Winter and back in NC

Cross Country Skiing on Roan Mountain

My Family and the igloo

This trip was a nice break from the monotony of Singapore weather, hot, humid, and rainy. It was also really good to be with family over the holiday. And I got my wish for SNOW! I always forget how much fun snow is. I spent lots of time outside just laying and watching the snow fall. I also left right in the middle of a snow storm.

Birthday and Acceptance

So I had a pretty good birthday, Mallory and Josh, her boyfriend, Matthew all came the night before and then on my birthday we went rafting down the river even though it was pretty cold. There was just enough sun to make it warm and not really cold.

Today I checked my email and I was accepted at Nanyang Technological University. They tell me I should wait until I get a letter from them with all the details. I looked online and it said that I had been accepted but it didn't say anything about what I should do if I wanted to accept.

I'm still waiting to hear back from Tallinn University in Estonia, I have have an interview on May 5th. I wasn't accepting to be excepted at NTU. Now I may have a choice and that may be harder than if I had been just accepted to one school.

Leaving for China

Tomorrow morning bright and early Matthew and I are heading to the airport for our flight. I'm all packed and I'm starting to feel like 'was it really my idea to go to China for five months?' I'm not sure it was such a good idea now. I know once I get there I will be really happy to be there and it will be really fun. The last couple of days I've spent saying goodbye to people and packing and cleaning my room from the move back home. It has been hard and yesterday I wasn't sure I was going to get it all done. Today I'm feeling better about that aspect but I'm worried about what's going to happen when I get to China. Everyone I know or have talked to who has been to China have had a wonderful time. Saying goodbye makes it really hard to go. I went over to Papa's, my grandfather, today before I left so that I could say good bye when he was really awake. I told him today if he didn't go south, he doesn't like the cold weather, I'd see him when I get back in June. I really don't know if I will though. That is the hard part about going. I just don't know if I'll see him again or not. The time I have spent with him since he has been back in North Carolina has meant so much to me. There are so many things I didn't know about my grandfather and know that I know him better I'm really going to miss him.

Last night it really started snowing so by the time my parents, Jonpaul and I got back from Papa's it was getting think enough it looked like it might be difficult to get to the airport today. This morning I had to get last minute papers for my Rotary scholarship and graduate school application ready. We took Ruff for his walk around the property in the snow. It was nice to get out one last time in the snow.

When my parents and I left they still hadn't plowed the road we live on. When we got to the main road it was pretty much okay. Getting to Matthew's dad's was a bit dicey as his road wasn't plowed and it was icy. Dad made it though. On the way out we had to get out the kitty litter and spread that so we could get traction. We stopped and had a nice dinner at a Japanese place. It was way to much food but it was good. We did make it to the hotel we are staying at for the night. I'm glad we decided not to try and drive it tomorrow morning that would have been questionable as it is supposed to be cold tonight. I just hope that our flight isn't delayed tomorrow morning.

Matthew running to catch up with the car after we got going again.

Moving

Today I finally got moved out of the apartment. I moved out most of my stuff on Monday and Tuesday we moved large stuff of Matthew's. Wednesday we moved small stuff of Matthew's. Thursday we packed up everything else and on Friday we had the walk through. It was a long week. I'm just glad the moving part of it is mostly over. I really liked our apartment but I keep telling myself about all the things I didn't like so I won't be sad about leaving it. Like the paint job, it was horrible. The heating system. The radiators really liked to talk, and not quietly they liked to be heard and mostly in the middle of the night when I wanted to be sleeping. The water pressure was not so good it took about five minutes for the hot water to get to the top floor. That was a pain if you wanted to be fast. The main thing now is getting my room at home organized so it doesn't look like a disaster zone when I leave.

My lovely living room

Thursday I went to the last Rotary meeting I will be going to before I leave. It was good to go and I think that with time I could really get to understand the club. It is hard as most of the members are older men. They don't really know what to think of me, a young woman, and I don't know what to think of them. We are so different. They do have a song which they sing before the meeting starts. That is fun. This week that a song called "Rotary, Rotary" sung to the tune of Edelweiss. I enjoy this part as it reminds me of the Arthur Morgan School, which was the middle school I attended. I think that I have everything ready with my sponsor for my trip to China so that he doesn't get worried about me being gone. At least I sure hope I have everything ready. I need to be ready.

