Patsy Pridgen

Back to School and More

Posted on August 27, 2024 by patsypridgen

It’s been twenty years since I sent a child off to school and more than ten since I went myself to teach. Still, when I see those orange buses at the beginning of a new academic year, I get that familiar feeling of excitement coupled with anxiety.

I bought the miniature toy school bus pictured above, thinking I’d use it in a seasonal flower arrangement. So far, though, it sits on my kitchen windowsill, reminding me of days gone by when I’d get my elementary school-aged girls up and out the door to catch the bus.

Going back even further, I’m reminded of my own school days. Unlike my daughters, who insisted on car-pooling once they reached middle school, I rode the bus until my senior year, when for some reason I don’t remember, my parents agreed to let me drive a family car to school as long as I took my siblings with me.

These days, I get nostalgic thinking about not only my grown-up daughters but also my grandchildren who seem to be racing through childhood. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around a nineteen-year-old granddaughter who’s at the same university I attended over fifty years ago.

Incidentally, the Greek clubs I belonged to were academic. No fun sorority for me.

I have had some fun this month, though. Recently, while the husbands were playing golf in a member-guest tournament in Greenville, the ladies went to a sip and paint event, one of those parties where you’re given a glass of wine, a paper plate filled with squirts of paint, an artist’s brush, and a small canvas.

I have very little artistic ability–hey, I know my weaknesses–but I was halfway proud of this pumpkin I painted. Full disclosure: the pumpkin was already outlined on the canvas and we ladies worked under the step-by-step instruction of an art teacher. Still, I felt I channeled my inner Van Gogh. Or maybe Bob Ross. Grandma Moses?

In fact, right now, I have my pumpkin painting displayed on my old upright piano. I’ll probably mix it in with some tacky Halloween decorations in another month or so and then after Thanksgiving, stick it in the attic with the fall decor until next year.

What’s Happening in the Garden

I can’t leave an August post without talking about what’s happening in the yard, or for the British, the garden.

Zinnias have been my most prolific crop this year. They’re so easy to grow: just toss out a Dollar Store package of seeds on slightly loosened soil, lightly cover with dirt, sprinkle with water, and then watch them sprout. Voila: you soon have cut flowers all summer for arrangements.

The butterflies love them, too.

Sedum is not a particularly exciting plant, but it’s hardy if kept away from the deer and blooms in mid-to-late summer. Other pluses: it’s a drought tolerant succulent and comes back each year. I’ve had a nice planter of sedum on my back porch (away from the deer) this year, and I’ve enjoyed looking at it out my kitchen window.

As excited as I’ve been about my zinnias this summer, I have one other flower I want to brag about: pentas. How did I not know about this plant until I saw some one-quart containers of it back in the spring at Lowe’s for only a dollar each.

I picked up a dozen or so in different colors–pink, lavender, red–and planted them around my yard. I put some in my pollinator bed in the side yard, some to form a short border of sorts in the backyard, and a couple in pots. Almost all have flourished. A bonus: the butterflies and bees love them.

It’s a flower I’ll buy again, if it doesn’t reseed itself.

Hope your summer has been filled with flowers and you’ve had the bittersweet pleasure of sending someone, maybe yourself, back to school.

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Linville Gorge: The “Grand Canyon of the East”

Posted on July 11, 2024 by patsypridgen

It’s called the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Linville Gorge, located in the North Carolina mountains just an hour or so from Banner Elk, is indeed a sight to behold. Getting to Wiseman’s View to behold this sight, though, proved to be quite an adventure for us.

One day during our recent high country vacation, my husband and I left Beech Mountain, drove through Banner Elk, and hit Highway 181 south, heading to Linville Gorge.

The one-hour paved drive of this trip was the usual scenic trek through a lush landscape of green summer mountains. We’d heard there was a heat wave back home in eastern North Carolina with daily temperatures in the nineties. Not so for us as we looked forward to an outdoor adventure with mild mountain temperatures.

