tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-289639222024-03-06T23:22:34.420-08:00Life Away from Judy BranchWhat happens after life in the hollow? How will a mountain girl fare living in a city nearly 2,500 miles away from home? Will okra grow in a backyard garden in Portland, Oregon?Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-54455258781450391692009-03-16T23:34:00.000-07:002009-03-17T00:07:04.564-07:00Leaving the nest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYfRWMXxc9sJ2D8C6yP_0NMlWvHWrVVgcrCGHDXhZRpafzhdIz2hdMnb2pbxsMJ8w4YcJJjse5XroxU4jlnQPXS5rm3NqG-wmY5YH8bqidaKP4SKbA-gwBi9dMOn0e75pgNQVCQ/s1600-h/m_b166f2238b369ea22eb376b27ed44f54.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYfRWMXxc9sJ2D8C6yP_0NMlWvHWrVVgcrCGHDXhZRpafzhdIz2hdMnb2pbxsMJ8w4YcJJjse5XroxU4jlnQPXS5rm3NqG-wmY5YH8bqidaKP4SKbA-gwBi9dMOn0e75pgNQVCQ/s320/m_b166f2238b369ea22eb376b27ed44f54.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314049603524711010" /></a><br />One of the most obvious issues we all knew this little bird would face in leaving Judy Branch for the wilds of the Pacific Northwest is homesickness. Perhaps even more obvious, but preferably left unspoken, is that I'd be leaving my nest - the intricately woven network of family and friends that, for more than thirty years has encompassed me in an approximately 300 mile radius. <br /><br />When I was a child I would, every so often, find myself lying in bed both terrified and engulfed with a mixture of panic and grief as it hit me that one day I may have to face losing my grandma, my grandpa, my mom, my dad, my brother... The grief was like a two ton stone in the middle of my chest. It was agonizing. <br /><br />I spent my sixth birthday at the funeral of my favorite person in the whole wide world - Nanie. She was my great grandmother. The day before we made the drive down to Lyon, Mississippi, my Kindergarten class threw a birthday celebration for me and gave me a goodie bag to take on the road. It had Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum sticks and Nerds and peanut MnM's. They also gave me a yellow balloon. I remember being picked up from school early and getting in the back seat of the station wagon, which was already packed for the big road trip. The balloon bounced around in the back of the car. My present from my parents was a stuffed Corduroy Bear, complete with his signature green overalls and a Corduroy Bear book. This was the first time I remember feeling numb while other people were trying to make me feel festive.<br /><br />This week, I was reminded of those feelings. The terrifying realization of how fragile life is, especially the lives of the people you love dearest. My dad was hospitalized for a heart condition that took him - and us all - for surprise. After nearly a week in the hospital, a lot of observation and tests and a procedure that "re-set" his heart, it looks like he's going to be just fine. But I'll tell you, I don't think there's any amount of re-setting or testing or treatment that anyone could do that would make me just fine if I lost my dad.<br /><br />I know that people lose their parents every second of everyday. My best friend lost both her parents before she was 25. I know about mortality, and I know about loss. I can't even keep count of the number of dead friends and family. Each loss shuck me to the core. But there are some people that are such an immense presence in your life, it's as if they are actually part of you.<br /><br />I'm getting overwhelmed in the process of even trying to write about this. It's not something I ever want to think about. But last week I was smacked in the face with it, and the effect is lingering. To say the least.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-16466109368298424782009-02-27T21:23:00.001-08:002009-02-27T21:46:36.123-08:00LoveSometimes it seems that we spend (or I spend) a lot of time and energy looking for love, grieving lost love, and so on and so forth, when really... love is just love. It's there when you feel it. It's in the most common and unexpected places. Yes, it would be nice if you could have it in the way you want it. Usually that would be a romantic, sweep you off your feet sort of experience or a feeling completely synchronized and understood moment. The thing is that for every bit that is missing, there is some place where it exists in a different form. Yes, one day I want to have that dreamed of romantic love feeling, but just because I haven't found it yet doesn't mean there's a lack of love in my life right now. <br /><br />The reason I'm writing about this is because I fall so easily. Not in love, but into a deep dark hole. Could be grief, could be depression, but it's not a nice place to land. And I find myself falling over and over and over again. Like a well practiced habit, it's become comfortable. This is something I've experienced since I was about 6 years old. Over the years, I've learned how to live with the often sudden and unannounced increased bursts of gravity that pull me down. They really do hit me quite suddenly and with great force. I am actively working against gravity and grief on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. The lists of new things to do and trying out the Artists Way and working like mad and all that. It helps. But I wonder. WHY does that downward spiral energy seem to strengthen? Shouldn't these conscious efforts to resist wear it down... eventually to nothing?<br /><br />How is this connected to love? Well, as intensely as I feel all the horrible things I feel when I fall, I also feel a deep appreciation, awe and love for so many beings and blessings in my life. I feel loved and I feel love for so many. I am overwhelmed with the people and creatures in my life who make it a point to remind me just how much they love me.<br /><br />So how do these two mix? How can a person feel completely encompassed with love and at the same time feel so hopeless and lost and unworthy of any love at all? Is it a chemical thing? A basic human crisis that everyone faces all the time? <br /><br />I am working with an artist who recently did a collaboration with a dance company. They did a cabaret sort of show that explored the disconnect between how other people see you and how you see yourself. I got to watch a video of the performance, and it left me wondering... Are we all on this rollercoaster and we just don't realize we're sitting right next to each other?Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-82112700083870834642009-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:002009-02-18T12:14:04.260-08:00Working WomanI did not put on my list of new things to do my first year in Oregon: get a job. Probably because I don't want a job as much as I do want a job. I guess you could put it as, I don't want just any old job. RIght now I'm writing SES applications for companies that want to provide Title I tutoring services. Each state has a different application. It's work I can do, but I can't exactly say that it's the kind of work I really want to do. Frankly, it makes me appreciate arts fundraising. At least I'm writing about something that excites me, something that I love! <br /><br />One of the things I'm in process with is doing The Artists Way workbook. I've had the book for at least five years, but I've never actually taken the time to do it. Now I am in week three! I feel quite accomplished, having gotten up every morning and written my three pages (the morning pages). Now that I'm working, I also have to fit into my morning a walk with Bella. I really enjoy our strolls through the neighborhood and everything that we see. Recent wonders include doors strategically leaned up against shrubberies. We have spotted two so far. We have not tried to open one yet...Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-63749622707086729252009-02-12T00:34:00.000-08:002009-02-12T00:41:10.714-08:00Lists are supposed to be kept secretI talked to my friend who inspired me with lists. I learned that she never let her list out ahead of time, in case something interesting, new and worth trying came up and warranted being one of the new things to try that year. Good point. Let's consider the past two posts simply warm ups to the list of amazing new experiences to unfold this year.<br /><br />So far, I've done quite a few amazing things. I'll choose to start with:<br />1. Uprooting. Yup. We all know now that I quit my job and moved 2,500 miles from home. That doesn't happen every day.<br />2. I went roller skating, and it was really awesome, because Ethan Rose was playing the organ and wearing his cool leather vintage pilot hat (you know - the kind with the ear flaps)<br /><br />I'm sure I've done many other super-cool and new things, but I'll have to relay them as I go. I've got tricks up my sleeve yet.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-62478046705853772009-01-30T21:59:00.000-08:002009-01-30T22:14:52.432-08:00The List GrowsI consulted with some friends on expanding my list, and I'm still running short on my goal of 32 new things to try my first year in Portland.