My Bedroom which is no more

Tonight I went to my grandfather's with my parents. It was a nice meal. Papa was more together and it was good to talk with him and actually not have to guess at what he was saying. I'm not very good at guessing as he is often random or it has to do with the Westerns he is watching. I don't really like the Westerns and thus miss what he is referring to sometimes. He knows that I'm leaving and he keeps asking if I'll be back. He says "Is this the last time I'll see you?" He doesn't think he will live until I get back. It is so hard to say if he will or not. One day I think he will and the next I think that he won't. I know that in some ways he really doesn't want to live that long and in others he does. I do realize though that when I leave for China I will be saying Good-bye for the last time most likely.

Hair Cut

So I just started feeling like my hair was too long. It has been taking me 10 to 15 minutes to brush. I don't have time to sit there and go through the pain, yes sometimes it hurts, of getting the knots out. My mom cut 10-11 inches off and I thought it was going to be really short but it isn't as short as I thought it would be. I think that because it is really dry it isn't curling as much as normal. It is about shoulder length now and I have to say I really like it. The real reason for cutting my hair on such short notice was because I was getting my visa and I wanted my picture to have hair similar to what it was going to be like in China. I was planning on getting it cut once I got there but I just sped up the process a little.

I went home after I was at the Rotary orientation. It was nice to go. The pond was frozen so we went skating. I haven't been skating on our pond since I was little. I think it was about 10 years ago. I don't really remember though. I thought I was really going to take a face plant or do something stupid like lean back and fall but it came back pretty fast. The ice wasn't that smooth around some of the edges but it was still nice. I forgot how skating can be a work out and even on our little pond it was more than I had anticipated. It was really fun skating. We skated in the morning and it was nice to be able to see what was what. Last night when we were skating I had a slight collision with a branch over hanging the pond.

Me skating on the pond a.k.a. walking on water

Tonight was the holiday party at work. I didn't expect to have a good time but I did. It was nice to see everyone out of uniform and to get to know them better. I guess for me it was a little late as my last day at work is Sunday the 17th. A week from today. I'm pretty excited about going to China.

New Year

Unfortunately, I have a cold and didn't feel great. I had to work on the 31st. I got off before midnight. I was exhausted even though they gave me zipfizz. It did help me stay awake, but by the time I worked 9 hours I was ready to go home and go to bed. The event at work had red roses which they used petals on the tables. They had left over Roses so I got to take some home. They are really pretty. I stayed up until 12 said Happy New Year to Matthew and went to sleep. So much for excitement.

Today I went and saw Avatar with my family. It was a much better movie than I had anticipated. I really enjoyed it. We saw the 3-D version. My brothers thought it was like a longer non animated version of Princess Monenoke. After some thought I agree with them. Before the Movie mom and I went and looked at suit cases for me and sheets for her. We were shocked by the price at JC Penny's. $250 for a suit case with not many extras. We ended up going to TJ Maxx and finding everything we needed. I got a pretty blue rolling suit case for the trip to China and my scholarship with Rotary. Side note Matthew and I gave notice for our apartment. We are moving out on the 25th. Hence the suit case for the trip to China. We have been looking for jobs in Kunming without much luck so far.

After the movie we all went to Zen Sushi the Japanese place by The Hop, ice cream, and Urban Burrito. It was a good choice for us as we had a snack before the movie.

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.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was at my grandfather's in Spruce Pine this year. It was odd not being at my parents house. With my grandfather back in North Carolina we are spending much more time with him. It is hard sometimes to spend time with him as he is not really as aware of his surroundings as he used to be. Sometimes though he notices things that no one would notice. Yesterday he asked why we were all wearing socks and not our shoes? In not as many words. Why would he notice something like that and not so many other things. Sometimes I think that it would almost be better if I wasn't there as I look like my grandmother. Particularly with my hair long as I wear it in a bun and that is how she wore her hair.