Our destination at the Gorge was Wiseman’s View, the overlook that would provide stunning vistas…once we traveled four miles down a very bumpy dirt road.

I cannot emphasize enough how difficult this part of the journey was. Two miles in, my husband stopped at a particularly rutted section and declared it impassable, even with a four-wheel drive SUV.

We decided to walk the last two miles to get to Wiseman’s View. We turned around and drove to a spot where we could leave the SUV. Mind you, this would be two miles to get to the viewing platform at the Gorge, and then two miles back to get to the car. Four miles of walking total. Mountain miles, that is, which are often uphill.

We started our trek, got as far as the “impassable” rut again, and noticed there were tire tracks there. Exactly two vehicles, one a truck and another an SUV smaller than ours, had passed us while we were walking. We started to re-think our four-mile round-trip hike idea. If others had driven through this treacherous part of the dirt road, maybe we could too. We walked back to get our vehicle, and again approached what had seemed an impassable section of the road. This time, I got out and directed my husband, pointing to the tire tracks of those who had gone before us.

It was a harrowing experience, with the SUV on only three wheels at one point, but my husband plowed through. Fortunately, this one stretch turned out to be the worst spot.

A couple of miles later, the Wiseman’s View sign was a welcome sight although we still had to navigate even more dirt road to find the parking lot.

There was one other car there when we arrived, the smaller SUV that had passed us while we were walking. By the time we left, though, we were the only folks in town. Given what we’d gone through to get down that four-mile dirt road, I wasn’t surprised. The trip is not for the faint of heart–or those without a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

The short walk from the parking lot to Wiseman’s View was also deserted. After that long dirt road, a paved walkway was a nice surprise.

I was glad my husband and I had come without rambunctious grandchildren when I saw this sign.

After that sign, I was somewhat relieved to see the sturdy stone fences surrounding portions of the cliffs.

And, oh, the views. These sights were why we’d endured that four-mile stretch of the highway from hell. In the picture below, Hawksbill Mountain is to the left and Table Rock is the peak to the right.

The depth of the Gorge does remind me of the Grand Canyon. Far, far below is the Linville River, which created this chasm, carving into bedrock since time immemorial. I can only imagine how beautiful this view must be at the peak of the fall foliage season.

The granite cliffs are impressive, too.

We found civilization again when we stopped at the popular and far easier to access Linville Falls on our way back to the paved highway.

While pretty, Linville Falls seemed tame to us after the magnificence of the Gorge. But then, it’s hard to beat the splendid views provided by the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Once you get there, that is.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged hiking, nature, travel, waterfall, waterfalls | Leave a comment

Celebrating a Mural…and a City (Rocky Mount, NC)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by patsypridgen

It’s been a month now since I attended the celebration of Rocky Mount’s mural depicting a “Hall of Fame” line-up of prominent musicians with local ties. Though a bit rainy, it was a wonderful late afternoon/early evening event that I’m glad I made the effort to attend. Keep reading for a mostly feel-good story about a city that doesn’t always get the best publicity, especially concerning its downtown.

“Ma’am, please take my seat,” the well-dressed gentleman said with a smile. Due to the rain, I was standing as close as possible behind the last row of chairs under the tent at the May 23 downtown celebration of the latest Rocky Mount mural.

“I’m fine, thanks,” I replied, although I was getting slightly sprinkled on my backside. It was a small price to pay for the evening’s entertainment at the corner of Marigold Street and Southeast Main.

Blues, jazz, rock, gospel—the evening covered the music of the people depicted on the mural designed by local artist Marion Clark Weathers. The show didn’t last long, just a little over an hour. But every single performance, mostly by the musicians pictured in the mural, was a delight.

Walking up, I was greeted by the guitar playing of Lightnin’ Wells, who was rendering the blues of the late George Higgs. The Tar River Swing Band featured jazz with a solo trumpet performance by Dan Crocker. Patsy Gilliland’s rendition of the Platters “Only You,” showed why she was once a talent award winner in the Miss America Pageant.