<br /><br />Here's what I started off with:<br /><br />1. Go rollerskating to the sounds of someone playing the Wurlitzer pipe organ at Oaks Park Roller Rink. (DONE this week, I went to Ethan Rose's Oaks performance and it was amazing. Over 400 people rollerskating to an original score he composed just for that place and purpose)<br />2. Go to an Asian spa. There's a large Asian population on the West Coast, and I've never been to really any kind of spa. The ones back home weren't really spas, if you know what I'm talking about! I don't know what I'll get done, but I want to try it out.<br />3. Visit the Oregon desert<br />4. Take an overnight train trip. I've done this in Poland/Ukraine, but not in the U.S.<br />5. Take an overnight bicycle trip, preferably camping.<br />6. Go sailing.<br />7. Go whale watching (Cape Lookout has been suggested as a good spot)<br />8. See the Northern Lights. (This includes going to someplace where I can see them.)<br />9. Learn to knit.<br />10. Visit Alaska.<br />11. Try "Body Talk" sessions, a kind of energy work based on Chinese medicine<br />12. Sleep in a treehouse in the middle of an old growth forest.<br />13. Go on a blind date. <br />14. Go horseback riding on the coast.<br />15. Visit a foreign land (one that I've never visited before). I have to do this about every couple of years. It's in my blood.<br /><br />And here's the new additions:<br /><br />16. Hike portions of the Pacific Crest Trail<br />17. Go cross country skiing (I've only done down hill)<br />18. Check out the Roller Derby.<br />19. Watch the Salmon swimming upstream<br />20. See a show at Darcelle's (A premier Drag Queen cabaret)<br />21. Catch a show at Tony Starlight's (an old school concert hall/lounge)<br />22. Go up the Space Needle on a clear day<br />23. Walk across the Saint John's bridge<br />24. Design my yard into an urban garden space<br />25. Grow some plant I've never grown before<br />26. Spend a night in a yurt.<br />27. Go to Bagby hot springs<br />28. Try snowboarding at least once.<br /><br />I need four more things to add to my list. Any ideas?Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-57746822710543186472009-01-29T15:34:00.001-08:002009-03-02T22:59:45.474-08:00Daily Rejection and Transformative To-do ListsPerhaps one of the hardest things that any person or creature has to deal with is rejection. No matter how independent or laissez-faire we may be, it still hurts. To put yourself out there only be turned away, turned down or simply ignored. It bruises your ego, brings on self-doubt and breathes life into that inner critic that you've spent your whole life trying to ignore. In my former job, I had to write grants to raise all the money needed to run my programs and pay my staff as well as my own salary, health insurance and fringe benefits. Actually, I had to raise that plus an additional 22% that went to the organization as a whole. The only outlet I had was foundation grants. I couldn't go door-to-door asking people to donate. It takes a lot of time and energy to write a good grant proposal. But even if you write a proposal that is a work of art, you still have about a 10% chance of it getting funding. Even though I knew that funding decisions were incredibly impersonal, every single rejection letter had it's own distinct and painful sting. After five years, when I finally left that job, I swore I would seek out a new situation where financial panic and constant rejection were not part of the daily grind. <br /><br />I'm not there yet. Applying for jobs when you are a stranger in a strange town is far worse than supporting your work through foundation grant writing. Instead of getting rejection letters every few months, you get a rejection letter every single day. Sometimes multiple letters in the same day. Often they are form letters, but every so often you get a personalized letter telling you, even though you were not chosen for the position, how impressed they were with your cover letter or resume. These are the worst, because they lift you up just a little higher only to find yourself falling a greater distance when it sinks in that yet another job you could have really done well has disappeared into pile of countless other jobs that you haven't been hired for. <br /><br />Here is what I have been learning: 1. Before now, I have been tremendously fortunate in my professional endeavors. 2. It can be even more draining and stressful to be unemployed than to be over-employed. 3. Job hunting is a full time job that doesn't pay. 4. Waiting turns you into a zombie. 5. It is far easier to survive with no money in the mountains than it is in the city. 6. Even in the city, soup beans and cornbread still taste good and keep the belly from grumbling.<br /><br />I have two different kinds of days: 1. "Productive days," spent composing and submitting multiple cover letters and resumes - sometimes up to 8 or 10 a day. 2. "Blank days," spent laying in bed, staring at the ceiling feeling and thinking nothing. Seriously feeling 100% blank and hopeless. <br /><br />I am hoping to kick myself into gear and have myself some creative days. Blue Artichoke, one of my best pals since childhood, has been making a list of new things to do/try that corresponds with the number of years she's been alive. I am working on a similar list myself of things to do my first year living in oregon. This gives me until October 1, 2009 to complete the list. For the most part, they are new experiences. I only have 15 so far, which means I need 17 more to equal my age. Send me your suggestions.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-66653897711753327162009-01-25T23:53:00.000-08:002009-01-26T00:13:23.375-08:00City Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZehXmzBk9sEuPiw4JTPGNRjmJ-_xmgNNToEXbc2gXbP06P-C4q9Aw89DAWC85jHgaAuXnTo6oAmNv-pRZCv1XCHaF4Su8fFxOP3z1YI6hBGuLUCK-8xxdmVeM2G5cQQQYCa8cg/s1600-h/belladragon4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZehXmzBk9sEuPiw4JTPGNRjmJ-_xmgNNToEXbc2gXbP06P-C4q9Aw89DAWC85jHgaAuXnTo6oAmNv-pRZCv1XCHaF4Su8fFxOP3z1YI6hBGuLUCK-8xxdmVeM2G5cQQQYCa8cg/s320/belladragon4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295511933639119330" /></a><br />I've taken a break from blogging since landing in Portland. Much and little has happened. Hard to really tell. I should have been writing all along. Alas, all I can do for you dear reader, or two, is promise that I am sincerely going to to try to get myself back into the writing habit. Think of these past few months as a much needed respite. During this time I've explored Portland and surrounding forests and coasts. I've not had to endure the endless Oregon winter rains yet, because it has hardly rained at all since October. I did, however, get to experience the freak "Snowpocolypse" that hit the Great Northwest. We were snowed in under about a foot of snow for nearly ten days! I've also been learning a lot about bicycles and being unemployed. I've noticed that I am far more productive on my creative projects when I am overwhelmingly busy in other aspects of my life. The struggle to find myself gainful employment has had a slowing effect on just about everything in my life. I'm trying to pick up the pace and get back to work, even if right now the only kind of work I got is the kind I do for myself! One of the greatest blessings about being in a new environment is that there are countless everyday occurances and objects that, because of their newness, are potential sources of inspiration. Even in the depth of winter, I am going to do my best to pay attention while it is all relatively new.<br /><br />One of my childhood best friends makes a list each year, corresponding with the number of years she's been alive, of new things to try within that year. I'm thinking of copying her idea and trying that myself. Or perhaps coming up with a list of things to do/experience within my first year living in Oregon. I'll sleep on it and get back to you. I already have one for the list that I plan to check off this week:<br /><br />1. Go rollerskating to live music played on the Wurlitzer pipe organ at Oaks Park Roller Skating Rink. Just so happens there's some interesting musician playing a show on that very organ this Tuesday! http://www.oakspark.com/skating.htmlLittle Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-54220226614534118412008-10-10T15:30:00.000-07:002008-10-10T16:44:48.384-07:00Oregon and/or Bust!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn2S2qjVExwd4raiD9gkMlnfmYBDAxckNVFYB5qt821dwgTQm7EnWU6pyUVn9xb25QaYh1CtbvC3VKIvpXbYGjUeKfB2vO6FDQLzTg7bUtCuZgG1z4oykj8cVPSOiSqYlS7tv_Q/s1600-h/suz+%26+carla+OREGON.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn2S2qjVExwd4raiD9gkMlnfmYBDAxckNVFYB5qt821dwgTQm7EnWU6pyUVn9xb25QaYh1CtbvC3VKIvpXbYGjUeKfB2vO6FDQLzTg7bUtCuZgG1z4oykj8cVPSOiSqYlS7tv_Q/s320/suz+%26+carla+OREGON.