The dinner/lunch was good. We cooked way to much food. Well, I should say, my parents cooked way to much food. I'm not complaining though. As always I ate way to much. After lunch Ruff, who we brought along, wanted to go for a walk so Jonpaul, Tadayoshi and I walked him down the driveway. Tadayoshi, my cousin, arrived late to the lunch. Currently he has not figured out how to be polite or make himself pleasant company. Everything is about him. I wouldn't mind if he was more interesting but he is the typical college student. It was so cold outside we didn't walk far as we really needed more layers.

The Mushroom on the tree

Mom and dad thought it would be nice to hike some of the trails that are by my grandparents. Carol joined us which was nice. We walked one that goes to the Spruce Pine mineral museum. It was really chilly and we had to borrow coats from the house. I wore a jacket of my grandmothers and Jonpaul got a coat of Papa's. That really helped make the hike pleasant. A little way down the trail we saw a mushroom hanging from a tree. It was like little tendrils growing down. We made it to the end of the trail and decided that we would like to get warm so we walked back on the Parkway as it was faster than wandering through the woods. When we got back everyone headed home except for my family. We stayed for dinner with Papa as it was our night to stay with him. Mom, Jonpaul, and I went home after dinner. When we got home it was snowing. The first snow which I've seen this year. It didn't last very long or stick to the ground. Mom and I worked on drilling my books and getting them ready to photograph.

Hawk's Bill

Matthew and I came up to Bakersville last night. We had dinner at my Grandfather's as my parents are caregivers some nights of the week. It was really foggy when we were driving. I probably should have followed the advice of the sign for the Parkway and used a different route but I didn't. I thought that it wouldn't get any worse but when we were leaving it was even more foggy than when we arrived.

Today mom headed over to Papa's in the morning and Jonpaul and dad went to get Jonpaul his driver's license. He got it. My little brother has his driver's license.

At noon we set out on the Parkway for Hawk's Bill. It was really sunny and as we were driving I could see Hawk's Bill from the overlooks and it looked sunny and nice but right before we got to the road that goes up we drove into the clouds. The clouds were really cool. On one side it was cloudy and the other side was sunny. We hiked up in the clouds and when we got to the top the clouds were blowing over the top. We sat and watched the clouds blowing over. I always thought it would feel wet against my skin. It didn't. I could see the cloud coming at us like a solid object and then I was inside it, breathing in the chilly air. I'm upset that my camera was in the car with dead batteries but that is what happens when you have old rechargeable batteries that don't stay charged. My brother and dad took pictures on their cell phones so maybe I'll get some of them.

Clouds blowing over the top of Hawk's Bill

It was a nice hike and it was nice getting out with my family although hiking up made me realize just how lazy I've been recently. I need to get out hiking more and not spend as much time sleeping after work. The early mornings really wear me out and I don't go out and do as much as I would like to. After the hike I was really tired and couldn't do much more than sit in the kitchen and drink hot cider.

Firethorn

I have been drawn into the world of fiction, my thoughts over flow with the story. I just finished reading Firethorn by Sarah Micklem. The world was different and yet similar to enough that I could imagine visiting and seeing the plants I read about. I am a reader drawn in from the first word and I follow every step not questioning even though the text may stumble and if I do question it is more for myself my desire to know more, to become the character which I am reading. Firethorn was easy to love even though she was a tough person in the book. I read and read and still I want the book to continue as the end wasn't really an ending. I have the next book and am waiting to pick it up, yet I want the first book to continue I'm not ready for a second yet. I have to wait for the story to drift out of my mind and stop pestering me before I start the next book.