Kay Kyser of Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge

The music wasn’t all that was delightful about the night. As the rain picked up, the audience, without being told to do so, scooted their chairs forward, making room under the tent for those outside seeking shelter. A community spirit, a sense of goodwill, prevailed over the crowd.

Of course, all is not rosy downtown. My husband and I parked on Southwest Main Street and walked past scores of empty storefronts as we made our way to the pedestrian railroad crossing. “I remember when this used to be a Belk Tyler’s,” my husband said, stopping to peer in the windows at the long- deserted department store. I couldn’t help but wonder what visitors to the Rocky Mount Event Center must think if they venture across the tracks looking for shops or restaurants. Yikes.

But on this magical evening, I decided to focus on the positive. This celebration on one corner of downtown Rocky Mount was perhaps a glimpse of what our city can be, people from all walks of life coming together with mutual respect and civic pride.

I finally got that seat offered by the well-dressed gentleman. I took it when he got up to perform the last act. Turns out I had been standing behind Luther Barnes, the famous gospel singer. It hadn’t occurred to me to match this dapper man to his picture on the mural. He finished the show in fine style, belting out a stirring gospel tune, accompanied by members of a local congregation he invited on stage.

**Luther Barnes, Gospel Singer, As Depicted in the Mural**

As the show ended, the rain had stopped, but the train was slowly rolling through downtown Rocky Mount. My husband and I would have to wait to cross the tracks to get to our car. Nothing new: growing up in Edgecombe County, I spent a lot of time idling here, waiting to cross to the Nash County side.

And I love the sound of a train. Its song was actually the perfect ending to a perfect musical celebration.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, murals, public-art, street-art, travel | Leave a comment

MayCember and More

Posted on May 11, 2024 by patsypridgen

It’s not the same hat, it sure ain’t the same body, but that’s still moi, loving another day on the Crystal Coast. Gosh, I was once skinny…and it looks like my hat was a better match. Oh well, one of the advantages of being old: you’re supposed to weigh more and who cares if your clothes clash?

Another advantage of being grandma age is I’m mostly exempt from the end-of-the-school-year madness dubbed “Maycember.” What with moving kids home from college, class parties, awards banquets, middle school dances, high school proms, etc., etc., May has become a second December, full of celebrations along with stress. These days, I get to watch from a distance, as in pictures on Facebook.

Instead of hounding children to study for final exams and renting tuxedos, I can concentrate on the beauty of my May “garden” (British for “yard” here). There’s so much to appreciate as I stroll around outside.

For example, I am beyond grateful that my backyard hydrangea bush, which most years doesn’t bloom at all and some years gives up just a bloom or two, looks to be on the verge of bustin’ out all over. Thank you, Lord!

Why more blooms this year? Maybe the aggressive cutting back of the wax myrtles nearby allowed more sunlight to hit the hydrangea. Or maybe the bush somehow got more water or the winter was milder or I didn’t prune. I really don’t know. One of the many mysteries of nature.

Another gardening mystery is this pot of fall flowers which continues to bloom profusely. These pansies look better than they have all winter. And that fall ornamental cabbage I have staked is now going into its second summer. I know it looks a little scraggly, but as long as it has vibrant green leaves, I hate to rip it out. Its longevity has become a little bit of a gardening experiment for me, too. Has anyone else ever had an ornamental cabbage live through an eastern North Carolina summer?

You may have noticed the tines of the white plastic forks in the picture above. I hope to deter squirrels who love to dig in my pots and bury their nuts, uprooting my flowers in the process. Once flowers in a pot grow to fill it, squirrels usually leave it alone, but vacant growing space early in the season seems to beckon to these tree rats: “There’s room in this pot; come and bury your nuts.”

This broken begonia will need to be replaced. I should have used forks. Arrrgh!