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255675378767826498" /></a><br />For those of you who may check in regularly, I offer my apologies. Fellow road sister Carla and I did not get lost or kidnapped or enveloped by the great American Western landscape. Computer time just hasn't been a priority these days. So now, a week late, I will try to catch you up on our adventures. From staying at Carla's Aunt Vicy's home south of Grand Junction, Colorado, our small troupe ventured into the out of this universe territory of Southern Utah, specifically Arches National Park. While we were on somewhat of a schedule to get to Portland by Friday, we took it as a sign from the God of Wanderers when, just as we arrived at the entrance of the park, I got a phone call from the moving company saying that they could just as easily deliver my Relocube on Saturday morning as they could Friday afternoon. Hooray! This translated into spending half a day exploring the wonderment of nature's grandest sculptures and driving in late afternoon sunset through the expansive, red Utah desert, coming as close as either of us has ever to Grand Canyon-like scenery. We were just about delirious about the time we got to Salt Lake City, and we were disappointed in the serious lack of coffee shops open after 10pm. Even Starbucks, when we found one, closed at 10! We got a room just north of Salt Lake, and I think we both must have been asleep before our heads even hit the pillow. I was pretty impressed with how well the cats did with hotel stays. For the most part (well, with the exception of that night in Kansas), they really behaved themselves. They even did well in the car, for the most part!<br /><br />Friday was spend driving through Idaho and Northern Oregon. What a change of scenery! From rusty desert filled with canyons, mesas and natural sculptures, to rolling scrubby grey hills to larger green hills scattered with valleys of fields overflowing with onions and potatoes! We met up with a displaced Kentuckian and friend of Carla's for lunch in Boise and then continued to Oregon. How happy we were to reach the state line and be welcomed by some friendly volunteers at the Oregon Welcome Center! We got a list of hot springs and made a plan to stop at Hot Lakes for a soak en route. The hills got greener and more wooded as we got into Oregon, and more mountains came into our sight both in the South and the North. It also started to get grey and rainy. To our dismay, the Hot Lakes hot tubs were closed just for Friday due to construction. So onward we went, a wet drive through the Columbia Gorge and the Dalles and into Portland - my new home!<br /><br />We were so happy to have a home to sleep in, and even though we all got to bed before midnight - much earlier than we had the entire trip, we were all wide awake by something like 7 AM. Damn all those time changes! We took advantage of still being on Eastern Standard Time and took Bella for a walk through the neighborhood. The Relocube was delivered just before noon, as did my friend and neighbor, now known as "Super" Barb. Barb came ready for business, even providing us all with gloves to protect our delicate paws! The three of us emptied all my worldly belonging from that small metal container into my garage in about 45 minutes time. Then it was time to explore the insane world of Ikea in search of a bedframe. I think Ikea was what did us in more than anything. We may even have had enough energy between us to do another jaunt across the nation, but enough juice to handle a trip to Ikea? What were we thinking. Thank goodness they have cheap food and really strong coffee, or we probably would have both melted into the floor or crawled into one of those display beds and gone comatose. Somehow, after Ikea, we managed to find another displaced Kentuckian's house in Beaverton, OR (that's Western Portland suburbs) so that Carla could play a house concert. She did a stellar job, and I was quite amazed, as I was having such a difficult time keeping myself upright by the time we got there! We met a lot of really great folks, and I made a couple of new friends that I am looking forward to hanging out with real soon.<br /><br />After continuing our tradition of going to bed at the point just beyond exhaustion, we both - once again - found ourselves wide awake at around 7AM. This morning we decided that Voodoo Donuts was the place to go. We had read about it in our Road Food book, and we thought what better thing to do on an early Sunday morning? I bought a huge bright pink box of last night's donuts, including the signature voodoo doll shaped donut filled with raspberry, chocolate covered chocolate donuts covered in cocoa puff cereal and many other unbelievable goodies. Unlike Krispy Creme, I have learned that Voodoo donuts taste good many days after coming out of the oven. I got about two dozen+ non-vegan and over a dozen vegan donuts for less than $15 and we were set for my housewarming party. I still wish I had bought the Sarah Palan Voodoo doll donut, though... <br /><br />Carla made old school biscuits and sausage gravy, and we had a full day of housewarming house guests from noon until about 6pm. It got chilly, and we enjoyed a fire in the fireplace and quite a few good tunes. Ends up I moved into a great neighborhood for old time music. Some call in the Old Time "Hood," some call it the Old Time "Highway." I'm just glad to call it home! We headed over to the Moon and Six Pence for more music after the housewarming, and I treated Carla to a Portland specialty - Spanish Coffee. <br /><br />Monday was marathon shopping all over Portland. We hit Powell's and just about every cool little vintage and gently used clothing shop in downtown and Northeast Portland. Another full, exhausting day. We capped off the end of our great adventure by both splurging on some really nice boots, having a drink at Beulahland and then dining at one of my favorite Portland eateries - Pambiche, a Cuban restaurant. <br /><br />Carla flew home on Tuesday, and I am now settling in and beginning the great job and housemate hunt. <br /><br />And that catches you up...Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-80464413100376460372008-10-01T00:25:00.000-07:002008-10-02T07:35:26.681-07:00Doin’ KANSAS in the DARK<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0ypefQ3DhAwzHaG1ufAXW3AuEje5NhSdZayJl3iSnJyFxep37oAECxYvWLqZXYc3a-H7FnxCSNKDCvD3q3yb_K1TvELmV6Hp_dtGmrKJn2JFKfp7LNdO1aljj_8LkJ4mndEUTQ/s1600-h/Sunrise+at+Aunt+Vicys.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0ypefQ3DhAwzHaG1ufAXW3AuEje5NhSdZayJl3iSnJyFxep37oAECxYvWLqZXYc3a-H7FnxCSNKDCvD3q3yb_K1TvELmV6Hp_dtGmrKJn2JFKfp7LNdO1aljj_8LkJ4mndEUTQ/s320/Sunrise+at+Aunt+Vicys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252565135771868498" /></a><br />(Posted by Lil' Birdie)<br /><br />Day two of the great road trip. I was in no shape on Day 1 to blog at all, having staying up until 4AM alone at my parents’ Tennessee home with the dilemma of having a strange and random assortment of items scattered about house and garage that somehow did not make it into the “Relocube” currently en route to meet me in Portland. For the five thousandth time in a three-week period, I was faced with having too much stuff for the space I was allotted. I have no idea how many times I have purged and repurged, packed, unpacked & repacked (repeat the purge cycle and start all over again) my belongings over the past couple of weeks, but I wish I had kept track, because I may have been close to hitting a world record. Leaving that all behind me (in my parents’ garage), I did my best to endure all the other challenges that occur when one tries to leave town, and the point I consider the Real Beginning of this Grand Road Trip was a truly lovely dinner at Lynne’s in Louisville, a tasteful (as in tacky and wonderful) diner I’d always heard about but never gotten a chance to try out while actually living in Kentucky (Judy Branch is a long way from Louisville, my friends!). After emerging from the incredible mental challenge of trying to once again repack my car in the Berea Post Office parking lot and then reattach my bike rack to the car, both Carla and I were like kids in the candy shop when we entered Lynn’s. It was just what I needed to kick off the trip and get in the mood – festive and busy and kitchy and just wonderful. We nearly bought a yodeling pickle from the diner shop– it was so tempting… but we instead settled on the amazing head scratcher and a skull & cross bones air freshener for the car (in the spirit of Portland and of covering up the kitty and dog flatulence issues).