Elise

Elise Crane Cahaly
1937 - 2008

Elise passed quietly on to a peaceful eternal sleep this morning at 4:30 am. It has taken me all day to be able to put this in writing. She leaves behind several broken hearts. Elise was a powerful, vivacious woman who many will greatly miss!
Elise has one daughter, Shay who is bravely fighting lupus. Shay has two children, Molly, who will be 19 very soon, and Beattie who is 17, I think. They could certainly use your prayers and good thoughts as they embark upon a journey very different from anything they've ever known.
Elise succumbed to lung cancer, the ugliest of all cancers in my opinion. Ironically, it is the same thing that took my dad. I did get to see Elise last Tuesday to say goodbye. She was recently loved and cared for at the Hospice House of the Upstate, as well as by Shay and the children, of course.
We are grateful she passed peacefully. I personally am very sad and feel very lonesome, as she had definitely been my mentor and friend since my dad passed. Not having my biological parents left, Elise gave me a great deal of comfort and strength. I am very grateful to her for all of her love and support. I will miss her greatly.
Rest in peace, Elise. We will all miss you.

Happy Birthday, Paul!!!

We had a little dinner party last night in honor of Paul's upcoming birthday! Here to celebrate with us were Barry & Caroline, who are the Realtors who helped us find our house, and some new friends Ken and Tahja, who are part timers and actually reside in Sarasota. Ken, who is from Romania and whose name is Catalin, is a corvette dealer and property owner/manager. Tahja is an entertainer, belly dancer, flamenco dancer, one woman show (w/ Ken as her M.C.), and a property owner/manager. Barry and Caroline have just opened their own real estate company with Caroline being the broker-in-charge. So, there was all kinds of celebrating going on last night. There are pictures with Tahja giving Paul a singing telegram for his birthday. There are pictures of Paul with his birthday trifle. (by the way, I will never be able to make a trifle the way Paul's mum does ... but I really do try!) The menu went like this:

starters: aged Dublin cheddar w/ garlic and basil crackers and bruchetta made from our tomatoes and basil picked fresh from the garden

First course: Pumpkin soup, made from our garden as well ... pumpkins, potatoes picked fresh

Second course: Salad - picked from the garden fresh - lettuce, beets, carrots and gargonzola with olive oil and balsamic dressing. (gargonzola NOT from the garden :-) )

Main Course: Chicken breasts stuffed with cranberry/cinnamon goat cheese and meat & potato pasties (turn over - esque) with curry gravy -Paul's personal fav... and there were supposed to be steamed green beans from the garden, but someone forgot to make them!

Dessert: Trifle, of course!

Copious amounts of wine and PAUL's Hard Apple Cider were enjoyed by all!!! Really, Barry had less than everyone else because he was D.D. for the evening ... and we don't live any where close to where they are on top of Beech Mountain! Thanks for being responsible, Barry!!

So, for the first time in our lives Paul & I celebrated something EARLY instead of late. And we had a lovely time doing it! Maybe we'll have another birthday dinner for him next weekend!

That's it for now ...

Happy Birthday, Paul. Hope all of your birthday wishes become a reality ... especially that one about the 240 million dollar winning lottery ticket :-)

