The princess at her yurt. 

 Giving Thanks in a Red-Hot, Chilly Yurt

The concept of the Yurt was not especially new to me, though I'd never stayed overnight in one. The Princess had and she liked it. She did her sleeping in Morocco. My experience, limited though it was, came at Explore Park where there is a yurt village of sorts.

The yurt, for those of you who don't know, is something of a hard-sided tent, usually circular in nature, not unlike a tee-pee, though more solid.

Our yurt sits beside a crusty-looking, apparently homemade house in Weaverville, N.C., just outside Asheville geographically, but much further away than you can imagine. It is in the middle of nowhere, up a long-ish dirt road. It sits as it should: a camping spot.

From the beginning, there were unexpected challenges, mostly having to do with lack of communication with the owner, who was nowhere to be found. What we found forced-air heat that wouldn't shut off (it reached about 90 degrees the first night), a bathroom light that didn't work, and no apparent heat there. So, we were left to sleep in the desert and use the bathroom in Iceland.

But not to worry, I was with the toughtest Princess of them all, one who considered the heat "cozy" and the chill a challenge to be overcome (which she did, leaving me to do the same or wimp out. I try to avoid wimping out). 

Communication--in general--was another surprise. We had little execpt with each other. Cell service and our "devices" were at less than full speed and, of course, there was no TV--something of a blessing, I suggest.

Overall, with the surprises, it was a memorable stay, one where we found inconvenience and pretty much overcame it--mostly because of Linda Kay and her cheerful, can-do approach to life.

I love that woman. 

Princess and I at our yurt. 

Yurt comfort,

The bathroom is behind the axes. 

This is the kitchen.

Linda at what may be an old family farm of her ancestors.

Stirring Around in the Family's Past ... Again

Linda keeps finding these fascinating old places in Franklin County for us to visit, all of them with family ties. Some of those ties are not something you'd talk about at a Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. Like the one today.

We had just walked around the Booker T. Washington Memorial farm, which is a few miles from her home, and she suggested we look for a side road off Va. 122 where some family used to live--years ago. She told the story that her great-great-grandpa on her mom's side, a slave owner, had impregnated the slave who bore Booker T, making him an historic uncle of hers, of sorts.

Linda says she has no documentation of that event and its outcome, but she says when the story was told at the family table, her mom was not amused. Linda loves the story and hopes it's true.

We went through the big, abandoned, overgrown house that seems to be part of a large lot with a new-ish house in it. Linda had no idea who owned the newer house or even if it was occupied. The old family place, however, presented an opportunity to explore, so we did. The house was large and apparently was in a state of being renovated when it was abandoned. There were all kinds of signs of the renovation, including tools left at the site.

I found 1973 and 1971 Sears catalogs sitting on the stove in the kitchen and Linda immediately and enthusiastically latched on to them. She was a teenager when they were current. We even found an old cemetery nearby and if Linda is not in love with cemeteries, I don't know anybody who is.

As usual, our Sunday adventure led to a lot of discussion and my guess is that it will wind up in one of her books in the future. There are so many good stories from her family.

That's me at a Booker T cabin window.

The fall was glowing on the Booker T farm today.

Linda at a Booker T split-rail fence.

Linda with her 1973 Sears catalog.

And again with her special find. 

The old house was overgrown in some places. 

 

Dan look-alikes (cap, T-shirts, blue jeans, frozen Zero bars) at the book club.

'Burning the Furniture' Redux

The Princess invited her book club to review my 15-year-old memoir, "Burning the Furniture," last night and it turned into quite the festival with four of the members showing up impersonating me and several bringing Zero Bars and Raisinettes (both mentioned in the book), as well as other delicacies mentioned in the book (apple cobbler and mac 'n' cheese).

I really had a great time answering questions and recalling a book I may have written, but I had not read in many years. Nice to be reminded of what I said and, especially, that other people liked the book--even Wendy, who didn't read it.

Here is some of what went on.

 

Linda Kay Simmons and her grandgirl, Bella, at Linda's father's grave.

A Young Girl's First Visit with Great Grandad

My best girl, Linda Kay Simmons, took her grandgirl, two-year-old Bella, on an introduction visit to her late father, Joe Simmons, a decorated corporal in the Marine Corps during World War II. Joe fought at the battle of Guadalcanal, among others, and later was the GM of the Vinton Weaving Mill for many years.

Keeping up with Bella's enthusiasm for something she can't understand yet was a major job, but she loved carrying the small flags and wearing her great-grandfather's hat. Linda was proud of it all. Here are some photos to give you an idea of what it looked like.