<br /><br />So on very little sleep from the night before (hit the bed at 3AM, got up at 6AM), and an emotionally exhausting morning of trying to get this adventure started… the westward trek began, fueled by Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee and accompanied by what started in Louisville as a light rain and in Indiana turned into a torrential downpour. Maybe attaching Carla’s suitcase to the roof of the car wasn’t such a great idea afterall… Fortunately, when we pulled off in Evansville, IN we were greeted at the first hotel we pulled into by the Patels, who set our entire entourage in one of the most comfortable and clean hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in. Boy were we all tired, and while Bella, Carla and I slept like logs, the cats began to recover from sedation. I ended up having to shut Rosie in the bathroom, because she kept jumping on me and demanding attention and love, waking me up just about every hour. Revenge, perhaps for drugging her and dragging her unwillingly on a road trip? <br /><br />Currently it is about 11PM and we are driving through the blankness that is Kansas at night. We awoke this morning in our oh-so-comfy hotel room, refreshed and ready for th road. While the drugs were getting into the kitties’ systems, I completely unpacked the car and repacked it so that 1. we can see out the back window, and 2. things that are needed are within reach so that we don’t have to continue the erratic pack and repack cycle on which this trip was christened. So far so good. Our food goal was to make it to Columbia, MO. I had two restaurants recommended by one of best friends since childhood (she lived in Columbia for a really long time), but by the time we got there, they had both closed. At the time I asked her, I thought we’d be in Columbia by breakfast. We enjoyed a couple hour break, walking through the neat little Midwestern college town. Bella LOVED the brisk autumn breezes and all the scents there were to sniff. We ended up eating at a neat little vegetarian café and then headed Kansas way. Goal is to end up in Hays, Kansas and then get up & drive to Loveland, CO where I get to meet up with my brother, who is a paramedic in North Denver, at Johnson’s Corner, a joint recommended by our trusty road food guide. What course we’ll take from there, we don’t know yet…Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-82850541182783968992008-10-01T00:24:00.001-07:002008-10-02T07:34:24.722-07:00ROAD TRIP: BEREA TO PORTLAND<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDK3hsuenvdQxLkmrhNboDtYfOFMqJbE8RqBcbqig_x9HJH9mWUHvOBq-svlC16Fo8dKC7aey3y2IDdLVdLZDIdjk9VNf_jzoKMTxqtDE389fKHd7FcXvB95VBIrB98Go5Y4n8g/s1600-h/Inedible+Fat.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDK3hsuenvdQxLkmrhNboDtYfOFMqJbE8RqBcbqig_x9HJH9mWUHvOBq-svlC16Fo8dKC7aey3y2IDdLVdLZDIdjk9VNf_jzoKMTxqtDE389fKHd7FcXvB95VBIrB98Go5Y4n8g/s320/Inedible+Fat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252564870066764642" /></a><br />(Posted by Appalachian Diva)<br /><br />Sometimes life hands you unexpected and serendipitous things. In my case, that thing was the chance to take a cross-country trip to Portland with my dear friend Suzanne, who is moving there. Since I had some free time, I jumped at the chance to not only hang out with a dear friend, but also to take a great road trip and see a part of the country that I’ve never experienced, and which I’ve heard is beautiful. We’ve decided to share our adventures with you, dear reader. We’ll both be adding entries, so check back often.<br /><br />We got a later start than we had intended, due to the fact that Suzanne had a much harder time than expected cramming all of her stuff into her new Volkswagen Passat. Oh, and did I mention that in addition to LOTS of cool shoes, some antique furniture, quite a bit of organic coffee, and a really cool old ceramic churn (that I am coveting really hard), we are also traveling with Bella The Wonder Dog and three cats. The cats are currently drugged in their little carriers, so they are not much of a presence except for the occasional weak meow or strong bout of flatulence. <br /><br />We finally got out of Berea around 5 PM, after much cussing and gnashing of teeth induced by Suzanne’s new bike rack, which seems to have been designed for persons with more manual dexterity and/or spatial skills than either of us seem to possess, AND after stopping at the post office to mail out several boxes of cool shoes and pillows to Oregon. <br /><br />Since Suzanne and I are both foodies, we have decided that food will feature prominently on our journey. We are aided in our quest by a book called Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern. It tends to emphasize diner and barbeqeue-style restaurants over any other style of cuisine. We stopped to eat at one of the restaurants recommended in Louisville, KY, called Lynne’s Paradise Café. I’d been there before, but it was Suz’s first time. The décor is funky and kitschy, with a wacky store that sells bacon gift wrap, guns that shoot tiny nuns, and “angry mob” action figures. She had a fried green tomato BLT and I had some black bean chile. We toasted our trip with a mojito (me) and an espresso martini (Suz) and stopped on the way out of town for some Krispy Kreme donuts (because calories don’t count when you’re on a Momentous Road Trip) and drove as far as Evansville, Indiana, where we were welcomed warmly by the Patel Family of the local Comfort Inn. After a great night’s sleep, we drugged the cats and are now on our way again….Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-62494738981504976532008-10-01T00:17:00.000-07:002008-10-02T07:33:14.700-07:00Life Away from Judy Branch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJBNgMaFi-wwLWpnP9IrQXhmWmonQ2PzUi_KDKeSlkgvBKwdTxQLqSfjVcGbxoMutEpQ6DVLRVk7NP4opAljIKRfprQxeLWRlCtGh3qMQsKbMQMwyEzISKkwc4dU-lMDId4AqOg/s1600-h/Suz&CarlaleavingBerea.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJBNgMaFi-wwLWpnP9IrQXhmWmonQ2PzUi_KDKeSlkgvBKwdTxQLqSfjVcGbxoMutEpQ6DVLRVk7NP4opAljIKRfprQxeLWRlCtGh3qMQsKbMQMwyEzISKkwc4dU-lMDId4AqOg/s320/Suz&CarlaleavingBerea.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252564555583264546" /></a><br />NOTE: I don't know if I'm going to change the name of my blog or not, but I figure that I will keep on writing to keep you all posted on this new chapter in my life. Right now, we are on the road - the official westward journey to relocate in Oregon. It has been a really long few weeks of uprooting and packing and getting rid of so many things and saying so many goodbyes. But now the fun has begun. The ROAD TRIP. The next few blog entries will be coming both from me, and my guest blogger and cohort in travels, Appalachian Diva - my soul sister and very fine friend. We'll try to post pictures as well as we go.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-88520578415835761742008-09-23T18:26:00.001-07:002008-09-23T19:19:01.034-07:00The Dearly DepartedI meant to write during my last days on Judy Branch, but something happens to time once you set yourself on a path. Ever since I decided that I really was moving, I have had twice as many things to get done than I usually do. Those of you who really know me are aware that I typically try to fit at least 36 hours worth of living into each and every day. Lately, it's been more like sixty hours a day. And even though I am as incredibly talented at packing as many tasks into a day as I am at packing lots of stuff into small spaces, a full three weeks of this behavior most certainly has had its toll. By the time it came down to packing up the Uhaul and moving my stuff out of Judy Branch, I had gone two weeks with an average of four hours sleep per night. I was wobbly at times, to say at the least. But I pushed on, and with the help of my friends and family, I have managed to get this far.<br /><br />Somehow, in the midst of all the packing and tying up of loose ends, I was able to squeeze in some quality time with some of my beloved friends and my adopted family. Now that I have slept a little, I can recall some of the highlights: <br /><br />1. We held a CD Release party down in Big Stone Gap for the Uncle Charlie Osborne: The June Appal Years CD (a special project I produced with the help of some really good friends), and it just so happened that the Osborne family reunion was going on that weekend and a great deal of Uncle Charlie's descendents were on hand to enjoy the music and get a copy of the beautiful CD. I really enjoyed being able to give this music back to Charlie's family and to see some of my good friends down Virginia way.<br /><br />2. I got to enjoy my last Carcassonne square dance as a local, dancing almost every dance with my good pal Woody Goodman and playing the last dance with Lee Boy. Sadly, Woody was killed last night when a tree fell on him, and I am gonna miss him something terrible. He was my favorite dance partner and most certainly my favorite DJ on WMMT. And, perhaps most important, he and his wife (sister to neighbor Billy Jo) and Carcassonne were my link to Judy Branch. They helped get me here, and I am torn up that my pal Woody isn't going to be out there on Elk Creek or running around saving the world in his Prius anymore. All day as I've packed, I have heard his voice in my head, talking to me about my move to Oregon. At times I can even hear him reacting to the way he died. How ironic, and in someways how perfect, that a true treehugger like he be taken out by a tree?<br /><br />3. After a dinner gathering of Cowan Creek Mountain Music School faculty, a bunch of pals hosted a special set at the local coffeehouse/bar (yes, the county seat recently got liquor by the drink for the first time in 60 years!), and I got to visit with quite a few friends and play some tunes with some of my best buddies. Faerie Godmother was there and Rich and Brett and Woody. It was sweet, and even though I had to fight sleep and exhaustion to be there, I wouldn't have missed that night for the world - especially when my buddy Haywood serenaded me with Lil' Birdie and Baby Brett sang me Free as a Little Bird.<br /><br />4. We had a grand goodbye gathering on Judy Branch, hosted by neighbors Bill & Billy Jo, and I got to spend my last "official" night on Judy Branch in the company of my neighbors, my real parents and my two set of adopted parents (Bill & Billy Joe and Cheryl & Ray) and my dear sweet friends Lee Boy and Opal and Charlie & Joyce and Beverly and Shawn & Tammy (and all their wonderful yonguns). We had a great dinner and then sat around the fire, made music, told stories and just enjoyed each other and the beautiful place that is Judy Branch.