Firethorn is light fantasy. Not the fantasy where you have to try and believe in dragons and time travel, which I have nothing against. I like this kind of fantasy because it is easy to read without questions. Firethorn the main character in the book has been given a gifts by the god of fire, Ardor, after she survives eating the fruit of the firethorn. When she returns from her time in the Kingswood she finds that the kingdom is going to war, and when the troops come through the town she is spotted for her red hair by one of the Blood, descendant of the Gods, and he takes her for his lover, but instead of leaving her in the town he takes her with him. Most of the novel takes place on the Marchfield while they are waiting to go to war across the sea. As there is little physical movement and they never get to war in the story, the book could have easily dragged but it didn't. I did start to feel impatient and want them to leave for war but I never was sorry as the more I read the more I got to know the characters and the more I want to read the next in the series, Wildfire. I have to say that I was really drawn to the cover of Wildfire and would probably not have read Firethorn if I hadn't realized it was a series. I am not sorry that I did though and would recommend the novel. I do think it will appeal more to female readers as it is in first person and Firethorn is not a female character who would easily be liked by male readers.

Saturday I went to the library and picked out books and then I started reading. Sunday it was rainy so I read, I took a break and went to a movie with my parents, we saw Julie and Julia, I really enjoyed the movie. It made me wish I was eating good French food instead of the pizza I had in front of me. Brew and View theater was cold and even though I had hot chocolate my nose and feet were freezing by the time the movie was over. After the movie Mom, Dad, Jonpaul, and I went and got way to much desert at Greenlife. It was good. I needed a break from reading and it was good to see my family.

Today even though it wasn't raining it was gray out and it seems as though winter is really coming and the snow will soon follow. I'm like a little child waiting for the first snow to fall so I can stand glued to the window and watch the flakes fall, like it is the first snow I've seen. It hasn't come yet but the air smells different and I can feel it coming. I'm waiting.

Rotary Club Meeting

Thursday at noon in a town near you the Rotary Club is meeting. I didn't prepare nearly as much as I should have for giving a small speech about myself. I know, who knows me better than I do? In some ways I'm sure this is true but sometimes I feel like maybe there are people who know me as well as I know myself. My mom knows me pretty well and she probably could have done a good job giving the speech in my place, we all know she has more public speaking skills than me.
The fence at my Grandparents house. This fence has many memories from my childhood.

Before I went into the Rotary meeting in Spruce Pine, my sponsor club, I meet my mom at Granny and Papa's. We went and got cider at Alta Pass Orchard. Their cider used to be pretty bad but both my mom and I had heard that they were getting their cider pressed by Saylors Orchard which is the orchard in Bakersville. Saylors has really good cider and so mom and I took a chance and spent twice as much and got a 1/2 gallon. Lucky for us it was Saylor's cider. And if it wasn't then Alta Pass has gotten much better at pressing cider.

My speech and at the club went well. I probably rambled a bit. I tried to make a ruff outline before I went in to speak, but I forgot some of what was on it. I guess that is the way it goes.

After that was over I went back over and helped my mom prepare more for getting my grandfather back to NC. She is interviewing all of the people who I called last week. I felt like I called millions of people even though it was only 38 or so, from a list the hospital provides.

Matthew and I went to our Chinese lesson. Again I feel behind, Matthew is way ahead of me. I am trying to keep up but it is hard. Maybe by next week I'll get as much as him.

Movie

This morning Erik went off to an orthodontist appointment and I stayed and walked ruff with mom and dad. Jonpaul went back to school yesterday.

Erik and I meet in Asheville. He wants to look at cameras. We didn't end up finding the one he was most interested in but we did see that there are some nice cameras. It is good for me to see them as well because I'm looking to get one for when I go to China. The camera I have now is nice but it is really picky about batteries. It takes AA but sometimes the new batteries I get at the store don't work and the rechargeable batteries I have don't last very long. It is really a pain. I don't like it at all when I'm having to think about whether or not my camera is going to turn on when I want it to. I've missed a lot of good pictures because the batteries were dead.

After we got done looking at all the stores that had cameras we thought it would be nice to go to a movie. Mom and Dad came into Asheville as well and Matthew joined us too. We all went to dinner at Doc Che's. We went and saw "The Invention of Lying". It had a good combination of serious and funny to make it a good movie.

Home In Bakersville

This weekend my brothers and I were all home in Bakersville. It is the first time we have all been at home in a while. With Erik on the west coast we don't see much of him. I only live an hour from home so I come home much more than my brothers. It was nice to all be home. I stayed in Asheville last night as I was working until late and didn't want to drive an hour. I did make it for breakfast this morning which was my goal. Mom and Dad cooked crepes a favorite of ours since we were kids.

