NORTH CAROLINA

Our adventure to North Carolina has already come and gone. We had a great visit with family. Calder was a huge surprise and a big hit. It was so fun to be the secret, unexpected visitors. My grandmother was actually present in Oregon when Calder was born, but under the circumstances she didn't get to hold him before she had to leave to go home. What a treat it was to see her and Calder together, especially since she hadn't expected to see him (outside of photos) until he was almost a year old.



We ventured south to spend a few days with my mom's sisters Gloria (L) and Wanda (R) pictured here with Calder and my mom. We indulged in sweet tea, barbeque, pound cake, butter beans, fried okra, candied yams... real good food. Even Calder had a taste or two of the good stuff thanks to his Great Aunt Gloria who wouldn't let him miss out on the pound cake's caramel frosting.



I've never considered our trips to North Carolina vacations like going to Hawaii or some other place you've never been before where you stay in hotels or explore sites. These visits have always been about family, staying in their homes, gathering for meals, making the rounds to make sure you see everyone. I enjoy it though it's completely different from a vacation. My mom and dad moved away from there before I was born, but nearly everyone else is still there which means a visit from us West Coasters is a big deal.

I thought a lot about Shari as we drove through the small brick towns, past fields, and forests that look so different from the ones here in Oregon. I was experiencing her "normal". She writes often about her surroundings, the seasons, the weather, the plants and rivers. For me the North Carolina landscape is made of memories. It's familiar but completely unknown.



This may be the first time I've ever taken pictures of what I saw in North Carolina, the sharp light of mid-day, the pines. We spent a morning touring my mom's farm acreage, considering the state of the open land and timber from the backseat of a Grand Marquis. Gloria showed me the pond that my cousin Jake has set up for fishing with old school chairs on the banks. I'd love to spend an entire day there.



Back up at Grandmother's my parents, Calder and I took a walk at a nearby lake. The forest was beautiful. We never do things like that in North Carolina. The forest floor was littered with last year's leaves, the woods were open, the land rolled in old rocks under our feet. That walk was like a vacation.

Final stretch

We keep coming back. It's been so fun to follow this project from the first days of harvesting and coming up with the initial design all the way through to near-completion.





I think Sunday is the last day for building. We plan on going tomorrow.





Weaving work began yesterday on the 9th, and final, structure. A crew was out, yet again, harvesting willow. My friend, Ashley, and I pulled leaves off alder branches. We'll go again tomorrow and see what more we can do. Our friend, Laura, who does radio pieces for NPR, has put one together about Patrick's work here. She said there's a bit of Calder and myself in the piece. It will air on Monday. I'll share the link then.

So, the little nugget of information I was referring to in the previous post has been confirmed... years ago, not exactly sure when, Patrick worked concurrently as an artist and a house painter. One of the homes he painted in Chapel Hill was my Grandmother's. "Oh, Virginia!" he said when I spoke with him about it yesterday. He is a very nice man with a Southern congeniality, a kindness and personable way about him. I appreciate the recognition he had for my Grandmother, and enjoy imagining their conversations while he worked. That he may have seen a photo of an infant or awkward pre-teen Me all those miles away and years ago, makes me smile. And now we meet here. I love that sort of thing!

GRANDMOTHER MANN'S DATE+NUT PINWHEELS



The Southtown Cookie Exchange is today! I think there's around 16 families participating. Wow. The list (so far) of cookies that will be there today: creme de mint, oatmeal choc chip, shortbread pecan, pumpkin, gingersnap, molasses ginger, spritzers, sugar, pecan cups, choc chip, lemon bars, date+nut pinwheels, and buckeyes... dang!



Very important note: This is a recipe you have to plan to make a few days in advance because it goes through TWO rounds of overnight chilling.

Grandmother Mann's Date+Nut Pinwheels

Day One .............................................................

For the dough:
4 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter (room temperature)
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer so the egg-allergic could eat these too.)

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl beat butter, sugar, and eggs. Gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.
Separate dough into two equal portions, shape into 1" thick bricks, wrap, and put in fridge to chill overnight.



Day Two .............................................................

