Sisters Visit, part 2, and More!

Barbara, Lynn & Nancy

On Thursday we headed to downtown Asheville for some shopping, sight seeing and brunch with William and Joyce at Early Girl Eatery.  This is across from the Flat Iron Building on Wall Street, a historic place of unusual architecture and beauty. 

Nancy, Barbara, Joyce, William, me, Lynn

Everyone seemed to enjoy Early Girl as much as I hoped they would.  The ingredients are local and fresh, and some of the dishes very unique to say the least.  I had poached eggs on fried grit cakes with tomato gravy, spinach and avocado.  Yum!  Once again, we enjoyed each others' company immensely. 

The ladies went shopping while I took William to his house, then I went to mine for a little rest.  The girls called mid-afternoon and wanted to visit the Grove Park Inn, so I headed back to town and resumed my duties as a tour guide.  The GPI never disappoints and this day was no different.  We had a snack and beverages on the terrace and enjoyed the spectacular view. 

Nancy & Barbara at Grove Park Inn

We stopped by William and Joyce's house on the way home for a brief visit and to say farewells.  They have a warm and inviting place, which made it hard to leave.  I planted the seed of an idea for a reunion before we left. 

Barbara, me, Nancy

The next morning I took the sisters to the airport and we promised to get together again soon.  It was a great visit in many ways and I'm very grateful they came to see me.  That afternoon, daughter Barbara and her husband Trey arrived to stay in the same cabin and celebrate his 45th birthday.  Whew!  Barely time to catch my breath and start partying again!  I loved it!

Trey at the Grove Park Inn

That night we went to the Grove Park Inn for the seafood buffet and it was soooo good!  We feasted well and ate far more than the law allows.  The fireplace in the great hall was blazing, but we headed for Hickory Tavern to catch the finale of the world series.  I fine finish to a fine day! 

Pumpkin display at Grove Park Inn

Part of Trey's birthday gift was golf at the Grove Park Inn, but wind and cold forced him to plan B.  This turned out to be...you guessed it...a visit to the Biltmore House for the first time!  So my annual pass paid for itself that day and provided a nice discount to my guests as well.  I see something new every time I visit and this time was no different. 

Trey & Barbara at Biltmore House

What a week.  Many memories were made this week with many of my favorite people.  I hope my other favorite people will join me here over the next few years and make even more good memories.  This place is like no other and it is my true home.  Thank you all for coming here and I'll hope you'll come again real soon!

Sisters Visit, part 1

Nancy, me, William (Bill) and Barbara

On Sunday, October 23, two of my half sisters on my mother's side arrived for a long anticipated visit and we had a ball!  That afternoon, our cousin William and his wife Joyce joined me and my close friend Lynn for dinner at the sister's place and we had a very fine time reminiscing and catching up.  Nancy was experiencing a family crisis so we offered her lots of love, hugs and compassion.  Joyce had not met them before, but soon they were conversing like close friends.

Biltmore House, side view

On Monday the sisters and Lynn did some shopping and had tea at Chelsea's in Biltmore Village.  Then on Tuesday we all went to the Biltmore House, a first for them but not for me.  The splendor of the place is awesome and called for an abundance of "ohs", "ahs" and "wows".  We took a guided tour of the land, now only 8,000 acres from the original 125,000, which was a first for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Since I knew I'd be back here next year for 8 months, I upgraded to an annual pass for a few dollars more, which proved a good decision much sooner than I anticipated. 

After the land tour we finished the house by viewing the basement then headed for the gardens to finish our day.  Near the conservatory, Lynn missed the top step and went head first down them, with her head and shoulder taking the brunt of her fall.  The staff at Biltmore were wonderful with a quick response and an escort to the front gate.  We then spent several hours in the emergency room at Mission Hospital getting x-rays, CT scan and 10 stitches in her scalp wound.  She was very lucky that her injuries weren't much worse. 

Nancy & Barbara at Sliding Rock

The next day found us heading up Davidson River to see the falls, sliding rock and the beautiful foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Nancy said if I'd had a blanket and towel in the car, she would have gone down it.  Next time, sis, I'll be prepared!  We stopped briefly at Pisgah View Inn for the view, then caught this gorgeous site at a tunnel on the way down.

We finished our touring on this day in the parking lot of Lowe's near the airport trying to catch a great shot of the sunset.  I don't know how theirs turned out, but this one was my best of the bunch that day.