<br /><br />It took longer to pack, and I had way more stuff than I thought I did, so I ended up staying one extra night on Judy Branch. Luckily my friend Lora kept me company and helped me plow through the exhaustion and get everything done. <br /><br />Although I am incredibly excited about my new, yet to be seen, life out west, It was both physically and emotionally exhausting to pack up and leave Judy Branch. And I'm not referring to the three cat carriers, complete with squalling kitties, stacked next to me while I drove away. I have really loved this place and the community of which I have become a part. There's a big part of me that would love to stay in that moment around the fire with my Judy Branch family for the rest of my life. Leaving, in so many ways was impossible to think about. I just had to do it and not dwell on what I was leaving but on where I am going. <br /><br />There's a whole new level to that now that my dear friend Woody is gone. I cannot bear to think of going back and him not being there. It looks like I may make one more trip up to the hollow before I hit the open road with Bella, the three cats and my dear (brave and kind) friend Carla. I know that Woody wouldn't want me to let his tragic and far too soon passing put a shadow on my big adventure, but I reckon he'd also understand the heartache that his absence leaves with us all. I just can't believe my buddy is gone. Eastern Kentucky has lost one of her finest stewards and colorful characters, and I know that nobody will ever be able to fill his place in our community and our hearts.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-83538058328425887532008-08-28T17:11:00.000-07:002008-08-28T17:18:05.482-07:00MovingWell, I have hinted at it for some time. Now it is a certainty. My time on Judy Branch is coming to a close. I have loved this place so much. I get a big lump in my throat when I realize that I must say goodbye to my sweet home at the head of the holler. It has kept me warm, given me food and family and watched over my baby critters as they have explored their ancestral wild instincts. When I get back home, I will have to begin packing and letting go. <br /><br />But it's not all tears and heartache! Bella, Sid, Rosie, Beulah and I have a great big adventure ahead of us. We've got a house waiting for us in the great Pacific Northwest. There's a lot of miles between Judy Branch and our new home, so getting out will be an adventure in itself. And once we get here, we'll all have a pile of new experiences to sort through!<br /><br />More later...Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-60828724380641326612008-07-13T11:57:00.000-07:002008-07-13T12:57:31.367-07:00Change has Gotta Come<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LzIRccPbcNjAuJNfWef9A62lq2h7rgjILt9bLk52QUbzxjE_MhREr7kO4Cpr8krPlD-TzqJJ0zECR8J5F8iH8unk0ICMYp4bfnvP6FYUVX5GUyq96I77TacGW_Hzy59zSrRj4Q/s1600-h/s&t+on+ferry+5%27web.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LzIRccPbcNjAuJNfWef9A62lq2h7rgjILt9bLk52QUbzxjE_MhREr7kO4Cpr8krPlD-TzqJJ0zECR8J5F8iH8unk0ICMYp4bfnvP6FYUVX5GUyq96I77TacGW_Hzy59zSrRj4Q/s320/s&t+on+ferry+5%27web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222589382139136546" /></a><br />The garden on Judy Branch turned into a jungle after I returned from a ten-day vacation to the Pacific Northwest. Veggies and weeds alike are thriving. Except for the eggplant. I managed to get the flea beatles under control, but the poor things just haven't grown at all. I harvested my first zucchini yesterday and while weeding the rest of the blooming squash, I saw the beginnings of a few patty pan! My beets, which I had worried about being puny, must have been really busy while I was gone, because they are now twice the size that I left them. Little okras are coming out and should be ready for the kitchen any day now. And I unexpectedly grew the most divine lettuce - drunken woman. Beautiful green ruffles that are delicious.<br /><br />I've got a lot of weeding to do as payment for my time off. Good news is that I should have more time for garden work now that I've quit one of my jobs and have put my notice (a few months notice, but notice all the same) for my main job. Things are going to change for me in the next few months. My hope is that quitting these jobs will launch me into the next great adventure, whatever that may be. Who knows?<br /><br />I got to spend time with my best friend, who moved out to Seattle about seven years ago. The day before she and her boyfriend came out to meet me on the Olympic Penninsula (where I was camping), I somehow managed to get the most severe sunburn of my life (I hope). She took me home with her and ended up nursing me with medicinal herbal tea and icing my poor legs down with Ranier beer and a bag of frozen lotus roots. It was so nice to have somebody to take care of me and keep me company when I couldn't even manage to walk around due to swollen ankles. I realized how much I miss living near any of my closest friends.<br /><br />Life on Judy branch has been amazing, especially because of my wonderful neighbors and my crazy zoo of a family. This weekend, the nearest town had a little festival. One of my banjo students, a nine-year old girl, and I played a few tunes for the crowd while my current housemate/intern accompanied us on the fiddle. I loved that I knew most of the people in the crowd. I especially enjoy my neighbors/landlords Bill & Billie Joe. We all love living on Judy Branch so much and can talk for hours about gardening, the state of the world and anything else that comes to mind. They came by the house later in the afternoon to check on a problem I was having with the oven and to show me how Bill had rigged the starter of the lawnmower. I sure will miss them when I move on. If I could take Judy Branch with me, wherever I go, I surely would do it.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-43776178461777002902008-05-26T18:12:00.000-07:002008-05-26T19:14:51.532-07:00planting seeds, watching things grow<a href="http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t314/suz1976suz/?action=view¤t=buddygrannydad.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t314/suz1976suz/buddygrannydad.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />the past few days have been rich and full. i started with a quick trip down to knoxville where i sat in on a digital storytelling training that carpetbag theatre was doing for teenagers, who i will be helping to connect with other youth groups across the city this summer. the kids in this training will be teaching other teens how to use digital storytelling to reflect on their own experiences. it's a really cool project, and i'm so glad to be part of it, even if it's a small role!<br /><br />then i headed up north to lexington to get ready for a big day of benefit events for the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School. for nearly 24 hours, i was embraced by an amazing community of music and friends that i seldom ever get see or hear all together at the same place. the musicians and the people involved with CCMMS are all such beautiful people. it's hard to pinpoint what exactly it is about the CCMMS that brings people together in the way it does. the closest thing i can come up with is that CCMMS is like this alternate family. once you become involved in this indescribably beautiful, enriching experience, your roots begin to intertwine with those other folks experiencing this with you and there's this bond that grows between everyone, traveling through the music and the stories and the shared experiences and creating this wild, beautiful garden of people, music and mountain culture. saturday was like a brief preview of what's gonna happen the last week of june here in letcher county. we played music, danced and just enjoyed a great time together. the first half of the day was an outdoor concert and square dance on the shady grounds of an old house in a lexington neighborhood. then we all headed over to al's bar, about two blocks away, and had a great big jam session for about two hours. we didn't really want to stop, but we did so we could get the benefit show started. more amazing music. one of the best nights of music or nights out on the town (any town) i've ever had! <br /><br />this weekend provided far more social interaction that i normally get in a month, much less two days. so after saying farewell to the seven or so friends who all piled into the hotel room with me saturday night and catching a brunch with a few more friends, i headed back to eastern kentucky, feeling my entire body and soul relaxing deeper and deeper the closer i got to judy branch. i met up in blackey with my friend george gibson (also a CCMMS musician/supporter), and we headed over to lee & opal's house for a visit. lee has lost all hearing in his right ear and has not been playing much music at all lately. having george over got him to playing his banjo and his fiddle, and even though we had to help him with tuning, he sounded just as good as ever! i'm glad that we got him playing, and we're all hoping that his ear will heal and he'll get some of the hearing back.