On a happier, squirrel-free note, this year I’ve planted something of a butterfly garden. The milkweed I showcased in my last post is still alive (with yellow blooms to the left in this picture), although I must confess I haven’t spotted any monarchs flying around laying their eggs on the leaves. (I guess that’s the way it works?) I’ve added bright flowers and am hoping I’ll see different types of butterflies landing in this area, whether monarchs or some of those more common yellow and white varieties.

The zinnia crop is coming along. Somehow, I’ve stumbled on and joined a Facebook group devoted to growing zinnias. Who knew there was such a niche? I guess you can find anything on FB. Anyhow, according to folks who post, there’s nothing easier to grow from seed than a plot of zinnias. Just sprinkle the seed on some lightly chopped dirt and get out of the way.

I’ve done just that with two small packets of seeds, one I bought at Lowe’s and another given out at a garden club meeting. And voila, I have seedlings. I did buy a six-pack of more mature, blooming zinnias the other day at the nursery. I couldn’t resist that beautiful salmon color.

Another flower I bought on impulse is something the plant identifier app on my phone tells me is pentas, more commonly known as Egyptian starcluster.. According to Flora Incognita (my plant app), the blooms appeal to hummingbirds and butterflies.

And even more enticing, for some reason on that particular day at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Cape Carteret, each pot was only $1.00. I quickly decided I needed at least ten for my butterfly garden …and anywhere else I could put these in my backyard.

In this merry month of Maycember, I’ve decided to ignore the holes dug by the squirrels in my begonia bed, instead just checking now and again for uprooted flowers I need to replant, if possible.

Instead, I’ll concentrate on all the beauty of the month, look for butterflies, and hope the hummingbirds will return to their feeder in the midst of the blue-black salvia.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged flowers, garden, gardening, zinnia, zinnias | Leave a comment

Gardening in Eastern North Carolina

Posted on April 19, 2024 by patsypridgen

The crops are in–both vegetables and flowers. For the most part, I’ve planted my usual cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, begonias and vinca. The hardy stuff I’ve had good luck growing in the past. But as I do each year, I’m experimenting with something new.

So what’s this year’s gardening experiment?

I’ve been thinking about the Monarch butterflies I used to see around the yard when I was growing up and wondering where they’ve all gone these days. I googled: due to loss of habitat and climate change, monarch butterflies are now an endangered species.

An endangered species! Headed to extinction?

Photo Credit: Center for Biological Diversity

I knew there’s a connection between Monarch butterflies and milkweed. Another Google search revealed that yes, monarchs lay their eggs specifically on milkweed, and the caterpillars eat the foliage. And–bonus for me with my deer, squirrel, and rabbit problem–the leaves are toxic to most species of birds and animals.

So I’ve invested in a big milkweed, which I’ve planted in a sunny location. Fingers crossed that I’ll attract some Monarchs who will lay eggs, and I’ll get to witness the whole caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis. I’ll let you know what happens.

Another garden experiment: In my purging of kitchen items a month or so ago (when I had that bout of de-cluttering fever), I almost sent a pretty piece of crockery to Goodwill before deciding that maybe it could be repurposed as a planter. I’m not sure how well this ceramic canister will hold up to the elements, but right now, planted with vinca, it certainly adds a splash of color to a bed.

Nothing new here with my plant stand on the back porch: all matching drought-resistant, heat-tolerant begonias. Come July and August, I’ve learned, these flowers bloom better than anything else planted next to the heat-absorbing brick.

I try to barter with the squirrels by offering the deer horns, which they love to gnaw. Maybe they’ll be too busy sharpening their little rodent teeth to dig in my flower pots, uprooting my plants to hide their nuts.

In Other News:

I’ve taken a weekend trip and a day trip lately. The 99th annual meeting of the Garden Club of North Carolina took me to the historic Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. Having been a Methodist now for over 40 years, I’d heard of many church groups going to this spiritual retreat center but had never been myself.