For the filling:
2 1/4 c. chopped dates (I used date pieces which I broke into smaller bits.)
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. chopped pecans (sliced 1/4")

Combine dates, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Heat slowly on medium/medium low to dissolve sugar. Stir constantly. Dates will break down and form a dark brown paste. This might take about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Assembly:
Roll out dough into a 1/4" thick rectangle. Spread date filling on dough. Sprinkle with nuts and roll up carefully so as not to split the dough too much. Place rolls in fridge to chill overnight.

Day Three .............................................................



Cut rolls into 1/4" slices.



Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 375F, 10-12 minutes.



Eat. Share. Enjoy!

South

We're back from a week in the Carolinas. Home to most of my extended family.


He just got passed around. Growing so quickly these days. Big changes.


Spending some time with Grandmother Mann.


Lake practiced rolling over with Aunt Wanda looking on.

It was a wonderful opportunity to introduce Lake to the clan, eat too much good food, experience 80 degrees and high humidity in October, marvel at my mother's familiarity with a place in which I had no sense of direction, eat even more good food, re-introduce my son Calder, expose him to his family and a life even I don't really know all that well.




In the cotton fields with Calder (and the giant mosquitos!)


At Ron's: Calder and Daddy with the pups, Lake and my mom on the tractor, second cousin Kaylee's horse


Check out who got to drive this beauty! My cousin Ron is the best!




In Uncle Clarence's garage: a 1910 Maxwell, a Ford Model A, and a little something for Calder to ride.


Jeff's new favorite dog: the Blue Healer


Best friends at Cousin Ron's.

There was cotton and cotton pickers. Tractors, 4-wheelers and century-old cars. Dogs and horses and donkeys.




Two from Woodham's Home Phone Service and hand-scooped ice cream in Bennettsville, SC


On the plate at the Harvest Sale: Stanton's Bar-b-que, hushpuppies, candied sweet potatoes, slaw, a chocolate cupcake on the side, and a cup of sweet tea to wash it down.


Daddy and Calder fishing in Burlington, NC

We carved 2 pumpkins. Went fishing a handful of times. Ate bar-b-q twice (not enough!), fried chicken once, drake too many glasses of sweet tea and helped ourselves to multiple servings of a creamy concoction made from cottage cheese, cream cheese, whipped cream, canned pineapple and mandarins (delicious sprinkled with chopped pecans.)

I love that Aunt Wanda's house is always open. There's always someone, a child, a grandchild stopping in to visit or just grab something to eat. Even if she's not home. So much hospitality in each one of their homes.

* * *



There's more things I'd like to share here, like what Calder said to the woman who was smoking in the farm implement store in Clio, SC, (made me so proud.) But I'm feeling worn out. I need a vacation from our vacation.

Fall is happening so quickly. Normal life is seeming hard right now.

Yes, again

We love it here.





Friday we were joined first by two other mamas and their pair of kiddos, and then surprised on site by another 3 friends with their girls. It was a no-school day, so the leaf pullers were out in force.



Progress is good. The tops are being formed. His project has attracted the basketweavers in the community. There are many! And I don't know if he's letting them do their magic on the tops or not. It may be his idea and their know-how, or all Patrick. Either way, each one of these structures will end up with a different topiary-like bobble on its crown.



I just learned a little gem of information from my grandmother back in North Carolina. Turns out there may be a connection between her and the world-famous artist. Will wait 'til I can confirm with him before putting it out here.

WINTERTIME

Peek!



Walking the streets of Portland with his Papa and Mama Freda.



He's a snazzy dresser! New "outside" shoes and the great hoodie sweater that was knit for him by his Aunt Winnie and Gammy G (Great Grandmother.)



We've had some wonderful days of snowy weather here. It's not common, so we've really enjoyed it and are sad when it melts off every afternoon.



A daytime view of the moon (one of his favorite things) over the snowy trees in the greenway behind the house. Come back snow!

Making it happen

We stir.

Fill the sink.

Drain.

Anticipate.

For a little longer.

Check it out.

And then, boom! We're there.

Over the river and through the woods we dodged traffic all the way to Grandmother's house. Pies intact. Spirits high. Looking forward to the feast!