You can say that again ... but please don't

No commentary necessary.

Turns out I do have a snippet of commentary.

Even after what we've been put through by progressives in recent years, that Maxine Waters clip is worth it all. 

I do believe I'll go and watch it again.

This liberal will be all about ... uhhhh ... beh ... hmmmm ... urgh ... ahhh ... shhaaa ... the government running all of your companies.

Bela "The Fright" Pelosi is correct about one thing: We cannot continue down this catastrophic path.

And we won't.

Friendship's precious bounty

When I set out last Friday for East Tennessee, happy at the prospect of clapping eyeballs on my son again after so many months, I couldn't have guessed at the abundance of blessings -- in addition to that (obvious) one -- awaiting me.

As I wended my way north and west on I-26, navigating pretty awful traffic around Asheville where it tends to bottleneck until that breathless moment when your tires kiss the asphalt of I-40 and you head straight west, the day was beyond beautiful.

It's no secret: we get much less fall color in the Southeast than most areas of the country enjoy this time of year. Rule of thumb is, if it's dry and warm, the trees will be drab.

And believe me, it's still dry and warm. If it doesn't get cooler and moister soon, the leaves will skip their timid version of the pretty-color thing altogether and wither to brown, then begin dropping like flies.

The stragglers, stubborn hangers-on, generally give up and turn loose on a gusty day in December, leaving the branches bare and shivering, scraping a shy new-winter sky. 

I'll witness that inevitable occurrence while wrapping Christmas presents.

But at the higher elevations in North Carolina, especially in the Great Smokies east of the Tennessee border, it looks like full fall. Not at peak color yet -- that's still a week or so away -- but much closer to autumn.

On Friday there was an added dimension of a feisty and capricious wind cavorting through the mountains, darting playfully around the patient trees and in-a-hurry trucks and cars.

And that made for a bit of magic.

Because as we travelers tripped along in the gorgeous sunshine, the mountains draped in their calico quilts lush and mysterious before us, every so often with a great whooosh it was as if a giant had taken a ginormous breath, then blown it out from just beyond the treeline, sending a flurrious torrent of leaves bursting out, over, and onto the highway.

You know how a snow globe looks when you shake it like crazy? It was like driving in that ... except it wasn't snow but golden leaves. Shining leaves whirling and diving and pirouetting across our path in massive clouds of buttery sun-saturated autumnal energy.

And as my car sailed through this uninhibited display of glorious fall joyousness, the flirty leaves catching in my grille and practically disorienting me with their mad dance, I was filled with what turned out to be justifiable optimism.

I knew it would be great fun to see my son in person -- he who calls me several times each week, although he is almost ridiculously busy, and never fails to say "I love you, Mom" just before we say goodbye -- and also see my daughter Audrey and enjoy her hospitality, and reunite with many old friends.

But I couldn't have really known -- could I? -- the extent to which the kindly hearts of new friends would be knit to mine.

Because after the intense activity of a soccer weekend and a Sunday full of church and dinner and Starbucks and more church and fellowshipping and a spot of late-ish shopping, my planned Monday lunch with blogging buddy Donna and her husband, Jim, at their new home was beginning to look like a peaceful oasis in the desert.

I hoped it wasn't a mirage.

Turns out it was an oasis so lavish, so refreshing, so replete with delights, I didn't want to leave.

I wouldn't bore you for the world but I'm not sure I can say enough about the thoroughly wonderful tenor of our visit.

To begin with, Donna (she of Cottage Days and Journeys) is all that readers of her blog would expect her to be, and then some.

Unbelievably talented. Incredibly warm. Outrageously unassuming. She's sweet and tart and funny and emotive and engaging and open and kind and amazingly tenderhearted.

Her husband, Jim, is the same. Exactly the same. These two are a single heart beating in two bodies. Their love and respect for one another is palpable and it is a privilege to experience.

The pair of them manage to quite literally twinkle with happiness and bonhomie while being utterly devoid of the smug self-serving smarminess that sometimes plagues extra-fortunate people.

Jim and Donna have been blessed with an intelligence and industriousness and ingenuity that has resulted in exquisite material rewards.

Long live capitalism! The master and mistress of Grey Havens could be its deservedly-proud poster children.

Their house is not only new-construction fragrant and charmingly decorated and meticulously cared for; it is bright and welcoming and cozy-comfortable and -- like its owners -- wholly unpretentious.

It is stuffed with treasures, all of them meaningful. The creators and collectors of those precious objects tell of their provenance with more gratitude than pride. Their tales are lighthearted and love-filled, meant to inspire.

And they do.

I nearly fainted when I saw the lunch Jim had prepared for the three of us. Such a complex and yet simple, uber-tasty salad, with the most succulent planks of grilled chicken on top! Eaten in the kitchen, looking out the window at the woods, the occasional scampering squirrel offering sweet entertainment.