Sunset near the Asheville airport.  Stay tuned for part 2. 



Pilot Training Class Reunion

Recently I received a notice of a reunion of my pilot training class, 70-08, aka Raindance and Gombey, to be held next March in Dallas, TX.  It will be our first and perhaps only gathering.  We were asked to provide a brief biographical sketch, so here is part of what I sent.  Two of the pictures were provided by classmate Joe Hawes.  Somehow it seemed appropriate to put it here, since my wonderful daughter prints these for posterity. 

This was my plane, a Cessna T-37 twin engine jet (aka Tweety Bird or Flying Dog Whistle).  It was very noisy and not very pretty, but it sure was fun to fly!  She cruised at 200 knots, had ejection seats and could be put into spins.  It was fully acrobatic, which I taught, along with instrument and formation flying.  It was the first jet a student got to fly before going to the supersonic, high performance T-38. 

I departed the Air Force in November of 1973 after being alerted to my next assignment, flying an RC-47 out of Thailand.  I'd had a run-in with the base commander and he got his revenge this way.  It took me years to figure out why I was being given this assignment.  After all, I had accumulated 1500 hours of jet time, was acknowledged as a good pilot and wanted to go into fighters.  The RC-47 was about as far from that as I could get.  So, I got mad then got out.  It remains one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, since the Air Force was the only thing I'd ever wanted to do and I had a Regular, not a Reserve, commission. 

After one interview at Piedmont Airlines, where a vice president told me that with my poor vision I needed to find another career, I finally found a sales position with Carolina Power & Light Company, thanks to my then-wife Diane's uncle, Jim Marshall.  So I left the Air Force on a Friday and started at CP&L the following Monday.  C'est la vie. 

Remembering

I was working at the UNC New Bureau as the copy room man when Vice President Hubert Humphrey came to visit UNC.  I really wanted to see him, but had to work to get the story of his visit out to all the news outlets.  It was my job to type the mimeographs, make the right number of copies, fold and put them in envelopes and put the appropriate postage on each one then take them to the post office.  Imagining how it would be done today makes me laugh out loud!  It was a good job and one of several I had while in college.  Somehow I managed to work my way through school and finish in 4 years without owing anyone a penny.  It took several people a lot of convincing for me to understand what I had accomplished.  Even now, it was just the right thing to do.  Credit was not something I had ever known, so it was not in my realm of reality at that time. 

Thanks to my cousin, William (aka Bill) Propest for sending this to me.  Perhaps the letter is stored away in the cedar chest of my family history, but if not, here is the acknowledgement of it in cyberspace.

The Big Black Bus

Last Tuesday morning I was just getting out of bed when I heard a loud clash of thunder, or so I thought.  When I looked outside, I discovered a big tree limb had fallen and bounced off my roof before destroying my awning.  I was immediately grateful that it wasn't much worse.  Had it hit my roof point down, I'm sure the damage would have been severe.  As it is, I'm out for a new awning and the frame is still okay.  I am thankful!

Many of the street musicians in Asheville are entertaining, but this group always grabs my attention and I finally figured out why.  The female banjo player has always looked familiar and on this day, I realized she reminds me of Alfalfa from the Little Rascals!  She could be his twin sister!

This French Broad River overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a short hop from here and one I like to frequent.  But this time was an attention grabber for sure.  Hope the owner of this lost friend returned to find him. 

Chimney Rock has long been one of my most favorite places in the whole world.  So it was easy to jump on the Burg and head that way when the weather forecast was clear, sunny and warm.  The elevator was not working that day, so I climbed the 200+ steps to the top, thinking I had done it well.  Until I got out of bed the next morning and nearly fell on my face because my calf muscles were so sore and tight!  A few days before I had watched the new version of "Last of the Mohican's" which had many scenes filmed on the rock.  It was a great day and a great ride!

Today was a strange one.  After not getting a ticket to see the President at the airport today because I didn't want to stand in line for hours yesterday, I decided to ride the Burg to Boone/Blowing Rock to enjoy the warm weather and spectacular fall colors.  Little did I know that I would encounter the President's entourage along the way. 

I left Fletcher at 10:30, after having to move my trailer so the tree that dropped a limb on my trailer can be removed tomorrow.  I'm sad about that, being a longtime tree hugger.  She is older than I am and I sure hate to see her go.