Black Mountains with a cloud cover

After much indecision we finally decided to go on a hike off the Parkway. As it was really cold we wanted a hike that wouldn't be to cold. It was a pretty hike. There was snow on the mountain tops as we drove out and a little on the leaves that hadn't melted yet. It was really cold and windy exactly what we had wanted to avoid. I had left my polar fleece in Asheville as I ran out the door so I didn't really have a good warm jacket. When we were hiking on the ridge top or the windward side it was painfully cold. Out of the wind it was almost warm. It was a really nice hike, with the leaves turning and all the fall color. While we were hiking mom tried to lead us down a trail that did not exist. It was really pretty funny all of us following this idea of a trail until there really was no trail. There were green brier and lots of laurels which were blocking the supposed trail. It was exciting to tromp through the woods.

Dad, Jonpaul, Mom, and Erik on the trail

Mom's Trail

After the hike we went back to the house and cooked dinner. Ruff was really happy to see us. He needs his people around.

After

Jonpaul went back to Math and Science today. Gorden and friend was going that direction anyway so he was able to take Jonpaul which was really good.

Yesterday Mom called from Florida and said that Granny was not going to make it more than another day. I sent an email down to be read to her. She really liked hearing what the family was doing.

She died today.

I went and laid in the hammock with Matthew afterward. My grandmother was a very amazing woman. She was in Pearl Harbor when it was bombed, but didn't really ever talk about it. There are so many things which she never told us but there are many things which she shared with us. I have her violin which made it possible for me to fulfill a dream I've had of playing since I was five. I only started playing last year. There are many things in my life which I am not aware of now which I am sure I will later thank my grandmother for teaching me.

Back from the Beach in No Time

Matthew and I drove down to the beach and his mom's on Friday. We got there in time for dinner. After dinner I practiced violin. Erik called me and told me he was going to have dinner with Brian Greene, who is the only physicist who I have been able to read and understand. I got really interested in string theory after reading his book The Elegant Universe.

Me at the Beach

It was really warm at the beach and after a sleepless night for Matthew, who was worried about his dad, we went to the beach. It was warm enough to go swimming which was nice. We walked on the beach and watched the kite surfers. When we were leaving the beach Matthew got a call and we packed up and headed to Durham to go and be with Matthew's Dad. We packed up at Matthew's Mom's and jumped in the car. I was driving and about an hour into the trip I get a phone call and I don't recognize the number but I answer it anyway. "Hi, is this Annalisa?" "Yes." "This is Math and Science calling and your brother is running a fever can you come and get him? We heard your parents were out of town." "Yes." The one good thing was I was already on my way to Durham where Math and Science is. So when we got to the hospital I dropped off Matthew and went and got my brother and brought him back to Bakersville. At 1 in the morning we went to the hospital to get a flu test which was negative so we just had to wait until his fever went down. He has to be fever free for 24 hours before I can take him back.

Sunday he was still sick so I went out and got stuff for us to eat and Gatorade. Ruff was very bossy and wanted lots of attention. Today it seemed like he was better but then when I got back to Asheville, Tom our uncle is staying with him, he had a fever again. I have to work tomorrow so I needed to come back to Asheville tonight so that I could get to work at 6 in the morning. It is really cold here as the heat isn't on yet.

Art, Mandarin, and Packing

Today was mom and dad's opening at Blue Spiral. Matthew and I invited them over for dinner. I don't know what I was thinking not cleaning up the apartment until the last minute and then having to pack to head down to Matthew's mom's tomorrow.

I slept in so that was a late start to the day. Matthew made biscuits, bacon, and eggs for me. It was great. We watched Gilmore Girls with breakfast. I really like the show. After breakfast we went for a walk. It was cool but in the sun it was pretty warm. When we got back we opened all the windows to try and warm it up in the apartment. It was much warmer outside than inside.

