Civil Society

Recently when I visited a blog friend and read her latest post, a non-controversial post, I was appalled to read a comment someone left her. My jaw dropped open as she left line after line about what she did not like about the blog.

Really?

In what way was this necessary?

I wished that I could magically have the commenter spend some time with Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie. 

But it was so easy, thought Isabel. It was so easy dealing with people who were well-mannered...They knew how to exchange those courtesies which made life go smoothly, which was what manners were all about.....

Good manners depended on paying moral attention to others; it required one to treat them with complete moral seriousness, to understand their feelings and their needs. Some people, the selfish, had no inclination to do this, and it always showed. They were impatient with those they thought did not count...manners were the basic building block of civil society.

                                                           Alexander McCall Smith
                                                           The Lost Art of Gratitude

If you've never read the very pleasant McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie novels set in modern day Edinburgh, you're in for a treat. 

Isabel's very handsome boyfriend Jamie, many years her junior, becomes her husband by the time you get to later books in the series.

And that is sometimes the reward for a well-mannered brilliant lady such as Isabel!

Go, Isabel!

What's a post without a picture, so here is what I think Isabel might look like if you updated the woman in this portrait by Holman Hunt for today's woman...

[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/382313455848394115/]

Jamie--her Jamie--said this about Isabel in The Lost Art of Gratitude:

"Holman Hunt might have painted you."

Doesn't she look kind? Well-mannered?

Pure Bliss

I can't remember  when I finally grew into that snowsuit,

but I do remember that snow was always pure bliss.

You might have noticed that it is always snowing

in the banner picture at Dewena's Window.

And it will remain snowing,

even in the dog days of summer.

The frontispiece in Faith Baldwin's book 

is more than a picture to me,

it is a recognition of having reached a stage in life

where this is pure bliss--

to stay home and view life through my own window.

I have grown to enjoy a bad day, even with thick snow and zero temperatures,

if I am indoors.

It is satisfying to sit by a window, nursing a cup of tea,

hearing the fire snap on the hearth,

and watching the wild-white world outside,

kept at bay by good walls and insulation...

The winter weather is conducive to hard work;

I don't want to go anywhere,

and seldom can.

The cupboard is stocked, and the freezer.

So I stay home and work.

Faith Baldwin

I hope February days have held pure bliss for you. If you're hankering for Spring, I promise you that it will come. Next July when it's 100 degrees in the shade, you can always come look through Dewena's Window and see a blanket of snow.

Elliston Place Soda Shop

I've always loved an old-fashioned soda shop.

It was where all the crowd found out 

you were going steady,

where you wore his letter-jacket,

first heard what would become "our song"

on the jukebox.

Nashville still has a gem of a soda shop,

Elliston Place Soda Shop,

in existence since 1939 in the same location.

Here is a link to their story.

It's still where a guy takes his date for a milkshake.

Especially on cold winter days when she really

needs to get out of the house.

And especially when she hasn't had anything

sweet to eat in six weeks.

How were those chocolate milkshakes?

As a preacher friend used to say:

"Good enough to make you want to 

smack your momma."

She did resist the slice of pie he took home--

coconut cream pie like his momma used to make.

And what was their song?

"Put your head on my shoulder...

maybe we will fall in love."

Gladys Taber Says It Best

"The winter sun burns her white fire along

the snow-deep meadows."

"Ice glitters on the cold side of the branches,

melts and falls with soft sound."

"Deep winter,

dark winter wind,

heavy blowing snow."

"But snug warmth within,

and in early mornings,

the pale apricot tinge on the snow,

more beautiful than one could dream of."

"Dark comes early these days.

It changes the whole rhythm of life

in the country.

Supper is early, by the applewood fire."

"The white night outside is beautiful

and vast as the ocean."

[All words above by my beloved Gladys Taber,

Connecticut countrywoman, in the January 1954

issue of Ladies Home Journal.]

Treasures from the Gorge

Treasures don't always come from a store,

the one above came from a small gorge on our property.

There, beyond the shadow of the tree on the left,

between the folds of two hills is a gorge that previous owners

used as a dumping ground.

It's about halfway between our house and our waterfall.

[See HERE for a post on my old blog showing our waterfall.]

Our youngest son Defee found the tall part of the fireplace set five years

ago in the gorge and used it as a mantel ornament in their first house.

And on New Year's Day of this year Defee found the grate of the

fireplace set in the gorge and took it home.

We were so surprised when he cleaned it and saw that it perfectly

matched and fit the tall piece he's had for five years!

Our daughter-in-law will use the fireplace set in their garden

where the cast iron piece will become a garden treasure.

And when Defee comes home again he will, as always, 

explore Valley View's Gorge to find new treasures.

I laughed when he texted me today that his "fantasy career

is to be an Indiana Jones type archeologist."

