Eclipse - 2017

Over a year ago I read about the total eclipse coming to the southeast and talked to Aloma about going to Charleston to see it.  We decided that it would be a two-day trip with a risk of clouds, dimming the experience.  We decided to stay home and enjoy a partial eclipse.

We’ve always been interested in the night sky.  Our children still talk about our getting them up in the middle of the night to watch a lunar eclipse or a meteor shower.

We wanted to make this rare eclipse special so we watched it at Bradford Hall,  our community clubhouse, with, it seems, the entire community.  We were given special viewing glasses and a pinhole projection card, and warned to not look directly at the sun.  Lemonade and ice tea were served while we watch the approach of the eclipse on a wide-screen television.  Everyone was in a festive mood.

We went outside every few minutes to watch the progress of the moon as it slowly covered the sun.  Finally, out peak came, about 92%.  We, and everyone else, were excited.

I explained to Aloma that it was a tradition in our family for lovers to kiss during the peak of the eclipse.

She bought it,  Wow!!

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Confusing Advice

I enjoy a glass of wine, a  cocktail or a beer on the deck with Aloma in the evening before supper.  While I’m not rigid about my diet, I do like to eat and drink things that are mostly good for me.  But I’m confused about daily alcohol consumption.

During the last few months, I’ve read:

• Men who consume two to three drinks a day tend to live longer and have few problems with dementia.
• Red wine is beneficial.  White wine and other alcoholic drinks are not helpful.
• Any type of alcohol is beneficial.
• Even small amounts of alcohol (more than one drink three times a week) shrinks the brain.
• Heavy drinkers (3 to 5 drinks a day) tend to live to 85 years old with fewer physical problems and dementia than other people.

Now I understand the conclusions are based on data mining, not double blind studies, but they sure are ambiguous.

So what is one to do?  I’m going to think about this problem this evening with a glass of white wine in my hand.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Blowing Rock - 2017

Blowing Rock, North Carolina has been special for us since we moved to North Carolina.  When we lived in Mooresville, we would leave for Blowing Rock by 8:00 a.m., hike by 10:00 and have lunch by 1:00.  Aloma would shop after lunch while I sat on a park bench drinking coffee and watching people.  We usually left for home before 3:00, leaving temperatures in the mid-seventies and returning to  Mooresville with temperatures in the nineties.  We loved those trips.

Now that we’re living in Cary, the drive to Blowing Rock is over three hours.  Six hours of driving is too much for us for a day trip.  So for the past three years, we go once but stay for a couple of days.

After an extremely hot July, we were more than ready for cool temperatures in Blowing Rock.  We stayed for three nights in the motel where I broke my hip 15 years ago.  Our balcony overlooked huge fir trees and a fast moving brook.  The temperatures were mild, a low one morning of 53 degrees and no daytime temperature higher than 76.  It was perfect.

Last year, because of the pain in her hip, Aloma could barely walk around Bass Lake, stopping every hundred yards to sit.  In spite of her broken femur during a hip replacement in December, she not only walked around the lake with ease this year but hiked up the switchback trail for over 30 minutes.  Wow!

We’re thankful we can drive to such a wonderful place in only three hours.  Next, we’re planning a trip to the seashore next month - again, only a three hour drive.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.coms

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