<br /><br />once i got home from lee's house, i was more than ready for a good long patch of time without laying eyes upon, hearing or talking to another person. after a good long sleep (went to bed early & slept late), i got to working in the garden, and i spent all memorial day doing just that. for the first year i've been out here, i've planted the entire garden spot, and that's a mighty big garden! i'm glad to report that things are looking really good. right now the only harvestable crop i've got is curly mustard, and because of the cool weather we've had the past week or so, it's doing really well. i'll have to eat a lot of mustard greens in the next few days and weeks, b/c as the temperature goes up, they'll start to seed. the herbs i have planted around the house and on the porch are also doing well - the mint is reaching for the sky. the oregano smells lovely, and the lavender is getting ready to flower. cilantro is coming up in a pot, and i believe that the thyme (or is it marjoram?) is getting ready to bloom. <br /><br />back to the garden: the peas are also coming up, but no pods yet. i didn't get them planted on valentines day. in fact, i didn't get them planted until early april! i expect i'll have peas by mid to late june. here's what else is coming up: okra - lots of it and several varieties, including cajun jewel, cow horn, alabama red.... watermelon, patty pan squash, zucchini squash, crookneck squash, silver queen corn, another variety of corn left over from last year (came up where last year's crop had been). i planted some three sisters (cherokee method), which is planting corn in the center of a hill with beans and squash on the outer circle, sort of like the points of the four directions in the medicine wheel. they are all looking great so far, although neighbor bill thinks that the squash won't do well in the shade of the corn, but that the beans will really thrive (they grow up the corn stalks). just in case, there's plenty of squash planted without the corn, so there will be squash a-plenty no matter what, as long as i can keep the bugs away! also coming up are eggplant, tomatoes, chile & gypsy peppers, basil, beets, potatoes. i've got butter bean (pole) and butter bean/fordhook (bushes) planted, but they haven't come up yet, nor has the dill. <br /><br />today i built a raised bed for lettuce, as the lettuce growing in the big pot on my porch doesn't seem to want to get big enough to eat. i also did a lot of weeding. i transplanted even more of the baby okra plants that have been growing thickly on my porch into the long rows of okra i've already got planted and coming up. transplanted a few baby eggplants and tomatoes. i planted the lettuce beds with drunken woman and red salad bowl lettuce and then put in a couple rows of beans: blue lake and provider snap beans. i planted a bed of collard greens, and a few more marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers around the garden. then i got out the sprayer and sprayed the squash, okra & watermelon plants with diluted neem oil to keep the bugs off. neem oil is pretty neat stuff. it's a botanical extract that naturally repels most garden pests. i'm hoping it will work wonders on the squash! i started building tomato cages when the sky darkened over, and it began to thunder. got everything under the porch and started up the steps just as the downpour began. <br /><br />now i'm enjoying the smell of honeysuckle (it's finally bloomed!) and the sounds of the crickets, frogs and distant bark of dogs coming in my kitchen windows.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-89475604887876576992008-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:002008-05-13T21:33:26.856-07:00remedyi woke up this morning feeling something terrible. the kind of terrible that got me a late start on the day and then had me stumbling about like a drunkard. amazingly, it all began to lift in the afternoon, and i ended what i thought was a wasted sunny day - and not too hot - working in my garden. even though i didn't get home until after 6pm, i managed to finish clearing out the side flower bed next to the front porch steps, break up the soil and plant some zinnias, echinachea, okra, basil and peppermint (the mint was planted in a a separate raised pot to keep it from taking over). i rigged up a fence of netting around it to prevent the dogs from trampling (or napping) on my little mini-garden. <br /><br />then it was on to the big garden, where I took my new garden work bench (inherited from Granny), post driver, tall posts, garden tools, seeds and netting and did an extraordinary amount of work before night set in. i added a few more stakes to the perimeter of the garden border, which involved me balancing on top of the bench, lifting the post driver above my head and then bringing it down with force upon said stake, repeating several times, hoping not to damage my ear drums too severely (metal on metal - ouch), and then finally having to lift the post driver (which is actually pretty darn heavy) over my head again, while still balancing on the bench, and finally dismounting without falling over. i think i did that five times today - hooray! did not have enough old and new netting to entirely cover the perimeter of the fence, so i'm not quite done yet.<br /><br />in addition to my little side bed, i did manage to plant: marigolds, sunflowers, beets, dill, sweet pepper, okra (two varieties), watermelon and the three sisters. the three sisters is a method of planting corn, beans and squash together in hills. i've tried this a few times in the past, but never with much success. mostly b/c i wasn't really that focused on what i was doing. this time, i hope i got it right. i built up small mounds of loose soil, put a corn seed top and center, then sort of made a medicine wheel with bean and squash seeds - two of each, alternating to make the four directions. then cover the seeds with a light layer of loose soil. i really hope i can make it work this year. i think i'll try mulching with straw once they come up...<br /><br />i already have some curly mustard greens and peas coming up and potatoes planted in a trench covered with straw. the next big thing is to get some tomato and eggplants transplanted, put in some patty pan squash and get some basil going. i've got to get some new basil seeds and maybe even break down and buy some seedlings, because i've still got last years seeds, and they never did come up last year...<br /><br />i worked in the garden until the critters in the woods started heckling me with strange noises and i lost all light. even though some of the sounds i was hearing would scare even the bravest outdoors person, i wasn't bothered. bella stayed close by, laying in the tall grass and keeping sentinel. no panthers, rabid deer or escaped cattle were gonna get near me without her getting to them first!<br /><br />i don't know what it is, but there's something about getting on your hands and knees and getting your hands in the earth that will cure just about any ailment. i don't know why i don't just go stick my hands in the dirt at the first sign of a headache. sure works better than a little pill!Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-40897671384236392792008-05-11T16:06:00.000-07:002008-05-26T19:10:23.677-07:00Rambling Thoughts on Family<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslfCG-eYHbltGJx6_4tfp7ViTeFI2bzfzVMxI62SXKekktxLPnUfKH4A4_wL-JPG-NEaBQObPPZjJgcWu4VfMNJZCm19EPe6iLv-7pKco2cAxEab-dE9cQccWVDhHZTCtWU09Yg/s1600-h/Ruth+%26+Nanie+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslfCG-eYHbltGJx6_4tfp7ViTeFI2bzfzVMxI62SXKekktxLPnUfKH4A4_wL-JPG-NEaBQObPPZjJgcWu4VfMNJZCm19EPe6iLv-7pKco2cAxEab-dE9cQccWVDhHZTCtWU09Yg/s320/Ruth+%26+Nanie+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204874230030184306" /></a><br />There's a great song by the Decembrists that tells a long winding tale of ancestry. A mother who was a Chinese Trapeze artist. Being lost in a game of high stakes Canasta to a Brigadeer on a ship... a sister who moved to America to start a punk rock band.<br />While I didn't grow up with my relatives all living around me, I have always belonged to a family who really valued being part of a family. And I mean the whole extended deal - not what is called the "nuclear" family (how creepy does that sound?!).<br /><br />Even though I have always lived in communities where the norm is to live in the same hollow, if not in the back yard, of one's grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, et. al., I sometimes find that I am closer friends with my aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, third cousins twice removed than many of the people who live in the same community with those folk. Perhaps distance does make the heart grow fonder? All I know is that ever since I can remember, it has been a priority to attend family gatherings - from the usual - the annual Thanksgiving and family reunions- to the weddings and funerals. Even if it's for a sad reason that we get together, I find I always enjoy every second I spend with my family. We spend our time telling stories. Most of my life, I have listened, but as the older generation passes on, my cousins and I've begun to share in the storytelling about ancestors passed with my parents, aunts and uncles.