This is our usual Christmas hike where we head to the woods and look for a bird's nest to add to the Christmas tree. This hike was on Spivey's Mtn. near West Asheville where both our daughters Adrienne and Erica live. Isaac, Adrienne's beau, took the photo. This was the remnant of the foot of snow the area had about a week before Christmas. This was the first Christmas our girls actually had for us so I guess we are in a new phase of life. It was great to share some meals, sing songs and eat good food together.
Chip and I headed to John C. Campbell Folkschool in Brasstown, NC (near Murphy, 3 hrs. from Asheville, West) for the Dance week where we took Waltz workshop, Tango, Harmony Singing, English Country Dancing and Contra. We danced to our heart's content for a week and it was wonderful. We loved the sense of community there and met lots of wonderful people. In Brasstown they have a Possum Drop instead of the Ball Drop for New Year's. A possum in a cage is lowered at the countdown to midnight on New Year's and then is let go back into the forest!
It's been a busy but good year for all of us. Chip is working 2 weeks a month in Morganton, NC where his father is in a Retirement community. We don't like to be apart, but it is a good situation for him and he is enjoying it. This is a temporary situation so we will carry on for now.
I am tutoring reading to 3rd graders 3 mornings per week and enjoying it very much. This winter I am knitting and will probably start a quilt. I am also taking workshop courses on Environmental Education which is one of my interests. Just finished one on Winter Tree Identification yesterday in very cold weather, but I learned a lot and was out practicing this morning in cold weather. Ever since Adrienne taught me about warm gear for the outdoors I no longer wait for warm days to be outside...I love the woods and nature which is something I have from my parents who were birdwatchers and nature observers. My Dad loved the weather and kept a close eye on it and reported on it constantly. He would have been thrilled with all the recent snow. He taught me a lot about watching the cloud formations and the sky changes.
Tonight we go to our monthly potluck and singing group of friends where we sing from the book Rise Up Singing. Maybe we will get them to sing some of the songs we learned at the Folkschool.
It would be great to hear from all you other Andrews Kin. Please send us some updates and photos!
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