Friday, May 13, 2011

Still In Asheville But Back On Blogger


So, wow, Blogger. Huh. That was weird.

But here we all are again, and isn't that lovely?

So yes, we are still in Asheville and I think I have drunk enough of the water (which, by the way, is delicious water, some of the best I've ever tasted) to now be cool enough to walk the streets. Not in a street-walker sort of way, you know, but just in a taking-up-space-on-the-sidewalk sort of way.
Phew.
I'm wearing my overalls and a shirt and no bra today. Seriously. I am. I even went out in public like that. You know why? Because in Asheville, people wear EVERY KIND OF OUTFIT and it all just seems to fit into the category of personal expression and so what?

Boy, am I glad I figured that out because wearing that bra every day was about to kill me.

All right. First I'll talk about going up the mountain to meet Vergil's mama. And his grandmama and his aunt and his sister and his brother-in-law. We went and had iced tea and smoked salmon on crackers first with his grandmother who lives in the coolest log-cabin house you ever want to see. And it was where Vergil spent a lot of time as a child and and so it was very nice to get a peek at that part of the whole. So very nice to see how much he loves his grandmother and she him and to think that I'll have some sort of place in Owen's life like that. And his grandmother was just as cool and sparky and lovely as you'd expect.

Then we went even farther up the mountain to Vergil's mother's house. I did not take my camera. That just seemed rude. I wish I had, though, because it's so beautiful. A little stream runs right by the house and there's a waterfall, making liquid music all the time and giant ferns and apple trees and cherry trees and hostas with leaves the size of elephant ears and flowers I do not know the names of and chickens, too. Yes, chickens. And a donkey and horses and a garden where we picked part of our dinner and we ate out on the porch with the cool breeze blowing and these are some seriously nice people, y'all.
Seriously.
And Vergil's mother and his aunt are so beautiful that I kept finding myself staring at them and then I'd look away, realizing I was staring but I couldn't help it. Perfectly beautiful women. Strong-looking and with perfect skin and both looked just so very capable. Vergil's mother's hands - well, if I were a painter, I would pay big money to paint those hands. They look like they can do anything from change a baby to build a house to repair a car engine to plant a garden to dye her own fabrics to create her own art to making pottery, to playing cello.
Oh wait.
Those hands CAN do all of that.
And they made us a supper of quiches with spinach and morels and their own chicken eggs and a delicious crust she rolled out herself. Also salad from the garden, perfect, and asparagus from the garden and roasted sliced root vegetables and I made a pig of myself.
A pig. I swear.
I couldn't help it.

So yes, I am still intimidated but it's okay. I'd be a fool not to be.

And I loved Vergil's sister who teaches school and her husband who is some sort of computer geek and every one was so pretty and smiled a lot and were so welcoming. Vergil's mama and I and grandmama talked about our birth stories and I loved Grandma's. She told about having her twins and she kept telling the doctor that she thought she was carrying twins but he didn't believe her until she delivered the first one and then the second one started to be born. Haha! She's still laughing about that.

This morning Jessie and I went to the laundromat and washed some clothes and we walked down the road and had coffee and bought magazines and that was even fun. Then we went back to the Hippy Grocery and I didn't feel intimidated at all this time. Hell. Why should I?
I've seen organic produce before. Okay, I've never bought a half gallon of local beer in a jug before, but I'm learning. I'm learning.

And then Vergil's cousin and his wife came by with their two-year old daughter and the six-month old baby that the cousin's wife nannies and I felt so at home. I cuddled up that baby-doll baby who was as tiny as a mouse and talked to the mama who is expecting her next child and what a sweet family! I'm so glad that Jessie has fallen into the laps of these good people. Vergil's cousin just graduated from nursing school last night and he brought her a list of all the nursing directors at the local hospital.

Yes. It's all been so sweet.

Yesterday Jessie and I visited the Screen Door that Syd told us about (thanks, Syd!) and we had a wonderful time walking through there and we found the hospice thrift store right next door and that was a treat, too.
Here I am, pointing out a dresser that we're thinking might go well in her kitchen:

And here's a bird's nest fern that we bought at Lowe's, sitting on a shelf in the kitchen:

Here are Jessie and Vergil, dancing in the living room last night:

And here's a glimpse of what became the family bed at the Best Western last night when we got back from the mountain:

No, they didn't sleep with us. I put my foot down and said, "NO!"
Okay, if they'd really wanted to I would have said, well, NO!"

And here's what the living room is looking like today with white trim:

Vast improvement. Mr. Moon is such a good painter.


So here we are, almost caught up, and there's talk of going to an auction tonight and I personally want to go back downtown and eat supper in another one of those cool restaurants. Now that I'm all cool and shit.

The birds are chirping, I can see the peonies blooming next door, I can see Mr. Moon painting, I can see the bird's nest fern, Vergil is doing some work-work on his computer, Jessie is putting up lights and trying to organize clothes and I guess I'll wash the dishes from lunch.