And such conversation! Laughter and shared ideals ... the very best combination in all the world.

Later Jim let me pretend to use his Nikon SLR and I about died of desire for such an instrument of my very own.

Someday.

We looked at pictures of the grizzly bears Jim and Donna went to see in British Columbia, and that was so much fun I nearly expired laughing.

(And that witty old Marty! He certainly puts the "it" back into rabbit. He's even coaxed me into the rabbit habit. Any critter who takes the time to put my name in lights blocks rates -- and has -- my complete and endless devotion.)

Donna gave me a detailed tour of the house and its cherished artifacts, and I had such a time examining every little thing. If you ever meet a more creative and multi-talented and organized lady than Donna, I would like to meet her too because that would be quite the phenomenon.

But the word I imagine I will always associate most with Jim and Donna is generous. They are unstinting in sharing of their time, their attention, their worldly goods, their many talents, and their sincere encouragement. 

Their generosity of spirit comes as naturally to them as breathing. I want to be more like that.

Believe it or not, there's more -- much more -- I could tell you. But I don't want to lay it on too thick.

Suffice it to say, like a sunshine-gilded wind-animated shower of bright yellow leaves in the mountains, a billowing cloud of blessings settled onto and around and over me when I met my new friends, Jim and Donna.

I hope everyone reading this is lucky enough to meet them someday.

Thank you, my dears! Thanks ever so. You know all the reasons why.

Wordless Wednesday: Tennesscenes

I blog from Starbucks

I just drank a four-dollar latte!

It was delicious and so was the slice of pumpkin bread that went with it.

I would post pictures but since I don't own a laptop I am on my daughter's machine and it's not a Mac and I'm just all discombobulated.

So, no pictures today. I was going to show you Andrew on the soccer field and Andrew in goal and Andrew walking to the car with his dad after his team lost the game.

I was going to show you Javier chilling on the couch at Audrey's house, and how pretty Audrey looked on Saturday at the soccer match.

I planned to show you Andrew and his friend, Allie, sitting over here across from me, playing on their iPhones and drinking smoothies.

I thought I might show you TG sitting beside me, reading. He's drinking some kind of iced tea concoction with passion in its name. It's red.

But due to technical difficulties I cannot accomplish that so I will just say hello!

I hope you're having a pleasant Sunday.

Here in Knoxville it is sunny and very warm.

For lunch today we had homemade barbecue and potato salad and a few other sides.

My barbecue is Andrew's favorite.

What you do is, you buy yourself a nice plump pork loin. I use close to five pounds when I make this recipe.

Cut the loin into medallions a few inches thick and put those puppies into a crock pot.

Liberally coat the meat with Worcestershire sauce and creole seasoning.

Turn the crock pot to high and let the meat cook for about five hours, or until it's falling apart. I cooked mine during the night last night.

When the pork is fork-tender you turn off the crock pot and set the meat aside on a plate to cool.

Pour out the cooking juice but don't wash the crock pot. Keep it plugged in.

When the pork has assumed room temperature, pull it into shreds, removing all the fat, and put the shredded meat back into the crock pot.

This part is fun. You get out your bottle of ketchup, a bottle of store-bought barbecue sauce (your favorite kind will do but I like thick and spicy), a bottle of Tabasco, a bottle of yellow mustard, and some dark brown sugar.

On top of the pork in the crock pot just shake, shake, shake that Tabasco bottle until you have dispensed the amount you like.

We like a lot. In South Carolina it's the vinegary heat that makes our barbecue so sensational. Or maybe it's just me, because my mama and daddy were from Louisiana.

At any rate, next you squeeze in a bunch of ketchup, some mustard, and at least half the bottle of barbecue sauce.

Toss in some brown sugar. More if you like sweeter barbecue; less if you don't.

You don't measure anything. You eyeball it. It's easier that way. It's almost impossible to make a mistake.

Then you stir, stir, stir it all up and let it heat on low for a few hours until ready to serve.

Mine did that while we were at church this morning.

The result is good, y'all. Almost unbelievably good, to have taken so little skill to prepare.

Easy barbecue. I think your family will like it.

Mine eat it like all tomorrows have dropped from all calendars in the whole world.

And now it appears the patient members of my faithful entourage are getting restless so I bid you adieu.

Happy Sunday!

SkyWatch Friday: Autumn Rain

After a beautiful day today with a high in the 70s and very low humidity, toward late afternoon there was a rumble of thunder.

The sky was lowering ominously over our house just before the rain began at 5:18 pm ...

By 6:25, rain over, the sky had begun to show off ...

By 6:48, all that remained was charcoal and tender pink.

I love Autumn ... especially its skies.

Happy Friday!