Cheers to all,

Paul & Cheri

The Crossnore School Dance Day

No pictures of course, as we are protecting the children. Maybe we can get shots of feet and legs at some point in the future! :-)
The day was SPECTACULAR! We had 2 classes and 1 private lesson. The first class consisted of children from 4 years old thru 12. They were FUN and had a great time as far as we could tell! They tried everything ... no whiners! Talk about a great experience. I know it was only our first time, but there is never a better time to get the first impression. IT was an absolutely GREAT day. The second class had an interesting turn out. It wasn't mandatory as we had discussed originally, so it was all girls, of course. They were typical teens, shy, insecure, but they showed up! So we did our best to keep them entertained and all that. It is so interesting to teach these kids. They are smart, wise beyond their years, and really do want to be preoccupied with something besides what they are or have been going through. It was an absolutely lovely day. And, there was a prize in the mix for us, as one of the girls is a dancer. She hasn't been able to get a dance class since she performed in her recital since June of this past year. SO, she and I had a great private lesson, did some lyrical choreography for her. She is truly exquisite and has only had 2 years of dance training. Just one of those people that was blessed with "the gift". I hope to be working with her several times a week ... for both of our sakes!!
There were all types of kids ... Blondies, brunettes, toothless (from being 6 or 7), happy, scabbed up from falling off of their bikes, anxious and fidgety, smiling and happy, and the typical "watch me, watch me". I was fortunate enough to just be able to teach and play while we were there, and really be in the moment with all of that. But when we left and there was time to ponder, I began to wonder why things turn out the way they do. And although I'll never have that answer, it will be more in my face than it has been, I'm sure. I fell in love over and over again yesterday with child after child. They are so very precious and fragile, and in so many ways, just normal kids. It's going to be an interesting study for me.
***SOAP BOX ALERT***
The very saddest thing is: North Carolina legislature passed the law that displaced children under the age of 12 MUST IF AT ALL POSSIBLE go to a foster home first. The school here has an incredible environment for children, and they live in cottages much like normal homes, with house parents and all ages of "siblings" in the cottage, as well as a dog, fish, cats, etc., etc. It is so safe, snuggled in the blue ridge mountains amongst the Christmas trees and clouds, in a loving sheltered HOME atmosphere. The environment is perfect for all the children. But the ignorant idiots that make the laws have decided that the youngest children should be put in foster homes, where most times the foster parents are crack heads and are using the money for drugs and such, and feeding the children dog food while locking them in a closet. Five children (siblings) were just sent back to their father, who is out on bail for having a meth lab in the home, because of this law. The kids had just begun the feeling of safety and security when the law ripped them out of the safe environment to put them back into the arms of "daddy dearest" because THEY ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, and he hasn't gone to trial yet and they must be in a home if at all possible. SO, meanwhile, these babies are stuck in this environment, which is the worst possible scenario, because our legislature has their head up their ass and doesn't want to fund safety for these kids. (why is it always about funding? They could do without a dinner per month and fund these babies ) Now I ask you, HOW does this make sense? Bet I found a new concentration for my red headed determination to focus on and, as they say, "seek and conquer"!! When I get the info from Dr. Crain (the administrator of the school) on Monday, I will forward it on and be asking you to please help us get the legislature here to understand their mistake and change the damn stupid mandate. How bizarre!
Therein lies my anxiety. And if Paul & I can give these kids just one hour of smiling and fun during their week filled with adult b.s., then by golly, we're there! And PROUD and HAPPY to do it!
And today we will probably do something with apples! OH, surprise! Hope you are all well and happy!!!
Paul & Cheri

Apples to Apples and all things in between!

We have obviously been quite busy ... yet strangely preoccupied with apples. Paul is even making apple heads now out of tiny apples with slightly irregular shapes. This week he has hardened the apple cider. The yeast is now fermenting the juice, most of which is located in Paul's closet in gallon containers with bubble indicators on the top. I say a daily prayer that it doesn't explode all over the place ... and blow the roof off of the house as well as other possibilities!! He is having such fun, I just keep my fingers crossed and smile. Time will tell if he's a successful hard cider man and believe me I'll let you know!

Then we have the garden, which is gratefully still supplying us with scrumptious organic fresh veggies, and wonderfully peaceful time spent outdoors. The Adams' boys planted their garden squares in July, so their stuff if just beginning to bear fruit. We have more squash, pumpkins, lettuce, beans, watermelon and it is just glorious for us! The broccoli has finally begun to flower, over which I have done a celebration dance! We have plenty of lettuce and tomatoes. And gobs of fresh basil. I made bruchetta for us last weekend, which you can see the topping for, out of fresh toms and basil, garlic and I had some feta cheese on mine. I'm telling you, there is NOTHING like fresh food out of the garden food. Paul has developed quite a taste for fresh veggies, and that is a minor miracle in itself. We had tons of corn that he froze this week ... another miracle. Needless to say, we're occupied and having a great time.

We began outdoor decorating for fall last weekend. I'll try to post some pics in the next day or two. Fall is definitely upon us, as it was 48 degrees when I got up this morning. I am telling you, it puts a spring in your step! I'm sure the cats thought I was nuts plugging in a heater, but it was down right chilly in our bathroom this morning! Spartacus ended up lying in front of the heater and not moving. Now comes the chore of figuring out the wardrobe for freezing mornings and evenings, and 75 degrees mid days. Always a puzzle! Anyway, I hope to get some pumpkins out on the porch with their faces painted on in the next couple of days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the ups and downs:

* We start our dance classes at Crossnore School at 11AM on Saturday! I am so excited I can barely contain myself! I am in high hopes that along with making our hearts happy, it will trim up my waist line! Fat and happy now has a new meaning for me! :-)

* Paul's sister Janet started a new job at the Citadel, and we just want to say GOOD LUCK JANET!!!!

* My sister-in-law Debbie had a birthday on Tuesday! Debbie, please forgive me for being late in posting this but we all wish you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! With what you've been through this past year, we KNOW the birthday fairy will bestow a completely happy, healthy, and GLORIOUS year upon you this year and from here on out! We love you honey.

* Elise is still in poor health and Shay (her daughter) is not far behind her. PLEASE join us in sending them plenty of good thoughts, loads of prayers and gobs of healthy energy as they both fight a hell of a battle. The situation is heart wrenching so any positive thinking would be greatly appreciated.

* Chrissie Grace, my mosaic and mixed media mentor, has received her 2nd book from her publisher! It's going to be a fantastic edition to the world of mixed media art. Congratulations Chrissie! Please check it out! http://www.chrissiegrace.typepad.com/ Her book link is on the right hand side. But her site is worth taking a look see. Her 8 week old son is so cute!

