Christmas

Last night it started raining. All the snow is melting. We now have a lot of ice on the trees. I'm not sure if that is any better than the snow. At least in Bakersville there wasn't as much ice as there is in Spruce Pine at my Grandfather's.

This morning I woke up and we made pumpkin waffles with honey apple cider syrup. Actually it was a joint effort. My dad did most of the work so I'm not sure I can really take credit for much of the result. However, I did find the recipe. We cooked the waffles while we were waking up my brothers and looking at the Christmas presents. The first waffle stuck to the waffle iron. After a little oil it was good. The apple cider syrup smelled really good. It was really strong. It was surprising on the waffles but it was really good.

Pumpkin Waffle with Apple cider syrup

We opened the presents which had arrived. Much of what was mailed had not arrived yet as it was delayed because of all the snow we got. I think my mom was a little distressed by the idea but it doesn't really bother me. It just means that Christmas will happen a little later this year.

Leaving Bakersville for Spruce Pine the rivers were really full. If we get much more rain we will probably flood. The river running under our bridge was really high and the water was pooling in the field. The closer to Spruce Pine we got the more ice was on the trees. By the time we got to my grandfather's road we were seeing downed power lines and trees. The power was out at my grandfathers which had made the cooking take much longer. Luckily there is a generator so that cooking could still happen. Even with the generator cooking wasn't happening until we arrived for some reason so we didn't eat until 2pm. I think it was pretty late for my grandfather but it was fine as we didn't eat breakfast until until late this morning.

The river in Bakersville with the Christmas tree decorations and melting snow

The ice on the trees is really pretty. Before I was dragged in to cut potatoes I went and took pictures of the ice. My camera didn't want to focus on the tree limbs. Jonpaul got some good pictures of the texture of the ice. With the rain it isn't as nice outside but when the rain slows down it is really nice to walk around outside.

Ice on the bush outside with read berries.

Lunch was turkey almost like a Thanksgiving dinner. Lillie, my cousin's daughter, thought it was a Thanksgiving dinner. Or at least that is what she said. With the four little kids it is hard to have everyone sit through a meal. I think the kids are a bit much for Papa. The little kids sang Rodolph the Red Nose Reindeer to him before lunch. He gets really emotional and it made him cry a little. Lillie keeps making Erik wear a holly crown it is pretty funny. He is so tall and she keeps making him put it back on. In some ways it is sweet but I'm really glad she didn't take it into her head to make me wear it. I think Erik is dealing with it really well.

Ice patterns

Erik in his holly crown he has a beard now!

After lunch we all felt really tired. Carol spent the with Papa last night so she was exhausted. Most of us just sat around and listened to the ice falling from the trees outside. It was a really pretty sound. Ruff got lots of treats from little kids so he is really happy. We have to stay with Papa until 10 tonight so it feels like a really long day. Papa is watching westerns so that's what I have been doing when I haven't been wandering around trying to find something to do. I wanted to try and play chess. I've never really played so I thought Jonpaul could teach me but there isn't a board here and Jonpaul has been playing Eve most of the time. Because lunch was late we didn't have dinner until really late around 8pm. All I know is that it has been nice to hang out with the cousins. Their little kids are a bit wild. My mom loves it.

All the little kids have head off to bed and my grandfather is on his way as well. Soon I will also be all tucked up in my bed.

Two or One?

My family has been bothering me about when I'm going to come back to Bakersville so today I packed up and headed home. Now I'm wondering why I came back as I could just as easily be in Asheville doing the same thing. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This morning I lay in bed for a long time. I finally got up and had a bagel for breakfast. Matthew got home late this morning from work. We read some in our book on Chinese culture and history. We decided to go and give notice on our apartment today. I guess this is motivation for us to find jobs in China and buy plain tickets. Part of me really wanted to give notice and the other part of me feels like I leaving my home. I've come to think of my apartment as home. It feels like it is mine. I don't know if I will have that for a while. In China a won't have my books or my orchids. I know that I will make it mine but it feels funny giving notice before I really have solid plans yet. Something that bothers me is that to show our apartment they only have to give us 2 hours notice. That means that Matthew and I have to be neater than we normally are. I guess that is like good luck, it is going to be a mess.

I thought I was going to leave Asheville at noon but then when I realized my parents and brothers weren't going to be home until much later I decided to stay and collect things from my apartment to bring home. It was a good thing for me to do as now I have less stuff to do later, and it was just laying around anyway. The drive back was interesting. I had to drop some books off at the library so I went down Merrimon avenue and I almost got hit but I truck pulling on. It looked like it was driven by a little kid. That frustrated me. Then I got behind a really slow car on the way into Burnsville and then when they turned off there was another slow car that I followed all the way to Spruce Pine. It was really good timing on my part as my family got home right after I did. Ruff is a mighty hunter and he has a war wound from the last opossum he killed. We don't encourage him to kill them but he really hates them and goes for them.

We had to come to Papa's tonight to cook dinner. It is kind of sad being here. My Grandfather thinks that there are two cats in his house and he only has one. The other cat looks exactly like his cat but it isn't his cat. In some ways I would really rather not come. My dad is really stressed out my mom gets emotional and my brothers and I try and understand what my grandfather is saying. I don't understand him and he can hear me or understand me. When I went to ask Carol if she wanted dinner, she yelled at me. I then asked her if she wanted help and she yelled at me again. Now, why did I come home? I'm asking myself this over and over again. I'm not talking with my brothers they are on their computers. When I did talk to Erik it was because he was complaining about how he still doesn't have his luggage. That is really a bummer but why he hasn't borrowed clothes from my dad is beyond me. I view my mom's closet as an extension of mine when I'm home, not that I like most of her clothes. Erik has a beard now which is really strange. He looks funny. He is supposed to be my little brother which means he shouldn't have a beard.