I'm still so glad to be here but I sure do miss my home. And Owen, yes, I miss Owen and all my other kids. I've talked to Hank today and also to Lily and May. Hank and May baby-sat for Owen yesterday so they had plenty of Owen-stories to tell me. And I talked to Kathleen and she sounded wonderful. Tomorrow we'll be driving home and I can say that yes, I've been to Asheville and that I was cool enough to visit.
Probably not to live, but to visit.
I realized yesterday that I really like being a big ol' hippy in a little bitty redneck pond in Florida. Here in Asheville I'm just one more old gray-haired hippy grandmother. And not as cool-looking as they are, either, but shitfire, y'all.
I'm just expressing myself here in my overalls. My inner essence. I'm sure it has something to do with ancient knowledge.

Ah, the painters are laughing and I'm happy.

Yes. I am happy.

Go figure.

Must be the water. And in a few hours, it'll be the tasty beer.

Happy Friday, y'all.

Love...Ms. Moon

18 comments:

  1. Oh Ms. Moon, I love your inner essence to bits. That is one amazingly painted room and indeed a huge improvement. I love that Jessie seems to be in good hands, and that the love positively shines out of that post of yours.

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  2. Asheville sounds like San Francisco ! enjoy as much as you can ! but perhaps both you and I prefer being in places where we are something special and not so "normal" as in Asheville or in San Francisco, but anyway enjoy where-ever you are, as always warm overall greetings from Niels

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  3. Asheville sounds like a parallel universe that I would very much like to visit.

    Blogger can suck it.

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  4. Happy Friday to you too. Love the post and the pictures, and interesting that you talk about Asheville because we were watching a show where the town was featured and it seemed like a nice little place. I would love to visit it someday. Maybe after I win the lottery.

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  5. You are too cool. And you would fit in anywhere. Take care. I feel better today. All will be okay.

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  6. Ah, my day just didn't feel complete with all of the blogger being down crap going on.

    I hope tomorrow isn't too tough for all of you as you and Mr. Moon head out of town.

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  7. Blogger sucks ass but thankfully we're still here. Blessings on all our pointy heads and hearts.

    XX

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  8. I find it necessary to visit your end of the magnolia belt every day. Maybe it's the green. No, it's you. Yep.
    xo
    Rebecca the Wino


    (just for tonight hahahaha)

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  9. What a relief it must be to a mother's heart, to know her daughter is in the company of good, strong women.

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  10. I love Asheville. I have spent much of my life in NC, and Asheville is one of my favorite places. My mother actually has a mountain home about 40 minutes from Asheville, and she plans to retire to that mountain house in several years. My brother and I plan to follow her, living in Brevard, NC which is not too far. It really is beautiful, and although it is a little cold for me in the winter...I am sure I will survive because I will have my family close by to keep me warm. Those mountains run through my family for many, many generations. I remember my grandfather talking about visiting the Asheville area as a young boy. They used to go there to get water! Enjoy those beautiful mountains.

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  11. I wish you would have taken your camera too...rude or not, it sounds like it was a beautiful place. Happy to hear Jessie will be in the company of good people.

    Mr. Moon did a great job with the painting. Their living room looks so sunny and welcoming.

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  12. (smiling here) Mr. Moon is good 'n tall, like my Wayne who is so good at painting the tops of things and ceilings, oh it makes life easier!

    Thanks for taking us with you to Ashville!

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  13. You know, reading all this and seeing the beautiful photos makes me feel so much better about Jessie moving away :)

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  14. Ms. Cool Moon, what a glorious post ~ I'm so glad Vergil's family is so perfect for Jessie and she is perfect for them, too!

    The living room looks beautiful ~ it sounds like you had a very productive and loving time with the happy young couple. I'm glad you and Mr. Moon were there to help with the nesting festivities!

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  15. That hotel family bed with all of those tall people in it cracks me up!

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  16. Mr. Moon must be such a handy painter. He is so tall he must not need to use a ladder much unless a room has very high ceilings. I am so short that I have to have a ladder but I don't do well with height.

    I simply loved the photo of all of you in bed (well Mary you weren't in that photo). Fun, fun after a hard days work. What a good time...

    And meeting all the family on Vergil's side must be a good feeling since your little girl (woman I know) is to be near this group that you don't know. There is some comfort when you meet the folks your loved ones love..and will be around.

    Food..glory be it all sounded so good...and I am full from my dinner tonight but still it all sounded sooooo good!

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  17. You ARE cool enough for Asheville, but I'm not sure that Asheville is cool enough for you, even though it's very cool. I mean that.

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  18. I wish you'd taken your camera too! Vergil's family sound amazing, as we knew they would be. How could they not love you and Mr Moon too?

    The room looks great, Mr Moon is brilliant.

    Love you Mary xx

    Hope you enjoyed your jug of beer!

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