For lunch we went to Urban Burrito. I still miss Rio Burrito, but when you want a burrito you take what you can get. We did some shopping. So by the time we got back to the apartment I had to rush and get everything ready to cook and then get dressed for the show at Blue Spiral. That basically meant taking off the flour covered shirt and putting on a different one. The show was interesting and didn't seem to have a coherent theme to me. We couldn't stay long as Matthew and I had a Mandarin lesson. It was our third lesson. I found someone who taught Mandarin on Craigslist. I have to say I really think it is a good thing we are having lessons before we go otherwise I don't know how we would get on.

When we got back to the apartment I cooked the chicken pot pie the rest of the way and was going to start on an apple cake when mom and dad got here. We made the cake together, mom and I, and it was like I was a kid again and she was helping me learn to cook. We used to bake a lot together. It was really fun. Particularly eating the sugar and butter without the egg. I'm surprised I never got sick. The food turned out good and it was really fun. I'm glad we had them over.

After they left Matthew and I packed for going down to Wilmington for the weekend. I packed like I was going to be gone for much longer than I am. I for once have more stuff than Matthew but that is mostly because I have my violin and that adds a lot. I think I will be glad to have it though.

Dahlias

My mom's garden is beautiful right now. But anytime this week we could get a frost and that will be the end of all of her flowers. Today I picked a bunch before I went back to Asheville so that I would have some.

Mom and Ruff in the Dahlias

Jonpaul was home this weekend so I got up early on Sunday morning and headed over to Bakersville. It was good to see Jonpaul. Ruff ran up from the basement, where mom and Jonpaul were when I got there, and whined a greeting to me. He has gained a little weight with the dog sitters while my parents have been in Florida. Poor boy is going to go on a diet again. He really hates them. He thinks love is food. Mom and Jonpaul were bringing in all of the plants from outside. My brothers have a jungle they have created, which in the winter moves into the basement.

Mom in the Dahlias

At lunch I went out and saw Midnight, my kitten. She's not a kitten, she is 10 or 11 but she still sounds like a kitten. She is not eating and we think maybe it is her teeth.

The Creek Walk Art Festival was going on so we went down there and checked it out. There was some good stuff but not all of it was great art. Ruff wasn't allowed in the Festival so while my parents and Jonpaul checked out the art work Ruff and I walked down to the Bakersville Fire Department. Along the creek there were some really good holes in the dirt and Ruff stuck his head in them and was sucking in air and puffing it out. It is pretty funny. I think that if I ever found a smell that made me want to do that I would there for hours. He makes the smell seem so wonderful. When I got back dad took Ruff to the car so we could all walk around some together. We all shared a Funnel Cake. Mom and Dad had never had Funnel cake before. I don't think they realize what they were missing. Mom's comment was "it's like a big doughnut." Well what can I say it is fried dough. But oh so good.

We had baked chicken for dinner at Jonpaul's request. It was good. I ate more than I should have.

Monday Carol, Earle, and Tom came over for lunch. It was a good lunch. It was very pleasant as communication between siblings was actually functioning. I had to leave to get back to Asheville for work. I almost didn't make it back in time to stop at home (the apartment) and drop off all of my stuff. The construction coming down the mountain is not only ugly but it is also slowing things way down so it takes much longer to get places.

The construction coming down the mountain on the drive from Bakersville to Asheville.

At work I closed for the night by myself. It was not the most pleasant thing. I was lonely. But I wasn't there that long so that was nice. I had an early night with time to do stuff after.

Mom's Potluck

I went home this weekend to see Jonpaul who was home from Science and Math for the first time since he went off to school. When I got home it seemed like there was no one there. As it turns out they were still getting up. Jonpaul didn't arrive down in the studio until much later when I was stuck up to my elbows in alginate. My parents are on the panic for a show at Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville and SOFA (Sculptural Objects Functional Art) Chicago because they are thinking they may end up spending more time in Florida with my Grandparents.