<br /><br />There are so many characters in my family that I have known about my entire life. Some, I was lucky enough to know as a toddler. But others, I feel that I know so well, I continue to learn more about with each family gathering.<br /><br />This weekend I attended my cousin's wedding. I shared a table with my cousins, aunts and uncles and parents. I wore an antique hat inherited from granny that had belonged to her aunt - the legendary Aunt Ruth! I ended up with a lot of Aunt Ruth's stuff. She was my great grandmother, Nanie's sister. As one of the only cousins to actually have known Nanie and Aunt Ruth, it was natural for much of their belongings to be passed on from Granny to me. Everyone really appreciated the hat. To them, it was like having that generation at the wedding with us. Then we got to talking about Nanie & Aunt Ruth's dad - Poppa. I have a few pieces of furniture, sewing cabinets and wood carvings that he made. He's one of the relatives that I grew up hearing about since I was a small child. I know well the story about what an outgoing man he was - always the first to greet a new neighbor with a homemade pie or a basket of biscuits. He made the best biscuits, and he lived to be a very old age. He befriended a crow, and each morning after breakfast, he would go out on his back step, call out "Crow! Here crow!" That same crow, every morning would fly down, perch on Poppa's arm, and Poppa would feed him (or her) leftover biscuits from his breakfast. Poppa lived alone for a very long time and never had to have anyone take care of him. He prayed everyday that God would not let him become a burden to his family and that he be taken in his sleep when it was his time to die. One night, a tornado swept through Lyon, Mississippi during the night. The next morning, they found Poppa's body high in the branches of a tree. He had died in his sleep. That was sometime around 1970, I believe.<br /><br />My whole family from my parents back are, for the most part, from Mississippi and Louisiana. I had always thought of my Mom's family as being more of the Louisiana/Southern Mississippi side of the family. This weekend I learned that Poppa was originally from southwest Mississippi, had lived for a long time in New Orleans where he had been a streetcar driver and played music! He played the fiddle and made several fiddles. Later, once he had a family, he quit drinking and playing fiddle. My uncle remembers Poppa showing him how to play the bones and the spoons. He never quit smoking, though. My aunt would roll his cigarettes for him. I still have a pack of Prince Albert papers that once belonged to him.<br /><br />I could spend days on end hearing those stories. Who needs television with the living memories to be found all around you?Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-91110556640334863882008-04-27T09:56:00.000-07:002008-04-27T12:14:56.933-07:00Dogwoods & FirefliesThe Dogwoods joined the party last week, and together with the Redbuds and the newly greened treetops, Judy Branch was decked out in full spring array. There are many things I love about life on Judy Branch. The quiet you can find here is something you could rarely find in any small town or relatively populated area. At night, the stars are the main attraction, with a variety of animal and insect calls and the movements of wind, water and train providing the soundtrack. Sometimes a little old time string band music or a lonesome banjo add another layer. The other night I was sitting on my porch swing with a gentleman caller - that's how we court in the Southern backcounty, on the porch swing - and I noticed a really bright light in the night sky. At first I thought I'd seen an especially bright shooting star. But then I saw it again. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the fire flies had arrived! It seemed too early for lightin' bugs, but there were a few out scouting the night skies of Judy Branch last week. I guess summer is getting ready to begin!<br /><br />On the garden front, I've got my peas coming up in the garden. In pots on the porch I've got some lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cilantro coming up. I've even tried putting some okra in a pot on the porch, and it seems to be coming up. I may end up transplanting those, but we'll see how it goes! My oregano, thyme and lavender have come back strong, and I've got flats of seedlings of cherry and other tomato varieties, three varieties of okra, peppers, eggplant and basil. They've got a couple of weeks yet before I think they'll be ready to go in the ground, but I've moved the flats out onto the porch to let them get used to the outdoors. Today I've got to get my seed potatoes in the ground. This year I'm going to try a method I've heard about for some time - planting them in a trench and covering with straw. I'm planting Yukon Gold and Caribe varieties. Once I get those in the ground, I'm going to try to get my garden rows more clearly defined, add some taller stakes and chicken wire to my pea patch (it's a bit short right now), and get the netting up around my fence. Right now the deer are out in the woods having their babies, so I've not seen much of them lately. After last year, though, I don't want to provide them with any opportunity to eat up my young seedling vegetables as soon as they get an inch above the ground!Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-81145017507704445122008-04-21T15:40:00.000-07:002008-04-21T15:44:55.329-07:00Fence BuildingSpring is taking hold of Judy Branch, with the red buds leading the way to the greening of the hills and hollows. It's amazing how much the sight of that odd shade of purple dotting the hillsides inspires the trees to begin pushing out little yellow-green shoots of leaves. My garden spot is plowed & tilled. The peas are coming up. Little shoots are coming up in the flats of okra, tomato, eggplant and basil I started indoors. This week, my main projects are to plant my potatoes and get the deer fence up. Oh yes, and to borrow neighbor Bill's lawnmower and mow the overly enthusiastic grass around my house.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-85562762302596071822008-04-02T19:22:00.000-07:002008-04-02T19:36:14.213-07:00Just BreatheJudy Branch is coming alive with plants growing and bugs coming out of hibernation. Do those buzzing creatures actually hibernate? It's a sight at the mouth of the hollow to see the variety of flowering trees and then to come toward the head and be nearly blinded by the bright forsynthia. I love being able to keep the windows open both during the day and at night (well, not tonight). I know that I'm going to have to move on to a new place sometime soon, but the thought of leaving Judy Branch now that spring has started to work its magic is just about unbearable. I know this about myself: I get way too deeply attached. It's so hard to leave. But I also know that once I get to my new home, it takes no time before I fall deeply in love with that place. I'm a nester. It's really hard for me to uproot and leave my nest, but I relish in flight and in the act of building a new nest. <br /><br />So where will I fly off to and where will I find a place to make my nest? It's thrilling and terrifying and exhausting, and pretty soon I will have to choose a direction to fly - even if I don't know where it will take me.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-52733836823935293502008-03-16T15:59:00.000-07:002008-04-27T10:14:18.359-07:00Change of PaceIt seems life life has dramatically picked up pace over the past few weeks. I feel as if I went through a pretty long period of calm. Lots of sleeping with many quiet evenings and weekends at home here on Judy Branch. Certainly, some of that mellow life pace was due to the sloth-ing effect of depression while some was the tradition of winter hibernation. Somehow, I missed the transition. It seems I've suddenly switched from snail speed to super sonic sprinting. I am stunned that it is Sunday evening and I have not really gotten a decent amount of down time or sleep in several weeks. There's just too much to do, and I'm glad to say that the doing is not all work-related. On top of all the things that are keeping me too busy, I also have a running list of things I would like to aim this nervous energy at: getting my garden planned and started and a thorough house-cleaning are on the top of that list.<br /><br />There are other things I'm putting off. These are the decisions I've got to make about what is next. There are a few options opening up, and my renewed appreciation and engagement in my life and work here in EKY makes it incredibly difficult to even consider these new opportunities that I worked so hard to make happen. Now that they are real possibilities/offers that I must either embrace or push aside, I am not as certain as I was when they were simply dreams of escape...<br /><br />But Im also pretty damn curious (and hopeful) to see what's going to happen next. All I am hoping for is that the epiphany will gently wash over me and I will be able to skip off in whichever direction I'm meant to go without looking back and wondering if I made the right decision.