Home Sweet Home!

Today, our morning walk was lovely. It was clear and cool (at least not yet hot!), and we took a longer walk around the perimeter of the property. Rosie was hopping, skipping, and occasionally running is circles! She seemed to be enjoying it as much as I! Now the sun is out in full, so it will be warming up, and I'm so glad we got out when we did.

I'm happy to report that Rosie is adjusting well. She no longer stands at the door and cries when I walk up for lunch. She stays in her bed and gives me a warm welcome when I return. She continues to make friends, and has begun to occasionally howl when she sees one of her buds! This is something she only did at home when we had company, so she's branching out! 

I'm happy to finally be able to share photos of the house now that memories are on the wall and it feels more like home. All of that is due to the care and work for Maria and Mark, who along with Henry and Felix, came for a working visit. In that time, they hung everything! I couldn't believe it! I felt like a useless knob, but it was amazing to watch them work. I feel like I learned a lot, but I would never get the results they did. My "art" looks like a museum! While it's the same stuff I've had forever, it's combined differently and feels new! Keep in mind that Maria wrapped and packed for me everything that you see on the wall or on display in the wall unit. I don't know what I've done to deserve such wonderful friends as M & M, as well as those who helped me along the way and gave me a great sendoff. It's times like this, making a big move, taking a big step, that you truly appreciate your friends. You know who you are, and I thank you and love you.

You will notice that I need pinestraw in my front yard, but that is done periodically for the whole neighborhood, so I'm waiting. As I look at the slideshow, I notice everything that I left laying around....hoping you won't notice. As you look at the hallway, the first door on the left is the stacked washer/dryer. The folding doors are another closet, which I plan to put shelving in to make if more useful for my needs. The bathroom is smaller than I'm accustomed to, but I spend as little time as possible there. I also have the largest back porch of any patio homes on the circle. I haven't had time to give it much attention, but I look forward to sitting out there when the weather cools. Anyway, it's beginning to feel like home and it's as much as I need or want to deal with, so all is good!

This is what I see when I look out my front door. There are three long lines of muscadine grapevines, and they are loaded with grapes.  The house at the end of the line is mine. It makes me want to put my winemaking skills to work again, but I think that's a thing of the past.....and I'm not sure muscadine is the grape I would want to use. Anyway, the "vineyard" is very lush looking at the moment.

After Maria & Mark's visit, I worked on getting rid of the last few boxes so that I could invite the ladies at my lunch table over for a visit. Anna had lived in my place before it was renovated for 2-1/2 months while her house was being renovated, and she had not seen the finished product. Shown here is Jan and her daughter Margie. Margie is a very caring daughter to Jan and a liberal thinker who had attended the No Kings protest in Greenville. So, we had lots to talk about. Trudy could not attend because her sister and our other table member Betty had passed away and it was her funeral. Betty would have been 102 in December, and I'm honored to have known her for a short while. My fondest memory is when Trudy (94) asked Betty if she needed dressing on her salad, and Betty said, "No, I'll eat it naked!" I laughed out loud and told her to  be careful becuase that could be taken two ways! Once when her husband asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she is reported to have said, "A hysterectomy!" after having 6 childen in 10 years!! Again, that can be taken several ways. Anyway, it was a good gathering and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

It looks like July will be a busy month at Clinton Presbyterian Community, including this Newcomer's dinner to introduce the newbies. I've been told that it's a very nice four-course dinner with entertainment. Also this month will be several craft classes (not sure what the crafts are), several dining out opportunities, line dancing, as well as the usual clubs and ongoing activites. I have to confess that I would never consider line dancing, expecting there to be a lot of young people showing me up, but in this setting, I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it goes. There is also an outing to Furman University Music By the Lake, which I plan to attend, as well as a Mill Town Players outing, which I'll have to fine out more about. I'm sure there have been lots of things happening April - June, but this is the first month I've actually had time to consider them. It's nice to have some options wothout having to plan for myself.

Outside of the community, I've been looking for my people - I Googled and attended the Laurens County Democratic Club's monthly meeting at the Laurans library. It was a very welcoming group, and when I mentioned that I had recently moved to CPC, they immediately informed me of a couple who lives here who had been active in local democratic politics. Needless to say, I talked with them the next time I saw them. In the process of the meeting, someone mention that we (Dems) were outnumbered 7 to 1 in Laurens county. I knew it was more conservative here, but that paints a clearer picture! Gavin Newsome is to be in town this week, so I plan to see him again, as well as to get to know more of the local Dems. I did meet another lady who lives in Clinton proper and also attended the No Kings protest. She let me know of a monthly ladies gathering in Laurens, which I hope to tap into soon.

I also participated in the Greenwood No Kings protest. I wanted to attend to the one in Greenville, but it was earlier in the morning and further away. I was happy when the one in Greenwood popped up at the last minute. The organizers were pleased that over 250 showed up!  As always, it was a good group of people who know how to get along and have a good time. As luck would have it, the Juneteenth celebration was going on across the street, so we had good music the whole time. 

I'll close out with our July 4th bash. You can tell by the menu that it was a meat-lovers delight......not so much for vegetarians! There was actually a smoked pig - the whole carcass! The food here is good, but for a vegetarian, it's mostly plain vegetables, not dishes, casseroles, curries, etc. I've planned to attend the Food Committee, but it has been cancelled twice (Do they know what I'm planning?). I have noticed that this week they have black bean burgers and eggplant parmesan on the menu, for which I will thank the chef. Everyone at our table (and most that I know) loves the food and rave about Mark, the Chef. So, a little menu tweaking could go a long way. You may also notice the price. We are given an allotment per month for food in the dining room, and with prices like this, it goes a long way. Being vegetarian, I have to work at breaking five or six dollars, with desserts (which I don't need) being my most expensive item. We have to pay for anything over the allotted amount, but I can't imagine that happening.

With that, I'll wish you a Happy July with lots of sun and fun. Let me know how your summer is going.