REFRESH PART III

Pilot Mountain, NC

Part of keeping a balanced life, refreshing ourselves from, at least in America, the unhappiness that the current regime takes pleasure in spreading, is taking care of our bodies, minds and souls. We all do this.  We might grieve the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, where Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, and Betty Ford held sway.  We might protest the extra-judicial killing of Venezuelans who may or may not be transporting drugs. We make daily acts of resistance.  But we also take care.  

Mr. Airy, NC

  I can't write about our simple trip to a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, only 2 hours from home, without first acknowledging that.  We're under stress, but we take care.  All of us.  

This week after the joy of NO KINGS DAY on October 18, with the eloquent Rev. William Barber exhorting us, I chose a mountain overnight to celebrate my birthday.  We drove past Pilot Mountain with its knob on top, to the town of Mt. Airy, which was called Mayberry on the old Andy Griffith show.   Small town North Carolina at its best.  Just about everyone in our region has been here. 

  Then we headed up and down the mountain to the even smaller town of Fancy Gap, year-round population under 300.   We stayed in the cabin pictured below, perfect with a fire pit outdoors and a lovely view of the property.  It was just cold enough. 

Cozy Cabin, Fancy Gap, VA

Of course, Bluegrass is the specialty of the region and we were excited that jam night at the Country Store in Fancy Gap is Thursday, the night we were there.  So barbecue and music was the evening.  Musicians wandered in and joined the circle.  Someone named a song and a key and strummin' and singin' began. 

 

Country Store, Fancy Gab, VA

The next day because it was my birthday I got to browse pottery and arts and crafts at my leisure.  I felt completely lucky the whole time, with such a fun experience and change from our ordinary day only 2 hours away.  It felt like a big trip, just the one overnight, and left me totally refreshed.  These kinds of good things, all good things in fact, are reminders of what we are holding the line for, why we resist, and why we won't give up and let our country become Turkey or China or Russia or any place with a billionaire tin-horn dictator. 

 

In peace, Nina Naomi