Because Carol yelled at me and I don't really see the point in being here I'm wondering why I came home today. I should have stayed in Asheville and gotten more stuff done there. I really need to find a job in China and I know that if I keep searching I will find it. I like being able to talk with Matthew about what I find. All I have now is the sound of cards filling across the screen as my dad plays spider solitaire on the TV. I think we will be going home soon though which is nice. I have a cold bed and a cold room waiting for me. I'm just wondering how long I'm going to make once all of the family arrives. My aunt, Carol will remain in a tissy as long as her kids are here it is a bummer for all of us that she gets so out of sorts when they come to visit. She cares for them but it seems like she doesn't know how to express it in a positive way.

BJ just came up and stuck his face in my face. He rubbed my nose. It is kind of terrifying at the same time it is kind of nice. I know that his history suggests that he might bight my nose off at any moment though. Poor kitty has a bad reputation. I have to say though that he has worked himself up to it and he kind of deserves it. Well I've said way more than I should and way less than I could.

Snowed in

This morning Matthew and I went for a walk around the block. It was hard work walking though almost a food of snow. I measured it and we have about 10 inches. That is a lot for Asheville. All the trees are covered in snow and it is like a winter wonderland.

Today I thought I would be able to get out. I was hoping that I wouldn't be able to though. Work called and asked if I could come in. I thought I would be able to get my car out but it was not happening. I tried for 45 minutes and it just wasn't happening. So I called and said that I couldn't come in. At which point I was ready for a day off. But no. One of my co workers lives by me and I cold ride in with her. So I walked to her place and it took us an hour and a half to get to work at which point I just wanted a nap and to go home. This is the point at which they told me I would end up staying the night. I would have been alright with that if I had been prepared to do so before I left me apartment but I was not ready to stay the night. I ended up working three hours and going home. I don't think they were happy with me at work but I needed a warning.

My car stuck in the snow. It looks much better all covered in snow.

I spent a nice afternoon with Matthew. We cooked sweet potatoes and kidney beans and nappy cabbage. I like Nappy cabbage much more than I would have imagined. It was a relaxing night. It started snowing again, a light flurry I can watch against the street light.

SNOW SNOW!!!

So it is snowing and snowing today. Work called me and told me that I didn't have to come as the event was canceled. I really enjoy the snow. Today it is big fluffy flacks. Matthew and I went for a walk outside and all the trees were covered in snow. It was a really pretty walk. On the walk we saw a crow it was dancing on the snow and when we walked up it flew away. It was really pretty when it flew away into the white of the snow.

So I can't really take a picture very well when I'm in it. It is the best I got though.

I didn't think we were going to get the 10 inches that they said we were going to but now it looks like we will get it. The snow on the porch outside is getting really deep. The pile on top of the table outside looks like an large snow angle food cake. I haven't seen this much snow in a long time. Erik was supposed to fly in today but all the flights into Asheville were canceled due to the weather. Asheville doesn't have the ability to deal with snow. The snow on the roof next door is starting to fall off and I can hear it falling off and thudding on the ground it is a sound I haven't heard since I lived in Michigan. When I lived there I didn't like the snow after the first snow but here I love the snow as I know that it will melt in no time at all. I guess when the sky and the ground are the same color for months it gets old but when it is only for a couple days it is exciting. Well I'm waiting for tomorrow to see how much we have. It's supposed to stop by the morning.

Amaryllis

These are pictures of my Amaryllis which I've been taking as it has been opening this post is going to be mostly pics. I am posting them from oldest to newest so that as you scroll down the page you can see the flower opening.

Amaryllis 12/8 just starting to peek out of the bud.

Amaryllis 12/9 just starting to open

Amaryllis 12/10 morning

Amaryllis 12/10 night

Amaryllis 12/11

Amaryllis 12/12

Amaryllis 12/12 different angle

Amaryllis 12/13

Amaryllis 12/14

Amaryllis 12/14 different angle

Amaryllis 12/15

Amaryllis 12/16

Rotary Assignment

Dear Annalisa,

We are pleased to inform you that the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) have approved your application for a 2010-11 Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarship and have assigned you to the study institution named below (Please note that the Trustees reserve the right to assign scholars to any study institution listed on their application or to another suitable institution):



ASSIGNED STUDY INSTITUTION: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore, Singapore


Sincerely,

Haruka Wada

Coordinator, Scholarships Program

Okay I edited the letter a little bit...But I'm going to SINGAPORE!!!

Osteopath

This morning I woke up with sore neck and a corresponding headache. I called up my mom and she gave me the osteopath's phone number. He is a friend of theirs. I got lucky and there was a cancellation and I was able to go today. I didn't think I would be able to drive as my head was really hurting me, so Matthew drove. I was amazed by how much him cracking my neck helped. I think that the combination of playing violin and working for Dining Innovations is stressing out my body and I'm not able to deal with it. As a result I end up getting a sore lower back and my neck cramps up on the left side and my head kills me. I just want to lay in bed and not move. When I left the osteopath's I didn't have a headache and I was feeling much better.

My violin lesson which I was going to skip was good, I learned how to play Summertime.I know a different version than my teacher so there are some differences in how it could be played. I really excited about the music I'm playing currently.

It was rainy all day and windy. Just before the sun set though it cleared up and the the sun was shining on the hill across from my balcony. The sky was still really dark and I could see clouds blowing back in. It is dark now and cloudy again. I have to say I'm grateful for the little bit of sun I did get to see today.