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-77963726982004146232008-03-09T17:07:00.000-07:002008-03-09T17:24:00.505-07:00promise of springthere's something about early springtime in the mountains that gives my heart a little hug. lately, i feel like i have been falling in love with judy branch all over again. i love the sound of the rain on my tin roof & the bubbling of little judy branch when it is full with waters rolling down from the mountain top. i love how one evening i will have my kitchen windows open listening to the songs of the peepers, and the next night and day a snow storm will drop several inches of snow. one more day, the sun melts it all away and the deer are back to grazing near my soon-to-be garden spot.<br /><br />this weekend has been a simultaneous uplift and challenge to my spirit. i got snowed in, which is a truly lovely experience out here on judy branch. wood stove roaring, fuzzy critters to keep me entertained and also keep me warm, and a beautiful wonderland to explore in the day. i went on a long walk with bella and the JB pack, taking photos of all the judy branch wonders covered in snow. inside was a different story. as soon as the snow storm really began, around 4AM friday night, little beulah went into heat. talk about a change in atmospheric pressure! so while we've all been uplifted by the snow, we've also nearly lost our minds with the incessant yowling and often unwanted affections of a kitten who just now became a queen.<br /><br />with all this going on, i have also come to terms with how i feel about my job situation. i have made a tough decision and decided to be patient rather than accepting a job that would take me to a place i'd like to live but not really fulfill me in the ways that i really need to be fulfilled. i am learning that geography isn't everything - and the "progressive" mountain area of WNC isn't really worth what i'd have to give up to move back there.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-5537923311796179322008-03-04T16:13:00.000-08:002008-03-04T16:44:31.312-08:00PeepersI know I've talked and pondered and daydreamed out loud about wanting to live in a more lively place. A city, with people close to my age and all the perks of public transportation, close proximity of home & work & fun, eating out, entertainment and nightlife. In theory, that all sounds ideal. I certainly appreciate these aspects of more urban places when I go for a visit.<br /><br />Tonight the peepers have come out and are singing their little hearts out from all sorts of soggy places here on Judy Branch. The wind is teasing the tips of trees and playing tunes on the wind chimes that hang all along my porch. It's times like this that I must be honest with myself (and with you, my two or three blog readers). There is no place I feel better than way out in the country, preferably mountain country, where the neighborhood noises are the sounds of the wind winding it's way through trees, dogs barking across the distance, cows munching on grass, peepers and bullfrogs celebrating a temporary escape from winter hibernation. Here on Judy Branch, I love how the sound of coal trains mingle with the sounds of insects and people working outside and the creek bubbling over roots and rocks. I love how I can feel somewhat alone but also in comfortable distance of the handful of neighbors living in this hollow. In the day and early evenings I love how I can hear (but not usually discern the words) of my neighbors sitting on their porches or working out in their yards. The chickens and horses down toward the head of the hollow. These sounds seem to bounce around the bowl in which we live, so that you can never really tell how far away that four wheeler or that newly weaned calf really is. You feel like you have your own space and privacy, but you also have the comfort of knowing there's good folks around should you need some help or some company.<br /><br />My nearest neighbors are a young couple, just one year older than me. Whenever they see me, they tell me that one of the things they love about the warmer days here is when the sound of music drifts over from my porch into their windows. I love to practice my banjo on the porch swing, and I've been known to host a few all night jams on spring or summer nights. It's nice to live in a place where the neighbors get up in the middle of the night to open more windows to let the music drift in rather than calling the police and filing a complaint! <br /><br />In my heart, I am such a country girl. I love that I cannot hear the sound of traffic from a busy road and that I know well in advance if anyone is approaching my house - whether by four-wheeler, car, horse or by foot. I love that there's no street lights, and that on cloudy or moonless nights, if I forget to leave on the porch light, I have to use my keychain flashlight to find my way to the house. I love that if I'm preparing a meal or working on a project, that if I don't have something I need - like a cup of all purpose flour or a socket wrench - that instead of running to the store, the first thing I do is call my neighbors and see if I can borrow. Going to the store and back would take up so much time, and when there's an option of staying here on Judy Branch, I'd much rather do that almost any day.<br /><br />So tonight, accompanied by a chorus of peepers, windows and porch doors wide open and surrounded by my furry family, I give thanks and sing the praises for my life here on Judy Branch.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-52421829800127954252008-03-04T07:36:00.000-08:002008-03-04T07:54:09.406-08:00Edge of WinterAs I was driving home last night, I was thinking about how my life really isn't that bad. The desperation I've been feeling to move on to something new basically comes from a severe case of depression. Those feelings are not based on my situation so much as my psyche.<br /><br />This weekend was pretty full, but all with familiar things that blur the line between my professional and personal life. I suppose that a lot of my time is spent with half my head covered by my work hat, the other by my time-off hat. We had a really great old time jam this Saturday, followed by a square dance that night. Life has gotten quite a bit better in our county since the county seat began allowing liquor by the drink a few months ago. First time alcohol has been allowed to be served or sold here in 40 years! That's a big change, and I think it has mostly been positive. At least my experience of it. A new cafe/coffeehouse opened up downtown that seems like it came straight from Asheville or any of these other downtown-revitalized places. Nice atmosphere, original artwork on the walls that rotates every couple of months, very nice sandwiches and a selection of beer, wind and spirits that is atypical of this region. I can now eat out and have a hummus sandwich instead of my usual grilled cheese. And I have my choice of a cold PBR or something a little fancier. I even have the option of trying beers whose names I've never heard nor could I ever pronounce! These little details may not seem that special to some folks, but they are pretty novel for folks living in deeps of Eastern Kentucky.<br /><br />Sunday I worked in my garden, clearing out the tomato cages and various fences that, without success, I attempted to deter last year's deer population. As soon as the ground dries up a little, I need to get it turned over and plant my peas. I spent the later part of the day over at Lee and Opal's house. Learned a couple of really nice tunes, had a good dinner and sat around and talked for a few hours. I'm putting together a couple of big celebrations in honor of Lee Boy's 80th birthday, which falls on Easter Sunday this year. <br /><br />Yesterday was a pretty busy workday, but it felt productive. Had a home-cooked country dinner at the community center at our monthly board meeting and then had a relatively new experience. I went downtown and saw a great band, the Felice Brothers, play at the little coffeehouse/cafe. Just a few months ago, going out on a Monday night to hear live music- with the exception of bluegrass- anyplace other than somebody's living room was unthinkable unless you drove a couple of hours to the nearest "city." So life IS getting better here, and I am aware of it. I wish I could fully feel the joy of these parts of my life. I'm hoping the combination of a new garden season, the anticipation of festival and camping season and trying out this whole therapy thing will pull me out the dregs and allow me to feel a little more than a watered down version of happiness.Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28963922.post-64333122184071539132008-03-01T18:52:00.000-08:002008-03-01T18:57:45.272-08:00Bright StarsYou can only see a piece of sky, tucked in the mountains here on Judy Branch. But when there's stars to be seen, they are the brightest in the whole world.<br /><br />I'm so glad the clouds have blown away, at least for this one night!Little Birdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14770540689244436097noreply@blogger.com0