What a beautiful setting in the mountains of western North Carolina, 25 miles or so from Asheville. I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and the walking trails around the lake. As we sometimes sing in my Methodist church, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”

I did join some fellow church members on my day trip. It’s official: I’m now part of one of those old folks groups that gets together to eat and/or go on adventures. Members of the Lamplighters (don’t you love that name) loaded up in two church vans and went to Raleigh on a recent Monday morning.

After brunch at the State Farmer’s Market Restaurant, where I ate not one but two big biscuits, the group toured the impressive Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Raleigh. Dedicated on July 26, 2017, the Catholic cathedral can hold over 2,000 worshippers.

This new cathedral is as grand as many of the old ones I’ve seen in Europe. I couldn’t quit taking pictures.

From planting the garden and flower beds to taking a couple of trips, I’m having a busy and fun April. And did I mention that on the way to Lake Junaluska, I managed both going and coming to stop in Charlotte to see my baby girl granddaughters.

Posted in Planting Flowers and Vegetables, Uncategorized | Tagged holy name of jesus cathedral in raleigh, lake junaluska, nc, planting flowers and vegetables holy name of jesus cathedral | Leave a comment

Adventures in Babysitting Times Two

Posted on March 29, 2024 by patsypridgen

I hoped that my stamina would match my joy when I was asked to come to Charlotte and help take care of my infant twin granddaughters for a week.

Before the birth of these girls on March 3, my youngest grandchild was a sturdy seven-year-old boy. It had been a while since I’d changed a diaper and soothed a fussy baby. I was a younger grandma then, with a little bit more energy. I wasn’t quite as addicted to my afternoon nap.

But I was willing in spirit and decided my weak flesh would have to get tough. I couldn’t wait to love on those sweet baby girls.

I arrived with barbecue and Brunswick stew from Smith’s Red and White for the new mom and dad, along with the bud vases I’d put in church the Sunday before in honor of the twins’ births.

I soon learned the girls were given a bottle of pumped breast milk every three hours. Around the clock. Day and night: 6 am, 9 am, noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9 pm, midnight, 3 am. Rinse and repeat.

Two people had been doing the job of feeding. Until my arrival, that had been Mom and Dad, but Dad was now due back at work and wouldn’t be home during the day. I didn’t protest when told I was relieved of night duty. I was needed more from 9 am to 6 pm.

My husband, Granddaddy Al, stayed part of the week and helped. In fact, the only picture I have of my week of nursery duty includes him. My son-in-law snapped this photo, maybe the Sunday night we arrived. (The days began to run together…) I was too busy to think of asking for or taking more pictures myself.

When my daughter had talked about putting a couch and a television in the babies’ room, I’d been skeptical. I’d pictured traditional nurseries, the ones decorated in pink for girls and blue for boys with cute little prints of circus animals or the alphabet or some such baby stuff on the walls. A nursery with cribs, a rocking chair, a changing table, and maybe a small chest of drawers.

But I was a fan of the girls’ room from the minute I sat on that comfortable leather couch with all those pillows and looked out the high windows above the cribs or watched HGTV at yet another feeding. When I wasn’t gazing adoringly at the faces of those sweet girls I held in my arms, of course.

I loved the green moose head, the antlered chandelier, and the framed travel posters on the wall behind the couch.

Evidently, it’s a whole new world in nursery decor. And also, I learned, in bassinets. Those two you see in the picture above are called Snoos. There’s a switch you turn on to provide white noise and to rock the babies gently as they sleep. This electronic bassinet will even pick up the speed of the rocking when the baby starts to get fussy, the idea being to lull an infant back to sleep. And get this: if an infant can’t be soothed, the Snoo will send a text alerting a parent that “your baby needs your attention.”

These Snoo bassinets worked pretty well during the time I was there. No one had to pace the floor with a cranky baby for any amount of time.

As Friday approached and it was time for me to leave, my daughter began to experiment with different ways she alone could give both girls a bottle at the same time. One method involved putting them in their car seats, sitting on the floor between them, and holding a bottle in each hand to feed.