* My friend Beth is still in MA with her mom and dad nursing her mom. Mary, her mom, just celebrated her 77th birthday. That is the biggest miracle we've witnessed in a while. Beth, we miss you and know you will be home when the time comes. Stay strong and know we love you.

* We are not even able to imagine the pain, grief and suffering the people of Galveston, Houston, the Texas coastline and on up through the Ohio Valley are going through. We just ask they all find peace in their hearts and help for their needs. I have read stories where people don't know where their family members are - including whether or not they've washed out to sea. Our prayers certainly extend to all involved. God Bless.

* Paul & I are still happily married. We still have exquisite health. We are still employed and can pay our bills (barely, but still ...) . We still have mutual funds (very few - but the experiment is working)! We have healthy, happy and marvelous children and their spouses, and grandchildren who are the greatest indescribable joy. Paul's parents are reasonably healthy and are independent and happy. Our siblings and their families are all exceptionally well and happy. We have wonderful friends who we keep in our hearts, even though some of us are miles apart, and who keep us nurtured and entertained. We have two precious cats to keep our heart rates where they should be. We are basking in glorious healthy sunshine, clean air, and have every basic necessity in life we could possibly need. We also have dreams and visions for the future and have hopes to realize them all. It is amazing to me that we have SOOOOO much to say grace over!! And grateful we are!

"That's all I've got to say about that."

The First Day of Autumn is upon us (on Monday) and Mercury goes retrograde the 24th

Happy Autumn,

Paul & Cheri

Apple cider weekend

Well, all I can say is ... the apple cider is absolutely delicious! It is as good as you would hope for considering what you must put into it! But Paul had so much fun and was grinning so big that it wouldn't have mattered if it tasted good or not ... it was worth it to him to just make it!

First of all, you need about a zillion apples. So we picked apples (Paul & I) for a couple of hours on Saturday ... and some pears too so I can make apple/pear chutney. We had a great time because the weather was magnificent. Then we went home and did all the other things we needed to do, which mostly include the garden. (later on that subject!) It was a fairy tale weather weekend, so we couldn't have asked for anything better in that regard.

Sunday morning before 10 AM Charles showed up with the apple press. I was so entertained watching the two of them press apples that I couldn't get anything else accomplished - what a hoot!

You basically mix apples (red and green) so the juice will be sweet ... smush them ... turn them into juice ... press the juice through cheese cloth to get the solid bits out ... heat it up to pasteurize it .... bottle it and chill it ... it really is delicious. Paul is working on making hard cider now ... stay tuned :-) That process sounds easy and quick, but it was a FULL day of work. FUN though ... so it didn't seem like an entire work day!

Oh, and it's really messy too .... sticky has a new definition in our kitchen!

Welcome to our apple world. Tonight I'll make a couple of apple pies and some chutney. If my energy holds out. Fingers crossed. The rain is keeping me quite sleepy!

But if it works out ---- Yum!

Happy Trails!

Paul and Cheri

All in the Neighborhood!

These guys all live next door to us. It's a great sound in the morning to wake up to the sound of the roosters crowing. It's a foreign sound to hear the sheep bleating ... and because I once had a goat (named Billy, of course) the sound of the goats begging for food is an old familiar and comfortable one to me. I'm not sure how Paul feels about it, but we both giggle when we're outside and they all start talking to us. It's a brave, new world we live in!! Just wanted to share what it looks like in the town of Elk Park, where there are no ordinances for zoning or worries of who has what in their yard --- front or back! Every house around here has at least one dog (except us), some camouflage clothed and tobacco spitting man (except us) and a BIG gun (the kind you hear being cocked through the door) inside by their front door (except us). But not everyone has an English accent, a 1973 Saab, an Avant Garden, a pair of pointe shoes or a great deal of fun! WE DO! Hope you are all well and happy. Paul & Cheri

Apple Making Frenzy

This is what we did ALL weekend last weekend. Ok ... so, first you pick your apples (or apples that a friends will let you pick) ... then you wash them, peel and core them and cook them. So far so good. After they get soft you put them through the apple mill/grinder/juicer/sifter thingee that your good friend from work lets you use because his dad quit doing this after 30 or 40 years. The bowl of "gooey stuff" is what the skins, cores and seeds reduce down to. I forgot to take a picture of the "guts" that make the apple sauce and apple butter before you once again cook it to get it up to boiling. If you're making apple sauce, you put the boiling apple sauce into boiling hot jars and them cook them in the canner. If you're making apple butter, you put the apple guts along with some seasonings into a crock pot and cook it forever, then you have to water bath the jars of apple butter. The bottom line on both is that they are simply stated ... DELICIOUS! The process is time consuming and messy ... but we are having a blast and so far, it is worth it to us. I think I have accidentally put a picture of wild blackberry jam jars here too. That was also messy and rewarding! And delicious! This weekend Paul & Charles are going to make hard apple cider! I will be standing by with the pressure washer to clean up the kitchen!! Stay tuned ... more to come. Paul & Cheri