I left Philip at 6 a.m. yesterday morning. My car was/is packed to the brim with summer clothes, my guitar, books, camera, laptop...salt, sand, memories. Philip had also put a pink rose (from his birthday bouquet) into a jar and placed it in the cup holder. It was all I could do to pull away and leave him standing in the early morning mist.
The good news is that the Jeep is actually running after it's long hiatus. The bad news? It sat all summer under a shady tree and the branches were stuck in my windows and the cascading oleander flowers left imprints all over the car. Not really a big deal, the Jeep is old. I really meant to fix the air conditioning, but somehow between all the activities and love of the summer, I just didn't do it. (Yesterday central North Carolina broke the heat record!!)
I read across on the almost three hour ferry ride, then drove through small towns and farmland until I hit the main highway. It was an easy drive, but stopped just short of Asheville for the night. I found a lovely Holiday Inn in Hickory, North Carolina complete with an attached YMCA. I did work out and then had dinner. I made sure I was busy so I wouldn't dwell all night on the fact that I wasn't taking tickets or working in the Opry wuth Philip. We always do our radio show on Wednesday evening!
Today my drive takes me through the Blue Ridge Parkway and then to Gatlinburg. Ellen and I are presenting our standards workshop at the National Storytelling Conference. We should have a lot of fun sharing our work (from two years ago!) with teachers from all over. We have a cabin in the mountains, and the weather sounds delightful there! I will cherish some cool air after a hot summer!
So, I am a long way from home, wherever that is...Indiana...Ocracoke...sigh.
There is always something to miss.
Love to all,
Lou Ann
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1 comment:
I can feel your pain through your writing! Wish I was there to hear you and Ellen. What a great presentation that will be! I start with two workshops on Monday and Wednesday. Sigh! We really are back, aren't we? Let's get together!
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