As mothers do, she’ll figure out what works best for her and these two sweeties. I took my tired but happy self home, already looking forward to my next adventure in babysitting times two.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged baby, baby-registry, motherhood, newborn, parenting | 4 Comments

March Madness and More

Posted on March 9, 2024 by patsypridgen

March Madness doesn’t begin with the ACC basketball tournament. Oh no, it starts tonight at 2 am, when Daylight Saving Time kicks in. We all might enjoy an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon, but every morning those poor schoolchildren are back to waiting for the bus in the dark.

A little crazy to start so early with the time change, in my opinion.

Speaking of time, by now some of you (dare I hope many of you?) have read my third cozy mystery in the Narrow Creek series. If you’ve finished Money and Murder in Narrow Creek, I could certainly use your review on Amazon. More reviews will help me reach a broader audience.

It’s super easy to post something. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=1662942427

You don’t have to write anything long or profound. Look at these examples:

“I’ve enjoyed all three books in this series. Nice to read something that is clean and still interesting and intriguing!“

“Having read Patsy Pridgen’s previous two books about Dee Ann Bulluck and her shenanigans in Narrow Creek, NC, this book met all my expectations. It was funny, interesting, and my favorite. Patsy is really developing her characters and her timing in the 1980’s made this novel close to my memories of that time frame. Thanks, Patsy, and am looking forward to your 4th!“

Contrary to what some people think, it’s not a requirement to buy the book from Amazon to review it there. So, please, if you haven’t already reviewed Money and Murder in Narrow Creek, take a minute to do so. Pretty please…

Enough about book reviews! Let’s take a tour of the yard. The daffodils that bloomed prematurely at the end of January are about spent as are the flowers on the camellia bush.

But there are plenty of blooms to replace dead daffodils and camellia blossoms. The forsythia is coming into its own, and I have these first lavender flowers on an early-blooming azalea.

And look at my alyssum, a carpet of tiny snow-white flowers that never fail to show up in early spring. I need to buy more to add to this bed.

The day lilies and irises are also emerging.

Blooms and sprouts are not the only things spring has brought to my house. My daughter and her husband have blessed our family with twin girls, born 03/03. Aren’t these two just the sweetest things? I could eat them with a spoon!

I began this post with what I consider a bit of March Madness, so I’ll end with another example. In a country with a population of over 333 million people, can we really not find two younger candidates for the highest office in the land?

We hear a lot about how old Joe Biden is at 82. But Donald Trump at 77 is not far behind. And get this: Joe Biden’s birthday is November 20, so he’ll actually be 83 shortly after Election Day, and Donald Trump will turn 78 in June. Aren’t they tired? At 70, I know I am.

I’m in a garden club where anyone 80 or over is exempt from being an officer. Not a bad idea, in my opinion.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged book-review, books, fiction, flowers | Leave a comment

How to De-Clutter a Closet

Posted on February 9, 2024 by patsypridgen

Remember that picture I posted a month ago of my messy shelf of gift-wrapping supplies? The clutter that sucked the life out of me every time I went hunting for paper or a bow in that closet? Well, I’ve shaken myself out of my mid-winter funk and done something about it.

I began by clearing the shelf. Bows, paper, ribbons, and boxes were tossed out of the closet and onto the floor of the guest bedroom, ready to be sorted as soon as I dusted the now-empty shelf. Doesn’t an area always look bigger when it’s bare?

I then started organizing by putting the rolls of wrapping paper in a tall box I found in the attic. Before, these rolls were lying on the shelf, hidden by bows, ribbon, and tissue paper. Now, I can easily see my wrapping paper options, including when I need to buy more.

Next, I sorted through tissue paper. Yes, I’m one of those women who smooths out the tissue stuffed in gift bags and carefully lays aside the tissue enfolding presents in a box. I guess I have some of that Great Depression, waste not/want not gene from my grandmas.

I didn’t realize how MUCH tissue paper I had accumulated, though. I decided to toss some of the more wrinkled sheets like this pretty pink one on the right.