Maybe he'll do something with this next time he comes home.

Recognize this name?

It's another treasure from the gorge at Valley View...

It's an old Enterprise gas stove!

Seems a shame not to rescue it, doesn't it?

Some of my prettiest vases have come from that gorge,

old soda pop bottles that sons and grandsons have brought

me over the years.

And that fireplace thingy that Defee found?

Surely it once stood in the old fireplace that's in our office.

It's been closed up since R.H. took out the old wood stove we once heated with.

Here's a secret: Maybe I should throw some treasures in the gorge just

to entice children and grandchildren to come back home and find.

Fair Warning: A Gazillion Family Holiday Pictures

Granddaughter CC is such a charmer and she loved watching the hens.

The holidays are over, our family have returned to their own homes,

and I am finally posting pictures--a gazillion of them.

Monday before Thanksgiving was sisters here for lunch when Deb came to Nashville.

Here's my sister Teresa and her husband,

and Teresa and Deb with Deb's granddaughter,

only sister Jenn was missing this day.

We sisters let Fred and R.H. get a word in every now and then.

Next, Defee and Wallace arrived bringing our two granddaughters.

Wallace was my sous chef early Thanksgiving morning--or was I hers?

And Nora was such a good helper!

Wallace will kill me for posting a picture of her in her PJ's but

if I looked as beautiful as she did Thanksgiving morning--

after a sleepless night with baby CC sick--I'd put mine here too!

And she had us right on schedule by Thanksgiving afternoon.

Table set, dinner ready, and Amens said.

Beer bottle on table, these are not magazine photographs, people.

Two sons and their families present for Thanksgiving dinner,

our daughter and son-in-law absent, at their home in FL,

Zack and Courtney made the rounds of her family,

introducing Zack, but came by afterwards.

Isn't she beautiful!

Thanksgiving over, we had to say goodbye to Defee and Wallace and the girls,

and before we knew it, Christmas week came and our daughter Christy, son-in-law Bryan,

and their two schnauzers arrived, ready to help us celebrate.

I think we were too busy getting ready for Christmas to take many photos,

but Christy and I cooked, she and R. H. grilled out one night,

we talked and laughed and watched Christmas movies,

and Christy and Bryan managed to get in quite a bit of shopping in Nashville--

all week in pouring rain,

muddy paws of 5 dogs getting wiped at the doors.

And the night before Christmas Eve

Christy and Bryan's son Alex and daughter-in-law Melissa

came for dinner.

We failed to get any pictures but this is Alex and Melissa

where they just moved to new jobs after graduation.

Can you guess what city they now live in?

The next night was Christmas Eve and Zack brought two of his friends to join us.

Tom and Brett's family live out of state, well one's family lives out of state,

and the other one's family lives in Canada!

Zack's snuggling up there with Zoe, one of the schnauzers.

The next morning was Christmas Day so after my traditional Farmer's 

Breakfast with buttermilk biscuits, it was time to open gifts.

Christy, with their Maddie and Zoe in nests beside her.

Bryan....

R.H.  with Otis in his lap--see the one big eye open...

Zack had to leave his bulldog Bentley at home--just too many dogs present.

Other family joined us that night for dinner but once again we forgot to get pictures.

And before long it was time to wave goodbye to our dear daughter and her husband,

Florida seeming very far away.

A few days later we welcomed back Defee and Wallace to help us celebrate

a new year approaching--oh yes, they brought two sweet little munchkins with them!

Here is a rare moment when the girls were at rest,
about time to read bedtime books.

I got lots of shots of the girls playing but most of them were a blur, like this....

Okay, I admit I helped that one along a bit.

There were wonderful days of talk and meals and uncles visiting.

Some excursions out and also a visit from Zack's high school friend
and his family who now live in a much colder state
than our TN that broke records for high temps.

New Year's Day night, grandsons Caleb and Drake, and Drake's girlfriend Emily
joined us for our traditional meal of pork loin cooked in sauerkraut and white wine,
collard greens and black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes and cornbread.

Zack and Courtney had parties to go to but here's another cute picture of them...

Again, completely forgot to take pictures but here are Emily and Drake
dressed for this year's Christmas Ball of his Army Reserve unit.

And here is grandson Caleb with them...

Drake and Caleb grew up next door to us and were R.H.'s helpers outside
here at Valley View when they were little,
along with grandsons Alex and Luke. 

What's a man to do after his kids and grandsons all grow up and leave
him to take care of 24 acres by himself, I ask you?

Well that's about all the family holiday pictures.

It was  cozy and relaxed...

Even though we had our moments of looking like rock stars...

All good things must end, wonderful holidays and a gazillion pictures.

Everyone went home and I was more than a little blue,

wasn't I, Milo?