Tuesday September 26, 2017

Posted on 26 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

I made an interesting discovery this past week from an article in our local newspaper. I did not know our county did not have an actual landfill but instead we have a transfer station. Our garbage is transported to a landfill in a nearby county which we pay per ton to haul off. They do have recycling stations set up at the “dump” here for cardboard, plastic, etc.

We pay $22 per month to have our garbage picked up since we live outside the town. I pretty much recycle the newspapers since I use those to shred for packing. We get a lot of cardboard boxes of which I had been putting out for the trash. Since every little bit helps I am going to start stacking up the cardboard and taking it over to the “dump” myself.

I work at the Friends bookstore this afternoon.

Posted in Barbara | Leave a comment

Monday September 25, 2017

Posted on 25 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

I am reading A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny.

Gym this morning. Bob and I our six month routine cleaning at the dentist at 11:45. Partly cloudy and warm today. No rain in the forecast but, looking at the radar, we appear to getting some clouds and drizzle from the out band of hurricane Maria. She is about 300 miles off the coast of NC but has a very wide band of clouds and rain.

Posted in Books | Leave a comment

Sunday September 24, 2017

Posted on 24 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Had a great weekend away. I met my friend Marcy for dinner on Friday night. Frances and Al had an early evening event planned. Saturday morning we Al, Frances, and a friend Bob Mays and I left Winston around 8 am heading to Boone, NC for the Appalachian State/Wake Forest (Winston-Salem) football game. Bob is also an alum of App and has season tickets. Every year Al goes with Bob to one of the games. As soon as Frances heard Wake and App were playing she decided she wanted to attend the game. As soon as tickets went on sale back in August Frances called and purchased two tickets for us. It’s been years since the two teams have played other.

We arrived in Boone around 9:45 and headed to the bookstore on campus to do some t-shirt and hat shopping. After lunch at the App dinning hall we drove to the parking lot to catch to bus to the game. We had great seats in the handicapped section since Frances has a hard time with the stadium steps. It was beautiful weather although it was very warm. We did get an occasional dark cloud and brief shower during the early part of the game. It was very close with App loosing by one point 20 to 19. This was my first time back on campus and for a game in 40  years. I have been to Boone a couple of times over the past years but not been on the campus.

We headed back down the mountain arriving at a favorite seafood restaurant around 7:45 in Yadkinville, twenty minutes or so from Winston. After a good dinner and dropping Bob back off at his truck at IHOP we arrived home around 9:30.

We slept in late this morning, had breakfast, and I headed back up the mountain arriving home a little after 11.

Posted in Events | Leave a comment

Friday September 22, 2017

Posted on 22 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Gym, library, and grocery store this morning. Colin did another disappearing act on his first time out this morning. Bob saw him down at the corner of the yard but it was dark and he quickly disappeared. As usual, Colin was tracking smells and turned off his ears. I was actually awake when Bob came to tell me he had been gone for awhile. I can usually find him when I walk down the road he will come out from the woods. This time, no Colin. I took the car and drove further down the road with no luck. I came back up to the house then cut through the gas station over to 21 to look for him down by the realty company. I went on down 21 and turned into the driveway of a house that appears to be empty to turn around and there he was standing in the back yard on the hill. Not sure how he got down there from up on Macedonia but he seemed confused about how to get back up the hill covered in knee deep vegetation.

I am heading down to Winston this afternoon for the weekend. Be back Sunday.

Posted in Colin | Leave a comment

Thursday September 21, 2017

Posted on 21 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Another beautiful fall day in Sparta. We had a brief, five minutes worth, of rain on Wednesday afternoon. Yesterday the pop up storms missed us. Today is once again, mostly sunny and warm, with a slight chance of a storm this afternoon. Leaves have started coming down on the black walnut trees and the tops of some of the maples are turning red.

Bob is pretty much recovered which means we have kit stuff to work on today.

Posted in Weather | Leave a comment

Wednesday September 20, 2017

Posted on 20 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

I am reading Musseled Out by Barbara Ross.

Bob has been under the weather since yesterday morning. I have been handling morning duties for Colin. It just requires me to get up earlier than I usually do since he used to going out between 6:30 and 7. It also means getting dressed first, then reading the paper, taking Colin out for 2nd time, and then eating my breakfast. Not a problem, just a change in the way I usually start my day.

I went to the gym this morning as usual. Bob had kits to ship so I put them on the front porch for Laurie to pick up so Bob would not have to haul them out the door. If we had mail she could leave it on the table on the porch.

It’s a nice day outside. Colin and I are spending a lot of time outside, he laying the grass waiting for me to play ball and me, sitting on the porch enjoying the nice weather.

Posted in Books | Leave a comment

Tuesday September 19, 2017

Posted on 19 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Another beautiful fall day in Sparta. I’ve spent the morning outside sitting on the porch enjoying the nice weather. I had a couple of gardening chores to finish I did not have time to do yesterday afternoon. Colin enjoys being outside with me, lying in the grass watching me work. As long as I take a few minutes to throw the ball once in awhile he is a happy dog.

I work at the Friends bookstore this afternoon.

Posted in Barbara | Leave a comment

Monday September 18, 2017

Posted on 18 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Gym this morning. I stopped at the garden store to pick up a couple of mums for the front. They had some very nice looking flats of winter pansies. I picked up one to get me started. I need to head back into town this afternoon to get the oil changed in the HHR. In between I have some gardening chores in addition to planting the new flowers.

Posted in Gardening | Leave a comment

Sunday September 17, 2017

Posted on 17 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Household cleaning chores this morning. We have kit stuff to work on this afternoon. The cows have returned to the pasture behind the house after a summer vacation in the pasture on the other side of the hill.

The weather remains very pleasant…warm, dry, and not very windy.

Posted in House | Leave a comment

Saturday September 16, 2017

Posted on 16 September 2017 by Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Today is the Mountain Heritage Festival in downtown Sparta. I signed up to work in the museum from 10 – 1:30. We also had a tent on the sidewalk outside the museum where we were selling local history publications, cakes, brownies, and drinks. Bob went along with me and worked at the ham radio booth. One of the ladies working the tent gave me a break mid-morning to give me a chance to walk around. Main street and several side streets are blocked off for pedestrians to roam around. There were tents for crafts, food vendors, non-profits, etc. The entertainment stage was set up across the street from the museum.

We got lucky with the weather. It’s sunny and warm and not windy with little or no chance of rain this afternoon. It runs until 5 but we left as soon as we both finished up our shifts. Attendance was looking good when we left.

Posted in Events | Leave a comment