I still had plenty to put back in the closet, laying the tissue flat to smooth out wrinkles and layering it to show my different color options. I found a package of unopened white, which I put on top of the pile to remind myself not to buy any more tissue paper any time soon.

Tissue paper was not the only unopened surprise. I also discovered a small package of never used gift wrap.

Tackling the bow and ribbon mess was probably the hardest job.

First, I pulled out the big bows, the ones once tied by ladies who work in those cute clothing boutiques. I can’t tell you how many times these fancy bows have been on birthday gifts to my daughters. Gifts that are opened in my house, where I can swoop in and rescue the bows before they are trashed. How’s that for recycling?

These bows were carefully placed on the shelf on top of the tissue paper.

After rescuing my big bows, I studied the large assortment of what I had left. True, I like to re-use, but I draw the line at squashed bows or seriously wrinkled ribbons. I threw a bunch away.

I compensated ditching these bows and ribbons by saving small pieces of wrapping paper. You know the end pieces that are often left over when you wrap a larger present? These pretty papers can be used on smaller gifts.

I’d already stacked quite a few gift bags, saved mostly from presents I’d received, between the wall and the box of wrapping paper when I discovered even more gift bags. These were hidden on a pull-out shelf of an old desk that sits underneath the gift-wrapping supply shelf.

I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another small to medium size gift bag!

I had quite a pile of trash, some to be put in the outside recycling container. I like to save and re-use, but it did feel good to de-clutter and simply throw away the ratty stuff.

My reward for about an hour of work was an organized gift-wrapping supply shelf that will save me time when I’m hunting for paper and bows.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged de-cluttering, diy, gift-wrapping, sustainability | Leave a comment

What To See in Panama

Posted on January 30, 2024 by patsypridgen

I’m back from my mid-winter trip to Panama, where it was 90 degrees and very humid. It felt like August in eastern North Carolina, but I was near or on the water quite a bit, sightseeing and riding on the Panama Canal.

Yes, the man-made Panama Canal is without a doubt the number one tourist attraction in the small Central American country of Panama. This 51-mile waterway through the Isthmus of Panama connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific, providing a huge shortcut for ships.

Can you find the Panama Canal on the map?

I’m not particularly interested in engineering, but I did pay enough attention to the tour guide to understand the basics of how the Canal operates. Locks at each end of the Panama Canal provide enough water to “lift” ships up to the artificially created Gatun Lake, a big body of water in the middle. Ships coming from both the Atlantic and Pacific meet here and pass one another. Then locks lower the ships at the other end of their journey.

Our tour group visited the Miraflores Locks, where spectator stands were set up for guests to witness the locks in action.

The Panama Canal was one of the most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. Before the United States successfully completed the project in 1914, the French tried and failed, losing an estimated 22,000 workers. Many died from malaria and yellow fever, carried by mosquitoes, a scientific fact unknown at the time. Plaza de Francia in Casco Viejo, the Old City part of Panama City, pays tribute to these fallen workers. The statue in front is of Pablo Arosemena, one of Panama’s founding fathers.

Plaza de Francia (The French Plaza) in Panama City

As fascinating as it is, the Panama Canal is not the only attraction in Panama. Our tour group left modern civilization in Panama City to visit an Embera tribal village in the heart of a rainforest. This Panamanian indigenous tribe attempts to preserve its culture by maintaining a simple lifestyle, fishing and selling handmade crafts (see my earrings in the first picture above).

Our tour group arrived via a motorized dugout canoe.

A lunch of fried fish (very fresh) and plantains was prepared for us, and we were entertained by dancers.

There was time to shop and pose with the medicine man.

Embera Children in Front of Crafts for Sale

As a garden club lady, I’m always interested in what’s blooming everywhere. Since most of my winter yard at home is without color right now, I was happy to see all the beautiful flowers of Panama. I recognized bougainvillea, but extensive research will be required to identify all these other exotic species.

The animal life of this tropical country was often entertaining. What’s more fun to watch than monkeys?