Just about the time I was starting to think that it would be a good time to take a nap my mom started preparing to go to a potluck. This potluck she tells me is very important for me because of receiving the Rotary Scholarship. This means that I have to meet and talk with many people who are just thrilled that I am going to have a Rotary Scholarship. What they don't really care about is the fact that I'm going to Grad school which is what I'm really excited about. I know that the other part of the scholarship is really important and will help me set up contacts who will be able to set me up with jobs later, but that can only happen if I do well in Grad school. I did meet someone who had also received the scholarship and it was good to talk with her and see what she had to say about her experiences. She said that the scholarship did not cover as much of her time abroad as she would have thought. I had already expected that the scholarship would not cover as much of my trip as I would have liked.

Jonpaul was not happy about being at the potluck for as long as we were. He slept in a chair, we brought for dad, most of the time we were there. He was trying to catch up on sleep he didn't get at Science and Math. When we got back, dad charged the furnace (means added batch, the dry mixture which when heated creates glass, to the furnace, which melts the glass and keeps it hot enough to be hot worked and blown). We watched I Capture the Castle which I really liked. It was funny and sad at the same time. I thought it was really well done. It was about a family that moves into a castle because the father, a writer, thinks that he will be inspired by the castle. He isn't, and the family falls into poverty as a result of the lack of income.

Douglas Falls

Today I went hiking with Matthew and my parents. We ended up going to Douglas Falls which was only about 1/2 mile hike but then there was a trail which went all the way up to the parkway. We didn't hike all of it but we hiked up to a second waterfall called Cascade Falls which made the hike about 4 miles total. Near the beginning of the trail there was a fallen tree. The roots were still holding on to rocks and dirt. Some plants had sprouted in the dirt but they were still very small. The roots made a really pretty pattern. I thought I had never been to Douglas Falls before but when we got to the falls I realized that not only had I been there but it was the background I use on my phone. I was there with Mallory about 3 years ago. It is a small waterfall but it is really pretty.

(Right) Me under Douglas Falls (Left) Douglas Falls

It took us a while to find the trail up from the falls. In the process mom got stung by stinging nettle. First it hurts and then it itches for a while but luckily it doesn't last very long. There was lots and lots of stinging nettle on the trail. Sometimes it grew over the trail so that we had to push it out of the way to get through. That is when I got stung. It got me in the butt because my pants were thin and couldn't keep the needles out. Up above the falls there are these rocks one of which looks a little like the front of a ship. That is the comparison my dad made anyway. The rock plowed through the earth sending up billows of dirt until it came to rest. There was a tree growing up from the other rock. It was really cool to see the tree perched on the edge of the rock. We took our time hiking which was nice. We stopped along the trail and ate lunch. Hummus, cheese spread, bread, cookies, and carrots. It was not a special lunch but it was good. I was pretty hungry by the time we finally stopped. We crossed many creeks and mom tried to take me swimming with her in one of the creeks. Luckily it wasn't Cascade Falls because it would have hurt to fall down. It wasn't a complete drop off but it did go down pretty steep and it was rock the entire way. It was really cool in the woods, so we didn't get sweaty which was nice. There were clouds most of the day, but it didn't rain on us.

Cascade Falls

When we got back to the car we had a snack. At the trail head there was a pile of burnt parts to either a car or a camper. It would have been a real drag to have your vehicle burn all the way out there. We had to drive 20 minutes on a gravel road to get to the trail head which was the end of the road. We couldn't decide what it was from what was left. On the drive back we stopped at one of the waterfalls on the road it was almost as nice as Douglas falls. It didn't fall as far but it was multiple cascades. When we got back to the main road I noticed that there were squash fields. I had never seen a place where they farm yellow squash.

(Left) Waterfall by the road. (Right) Roots from fallen tree near the beginning of the trail.

When Matthew and I got back to our apartment it really started raining and I was making quiche. I didn't have any cream, though, so we got our umbrellas and walked to the little corner store. It was nice walking in the rain. Most of the time I don't like getting wet but it was refreshing. As I had never made a quiche before I was surprised at how good it was. Matthew and I watched In the Mood for Love. It is a Cantonese film. I liked it but I feel like I missed a lot of the subtext. I think to really understand it I would have to understand Cantonese and watch it more than once.