The President was due to arrive here at 11:00, so I beat the traffic out of here and headed for the High Country.  I had decided to drive 221, as it is very pretty and curvy, but since I got a late start, I changed my mind and went 321 so I could get there at a decent hour and have lunch with Zoe, good friend and former wife number 2.  When I got on 321 at Lenoir, I called here and said let's meet in Blowing Rock for lunch since I was running late and it would save time.  She readily agreed and suggested Woodland's Barbecue which had catered both of our 50th birthdays. 

After talking with Zoe and heading up the highway, I saw a law enforcement officer at every intersection, driveway and cut across.  He was coming this way!  There was no doubt about it and it was exciting!

Zoe and I had a nice lunch at Woodland's in Blowing Rock, and as we started to leave, realized that we couldn't.  The road had been closed and all traffic was being diverted into an adjacent parking lot.  During lunch I had asked about a former neighbor and golf mate, Stacy Miller, wondering if he had pursued his dream of law enforcement instead of owning and operating a highly successful electrical contracting company.  As we stood beside the road, a police car sped up and came to a halt, and who should get out but....Stacy Miller!

We spoke briefly and it was so good to see him again.  A very good person following his dream!  Zoe needed a rest break, but was afraid to leave because she might miss the big event.  So I asked Stacy, "Does Zoe have time to go pee?"  He just smiled and said she might want to wait a few minutes.  Of course he was right and in a few minutes, here came the Big Black Bus with our Commander in Chief on board. 

I was headed for Zoe's after lunch to meet Lola, her new cat, and to see the house on Briarpatch Lane, where I lived for many good years.  Traffic was at a standstill, even on the back roads, and we finally got near Zoe's, when we were stopped trying to cross 421.  Then we saw all the flashing lights and there he was again in the big black bus.  The President was coming by, again, and we just happened to be there!  It was quite a thrill!

During lunch we talked about "what if he stopped there for barbecue".  I just heard on the news that he stopped at a barbecue place in Marion around noon.  We were on the right track, but off just a little bit. 

Matthew Fox at Jubilee! last Sunday was a very special treat, as it was his work as a theologian and as Howard Hanger's mentor that helped Jubilee! become a reality. 

Life is good!  Thanks for stopping by!

Remembering LaVerne: Happy Times

Since my loving wife passed away 3 years ago today after a 5 year battle with lung cancer, my prayer has been to remember the happy times more than the sad ones.  There were lots and lots of happy times, so today is a good day to share a few of them.

On one of our many cruises I wanted to do something special for L, so before departing the ship for a shore excursion, I ordered the Rose Petal special of the day.  It consisted of fresh rose petals spread throughout the room, a bottle of champagne, towels sculpted into a heart and kissing swans, and I think there may have been some chocolate there, too.  The preparations were complete by the time we returned and she was ecstatic when she entered the room and saw all of that!  It's the biggest grin I ever saw!  Plus the smell of roses filled the air and us.  It was a very special time.  She gathered all the petals and saved them in a champagne glass for a long time. 

That night we were at dinner with her sister Marianne and brother-in-law, Lou, she was telling them about the roses and enjoying it all again.  Then I asked, "Did you tell Marianne where you put the rose petals?"  To this day I'm not sure what Mar thought or heard, but she blushed bright red and started laughing like crazy.  "No, no!  She put them in the wine glass!''  I said quickly.  We all had a good laugh over that one.

On another cruise we decided to take a Segway tour for the first time, as it seemed to be a great way to get around without being too tiring for L.  That said, she was quite a trooper when it came to walking or climbing, thanks to to the pulmonary rehab program at Rex Hospital and the wonderful folks who work there.  Again it was the 4 of us, and after a short bus ride to the cricket field on the island, we had lessons to help us feel comfortable on this coolest of machines.  I caught on pretty quickly and got to start practicing on my own while our guide worked with each person individually.  LaVerne had a little trouble at first, but once she got it, there was that big grin again!  We climbed a hill to the top of an old fort, then off through a rain forest and even rode without hands at one point.  We all agreed it was one of the best times we'd ever had and hoped to do it again. 

