda restaurant, Black Mountain NC

Rhododendron and small creeks trickle down sides of the mountain. Trails are plentiful and surrounding mountains cradle one as you walk while never giving a feeling of claustrophobia. 

We did have a yearling bear cub sniffing around our lodge but he/she/they did not stay long. 

I picked up a slim history of Montreat and was happy to see how women figured so prominently in its settling in the late 1800s. It was always a place for spiritual and physical rest and healing.

Along our drives we made it a point to stop at primitive store Nanbrook Farm, Lincolnton NC. 

I was pretty bummed to find it closed for vacation. Here are some pics of the inviting outside. 

These face jugs dotted the Main Street through the town. 

Hubby back at home whilst I continue my journey; I head to Scotland in the next 48 hours with father and sister.

 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿  

July July July

 HAPPY CANADA DAY!

 🇨🇦 

We are staying put, not attending fireworks and whatnot,  at our new-to-us cottage on the country. We just explored further on an atv trail by our place; we ended up with a lovely 5 mile walk which wandered between a creek and the river. Surprisingly, pretty bug-free.

It has been an incredibly easy adjustment, moving from urban to rural life. I go the 22 minute drive with hubby up to 3x a week for work and volunteer; but even the drive is pleasant. When alone here, my routine is garden, lunch, walk, projects, and supper prep.

The flower garden and veg garden are coming along (which is amazing given our almost daily rains for the month), and I fashioned a sink skirt from a shower     curtain to hide pipes and brushes. 

 I’ve gotten my sketch pad out again and have been considering putting rug pdf patterns on Etsy. If you’ve used Etsy feel free to persuade or dissuade me from them. About 20 years ago I sold patterns on eBay but got weary drawing out patterns on linen. 

Not my bag baby.

I’m prepping for some travels: a birthday celebration in NC, a trip with my dad and younger sister to Scotland, and then another archaeological dig involving human remains from the 18th century. 

As my geometric rug is looking very much the same, just longer, I’ll leave you with

more eye candy from the happy place where I volunteer…

River Life

We’ve started life on the Nashwaak River. 

The cottage is small but it suits us. Across the river is the old highway to Miramichi. Cars that traced this route for years are slow to abandon routine for the new highway. The sometimes noise is the only thing to mar our place. Perhaps the cars will eventually migrate to the Fast Route, or perhaps the noise will become background; ask me in a year if I hear it. 

There are eagles across from us and in the trees behind. Bank swallows, night hawks that skim across the water late in the day, a large nest of crows a few feet away…

Hubby cleaned out the gazebo yesterday, removing winter plastic over screens, dragging cotton padding and pillows into the sun. Airing out, sweeping out. I planted the three raised beds and pulled weeds from the circular flower bed; forming borders with stone from a forgotten pile… Tomatoes, peppers, squash, peas, beans, basils, lovage, lavender, scented geranium, oregano. I murmur prayers for the plants as I go: for growth, few pests, for plenty and more to share.

 

This will be my summer hooking spot, it catches the breezes and blocks out the bugs, the river runs behind.

Now leaving my meanderings….

We had a superb final hooking group potluck. One in every ten has the perfect amounts of sides, mains and desserts— this was one of those! 

We played Left, Right and Centre with wool strips. Two rounds. If you don’t have this easy game you must go get a set:

Each person starts with 3 of something and you lose or gain throughout the game. Winner ends up with the whole centre pile. One of us is a teacher and plays with candy, another plays with quarters, etc.

Just desserts…

I made the impossible coconut pie- remember that Bisquick recipe from so long ago?

A newbie won the second round and she was thrilled. Each left with a goodie bag of wool. Great night!!!

Next visit I will have my hooking station set up and the interior of the place in better state for photos. 

Make decisions with Love as your goal. That was my reading this morning. ♥️

Moving along

Well, we’re about 1/3 moved into our new place by the river. Twenty minutes from town but a world away. Bald eagles— we suspect there’s a nest in a towering pine in the yard—bears, mud swallows, red squirrels, and a peepers. 

      Hubby is working from the gazebo this morning.

Wednesday I roamed my favourite historic village and snapped some photos. Now that I volunteer there I go behind the scenes and meet the villagers (and now I’m not allowed to name the place as it’s a social media conflict. Ok). The place doesn’t open to public until next week. Anyway, it was great to meet the people; I was shown where ice cold spring water was and was given many flower seeds. 

So. Pics from yesterday. The “setting time” is the 1860s.

 

This is an octagonal outhouse with a fresh coat of paint. It seats four inside. So my question… what family is close enough, and regular enough, to sit at the same time? 

It remains to be seen how the distance will affect my very pt work. I have some ideas but stay tuned. 

If you don’t know, our neighbor province, Nova Scotia, is suffering horrendous fires which continue to roar, taking homes and woods. No humans have lost lives but my heart is sick for the animals and trees.

🙏🏻

Hook-ins Rock!

Even if you’re busy helping put it on, hook-ins are a blast! On the warmest day of the year so far we were a group of 80 or so from all over New Brunswick.

Prizes, keepsakes, silent auction, hooking, eating and hooking, it was fun!!!

 

This mat was done by the legally blind woman. We outline, she fills. Amazing. 

This mat was about 8 inches big and you’re supposed to “walk the labyrinth” with your finger. It was strangely satisfying. 

End of day and I’m tired!

Happy Motherly Day

 Happy Motherly Day to all women out there! What gifts we have to share…

A bit late to the game, but I watched a recording of the coronation. Whether one agrees with the institution of royalty or not I think we can agree the music was amazing and that wooden throne!!! Built in the 1300s and graffiti- carved in the 1700s by tourists. Fascinating!

Our news is that we have still not found a home to buy but we are soon moving twenty minutes out of town to a cottage on the river!! 

We’re trying it out for a year… A new hooker friend  —who wasn’t ready to sell her place but wanted it occupied—is the owner. Aren’t rug hookers the best? And besides the river feature, it comes with everything my heart loves: a fire pit, raised bed gardens, a gazebo, two decks, a wired workshop and a sauna.  

This is a busy time for rug hooking groups too. The wonderful local hook-in takes place late May and our final potluck for the Evening Matters’ group is in sight. 

                  These two mats are the latest I’ve sent to the deep freeze for treatment at the collections where I volunteer. Interesting that the top one was so faded I couldn’t make out most features well but the camera captures them? The burgundy colours bled out on the back; it’s rather a mess. The second mat is a large sweet geometric, cottons on burlap. 

Something I’ve noted on very old mats I’ve come across: the burlap holds up very very well IF there is some sort of binding and IF the mat has not been kept in a barn. 

My own seven foot geometric runner is coming along. 

Here’s a funny: 3 years ago we got a storage unit for things that didn’t fit in our apt and in the mad rush I’d assumed all my wool went to the back of it. As I prepped a closet in our apt for packing I found four big boxes of wool! The joke is on my hubby though as I’ve been stocking my wool for the last three years 🤣