Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Friday, October 22, 2021

Fall in the Mountains

This is the kind of view I get on the Parkway which is not far from where I live.

Fall in the mountains is cool and colorful
Last weekend fall festivals were happening everywhere. The Punkin Chunkin was going on in Clay County NC. Traffic is awful here this time of year, but it matters not to me. I am in my cozy home where I have been busy all day.

Friday I hosted some friends, who had all been vaccinated, on my deck. It was great to visit with them and catch up on what has been going on the past year and a half. The weather cooperated and we all want to do it again soon.

Visiting with them, face to face, was the best therapy. Even though I enjoy my alone time, I need people. Not just any people, but people I care about. I imagine most of us feel like that after so much isolation due to COVID. 

Fall festivals were such fun for Barry and me. We loved the banjoes, fiddles and guitars as the local musicians played and the cloggers danced. The handmade articles I purchased still bring a warm feeling when I see them and use them. 

Fall was when my family came to visit. My brothers, Ray, Max and Rex and their wives enjoyed the festivals and we enjoyed having them here. Ray and Rex, the oldest and the youngest of the four are gone and I miss them so much. But we made good memories. Ray liked this area so much he said he wished we had all moved here years ago. That would never have happened. My father was so attached to his farm in southwest Georgia, that he didn't even like to go into town. 

Thanks to Barry, I left the place where I grew up and found the place I was supposed to be. Soon I will visit my family in the Atlanta area and I look forward to seeing them. A new lifestyle is beginning. I will spend more time there where I can continue to teach my online classes and write more than I am now.

When I was a child I did not like fall. School began in the fall. Summer ended. Autumn was a sad time, a time when living things began to die. When freedom ended, tight schedules began. Early mornings were hard on this insomniac, catching the yellow school bus at 7:30 AM and sitting in a classroom for hours and hours drained my energy, both physical and mental.

The first time I really enjoyed this season was when I was a freshman at Georgia State College for Women. I loved the smell in the air as I walked on campus and kicked leaves on the walkways. We didn't have fallen leaves like that in south Georgia. I liked to go to a hillside near the school and lie in the crisp colors that blanketed the grass. I liked going to school then. I adapted to college life quickly and although I was homesick for a while, I enjoyed living in a dormitory and making new friends. 
I think I fell in love with fall that year.
I also found romantic love that year. So long ago.



4 comments:

  1. You are blessed with beautiful (restorative) views.
    I am so glad that you have been able to enjoy face to face contact with people again.
    Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. I enjoy the more moderate temperatures and adore the arboreal fireworks.

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  2. Glenda, I'm glad you had a nice visit with friends on your deck. Unfortunately, I won't be doing that for a while. I may have been exposed to COVID earlier this week. So, I'm sheltering in place to be on the safe side. Thank goodness for virtual activities like your class. See you Monday.

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  3. Thanks, EC. I enjoy just driving around in the fall. Each minute the scenery can change and I see another beautiful view.

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  4. Abbie, I am sorry you have been exposed to COVID.It is frightening. My recent test was negative, thankfully, and I was free to be with my sister and BIL today. I hope you get a good result.

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