Panama is known for the sloth. Not a lot of activity here, hence the term, slothful.

Panama City itself can be all shiny and new. I was not expecting so many skyscrapers.

But the city has a history. There’s something call Old Panama, which is now just ruins after the English-sanctioned pirate Henry Morgan ransacked the place in 1671.

Ruins with New Panama City in Background

There’s also another old Panama City a short Uber ride away from the current capital. This historic district is called Casco Viejo (Old City) and has a great deal more to see than in Old Panama. Casco Viejo was built not long after the destruction of the first capital and features plazas, ornate churches, museums, shops, and restaurants. A fun day can be spent in Casco Viejo.

The Golden Altar in Inglesia de San Jose

Our tour group leader arranged a couple of special dance performances for us. Panamanian dancers are lively and colorfully attired.

The Guy on the Left Appears in Panama’s Version of Dancing with the Stars

Our tour group spent a day and a half at the Playa Bonita Resort, so the eight-day excursion to Panama was a nice blend of educational activities, fun, and relaxation. My favorite type of trip!

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Ways to De-Clutter

Posted on January 4, 2024 by patsypridgen

Like many people, I suspect, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to de-clutter. I fully believe junk expands to fill the space available…and then spills over. Just take a look at a shelf that I designated to store gift wrapping boxes, paper, and bows.

The Gift-Wrapping Supply Shelf Runneth Over

At least that shelf is hidden away inside a bedroom closet. Still, every time I go to get supplies to wrap a present, something inside me shudders. I want to live a simple, organized, clutter-free life. And by Jove, I’m getting started on this goal.

I’ve decided to save the gift-wrapping shelf de-clutter and tackle the kitchen first. Part of what’s prompted this urge to purge is that I’m bringing in even more stuff. My mother-in-law died a few months ago, and the family is tasked with emptying her house. A lot will undoubtedly go to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, but there are items to be saved.

Such as these Corning Ware dishes. The kind that you can cook in on top of the stove, serve from, and then put in the refrigerator with the leftovers. I don’t think you can find these anywhere today except at yard sales and occasionally, if you’re lucky to be there at the right time, secondhand stores.

I cleaned out a kitchen cabinet and organized a shelf of Corning Ware, adding my mother-in-law’s dishes to the few pieces I already had.

To make space for the additional dishes, I took out a few that I’ve had for years but never use. The avocado green Pyrex dish is divided, with neither side holding much. I don’t make pies from scratch, and I’ve never liked the handle on that small Corning Ware dish.

If my daughters don’t want this stuff, it’s going to the thrift store.

To make room for a couple of my mother-in-law’s glass tea pitchers that I think I’ll use, I took out two items in my glass-front cabinet that have been mainly just for show.

Confession: I wavered and put back the pitcher on the left. It matches my canisters, and I have used it occasionally when I’ve remembered I had it. That big jar on the right in the picture above, though, is going to be repurposed as a planter in the spring. (Take the clutter outside?)

Keep the Pitcher: Useful and Matches Canisters

The pitcher also adds some color to that glass-fronted shelf in my kitchen. (The glass door is open for this picture.)

I know, you’re thinking, one step forward, two steps back. But I am parting with some tiny juice glasses from my husband’s grandmother’s house. I have other mementos, and I seriously doubt anyone but me knows where these glasses came from.

And that yellow candy dish I once picked up at a thrift store just because I thought it was pretty? Gone. That tiny cup from Cuba that I bought because I felt sorry for the lady selling it? Gone.

Hey, I’m making progress. Baby steps. If I can get rid of five things a week (without adding five things), that will be 260 items I’ve eliminated from my home in a year’s time. I’m not sure the math adds up favorably this week, since I added two tea pitchers and several Corning Ware dishes, but just getting that big canister out of my cabinet (the one I’m going to turn into a planter) seemed to free up some space.

I’ll keep you posted on how this de-cluttering, re-organizing project goes. Happy New Year!