Our last cruise was a 10 day trip to the Panama Canal and was one of the best for many reasons.  Our table mates were excellent, we learned magic tricks from the magician on board (which I still "wow" the grand kids with), we had a ball in a boat building contest and then there was the sloth refuge.  LaVerne later had her cousin, Miriam, paint a portrait of the 4 of us from the picture above and gave it to Marianne and Lou as a gift.  We also kept a copy. 

Every time I see this picture or the portrait, I have to laugh about finding the sequins from LaVerne's blouse in the darndest places the day after she wore it!   I mean they were EVERYWHERE, on me and her, and we had a great laugh whenever we found another one. 

There were many happy times for us and I'll share some more next year.  In the mean time, bon voyage, L!!!

With love,
Fred

Autumn Leaves

The fall weather has been spectacular here in western North Carolina, inviting long rides on the Burg like this one to Hooker's Falls in DuPont State Park near Brevard.  The air is so crisp and clean, each breath is like the first one - full of life!

Last week I helped a friend celebrate her birthday by going to Zambras, a Spanish tapas restaurant with excellent food and a bar like no other.  We had to try the Absinthe cocktail, seen above, just to experience the preparation if nothing else.  This device delivers drops of ice water onto a sugar cube at just the right speed.  The result is a 148 proof licorice like-libation that makes your brain smile and want "just one more sip".

Animal blessing day at Jubilee! is like a day at the zoo with all the animals loose!  I saw one mouse, 2 horses, 1 cat, 1 boa constrictor and lots of canines.  The noises and smells alone made it a very special occasion.  The biggest blessing was the horses not having to relieve themselves during the service!  I was thankful for that!  The musical prelude was "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".  I don't think I've ever seen so much diversity in one room before.  It was grand!

After attending the first of two memorial services this week, I found my way to Greenman Brewery to sample their suds.  More about that in a minute.  The first service was for George Carrel, a Stacy dorm mate at Carolina who I hadn't seen since '70 or so.  My friend Wayne Caldwell called to inform me of George's passing, the graveside service and said we could ride together.  George took his own life, which added to the shock of his passing.  His grave is in Green Hill Cemetery, where my parents and grandparents are interred.  Afterward I returned to Ambiance, where Wayne works, and we sat on the porch and rocked and talked for a while.  It was soul soothing to say the least.  On the way home, I stopped at Greenman Brewery to refill a growler and was entertained by all the stickers on the wall (above).  My favorite:  "Raising children is like being pecked to death by a chicken."  That one had me rolling for several minutes!  Another: "I'm so miserable without you it's like having you here."  They were also serving a pink beer in honor of breast cancer awareness, with proceeds going to a research fund.  The beer was called....Twin Peaks!  And it was very tasty!

A trip to the hearing aid place in Weaverville resulted in an impromptu trip to Hot Springs on a gorgeous day.  The pictographs on this cliff, Painted Rock,  are dated at 2500 BC.  It's hard for me to imagine the number of creatures that have visited here and gazed upon it.  I'm just one more visitor in the big circle.

The week also included a meeting of the Enka High School reunion planning group at the Country Club of Asheville.  Pictured above are Larry Gant and Mike Jones from the class of '65, my class.  The next reunion will also include the classes of '64 and '66, plus a golf outing on the day of the dinner-dance, August 11, 2012.  I volunteered to be point person for the golf, as I would love to play with my classmates in a game I never imagined I would play when I was in high school.  I was very pleasantly surprised when a classmate, Charles Glazener '66, said I had changed his life when I suggested he look into Air Force ROTC.  He did and became a pilot, retiring after 20 some years.  It was great to see everyone!

The second memorial service of the week was for the mother of a high school, college and ROTC classmate, Terry Furness.  She was Margaret Nash Furness, age 91, and from all accounts a very fine person.  I regret that I never met her, so I was glad to learn more about her as well as be present to honor her life.  It was good to see Terry and several other classmates, including Wayne Caldwell again. 

Reminders of life's brevity seem to be everywhere this week, from the falling leaves to the passing of people. On Monday, it will have been 3 years since the passing of LaVerne, my late wife.  My recent sad moments have been very intense, yet thankfully brief.  I'll honor LaVerne on October 10 by writing about her here and posting a pic or 2.

When grief pays a visit, sometimes I feel like this guy in the hay bale - all wrapped up in it and unable to breath.  Then I remember I'm never alone and a warm glow from my heart spreads to the rest of me.  Life is truly good!  Very good!