Death & ressurection

I know, we are totally done with the Easter Season for yet another liturgical year. But recent events in my life & in my walk with Our LORD have got me pondering { Best Dude would say OBSESSING, Ha ha} about the concept of death & resurrection.


Death & resurrection are all around us. Some may say that it is " the circle of life" or " the plan of the Universe" but nothing is constant.


Beginnings will eventually yield endings.


Each winter will be followed by a Spring, then summer and finally autumn. Babies are born every day and elderly people pass on from this Earthly life. Where I grew up, certain trees in the woods hear my home have leaves that dry out, change color and eventually fall to the ground. The stark bare Winter landscape of the Appalachia where I am from eventually leads to a lush, green Springtime.


Of course , many of we Christians follow our LORD Jesus Christ from the garden where He was betrayed , too the Cross, and to the Grave and FINALLY to His glorious resurrection & ascension. Thanks be to God! I know that going through the " death" part of this cycle can be painful.  When I feel alone, depressed, angry, ect-- I ponder the actions of Christ's closest comrades, His disciples. Although He tried to explain to them that His earthly ministry will end, they did not want to face


 I try hard to remember during this time in my life that Christ, the risen Christ, is everywhere. Even when I find myself facing a metaphorical " death" {meaning the end of a relationship or relationships} I know that often we must " die" to something on order to be " resurrected" into something or somewhere better.  It is painful, but endings lead to beginnings often the beginnings of better, healthier, more grace-filled life.


Amen.

PROUD #Appalachian

These past few days have not been good for the image of northern Appalachia, from where I hail.




A recent episode of the TV police procedural drama  " Criminal Minds" took place near Wheeling , West Virginia. the writers & producers of that show have clearly never been to the West Virginia Panhandle, based on their interpretation of the culture & people of that region.  We Northern Appalachians were portrayed as inbred, meth-making, drug-addicted incest-practitioners.


This is a HORRIBLE Stereotype of West Virginia in particular & of Northern Appalachia in general. One: Wheeling is much closer to the Ohio & Pennsylvania borders than  most of " downstate " West Virginia. If the CM writers wanted to make a mockery of West Virginians, they could not have chosen a less accurate town in the state. Wheeling is in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and the accents used by the actors in this episode were more of a Kentucky/Tennessee hill variety. If the writers had done their research, they would know that we have more of an Uplands Plateau accent .


Also, the subplot of incest was inaccurate and cruel to my friends in West Virginia.


there are many problems in the part of the nation from which I hail. But incest is not one of those problems & meth-making is a nationwide problem that is NOT confined to we " hillbillies".


That's all.

A wee bit homesick{ or, "I hate August & September in Florida}

Sometimes one just needs to " gripe."

I'll commence with the good news: Best Dude has been slowly but surely building our chicken coop.  Here is a photo of the past few days' work on Project Bock Bock Bock Jack:

He added the walls & even windows. You cannot see it in the photo, but there is also a floor.  We have an old desk that will serve as our nest/roost area for the chickens.

In other news: I hate summers in Florida and I am so weary of this RAIN! Normally I am no fan of August & September{ Florida summers are hot, humid & LONG!} I grew up in the northeast, so when August of each year rolls around I am ready to don long pants & a light jacket. After nearly 15 years of living in Florida I am still not accustomed to these 7-month-long summers. People who live up North and think that living in the State of Perpetual Sunshine means 12 months of Beach Weather you are sadly mistaken.  It has been so rainy this summer that I never attained my customary Florida tan.  If it is not raining the humidity deems any sort of outdoor activity  as miserable.

 I am not the only one in our household who despises this weather.Our dog does not even enjoy his morning walks when the humidity is so high---and he REALLY hates walking in the torrential rain.

Summers in Florida are just too damn long. Autumn & Spring in Florida are way too damn short.  I miss my four seasons.

I am grateful that the coast has {thus far} avoided being hit by a " H-Storm". But , since my trip back to the Northern Appalachians, I've yearned for a reprieve from the rain, humidity and broiling temps And I shall admit it here: I miss my friends up North. As much as I try, I am not & probably never will be a true Floridian.  August & September are the two months out of the year that I really feel my  geographical " otherness" .

I miss hills, big shade trees that molt their leaves every autumn, cooler " football weather", snow, , watching EVERY Steeler football game on TV, and a host of other tidbits of life in Northern Appalachia. Yet I cannot deny that Northwest Florida is home now...and that I have carved out a good life for myself here.

It is not easy to bloom where I am planted. Deep within myself I know that I am meant to be here & I do not wish to mess up the equilibrium of my life as it is currently.

Neither Best Dude nor I play the lottery, but if I won said lottery I'd find us a small plane for frequent trips up North.

Amen.

Things I would tell my 18-year-old self.....

Have you ever wondered what you would tell your younger self if you had a chance to time-travel?

One of my favorite Brad Paisley songs is " Letter To Me" The lyrics basically are a letter to Mr. Paisley's 17-year-old self.

If I could write a letter to myself  during the summer that I graduated from high school, this is what I would say:

Dear 18-year-old Sarah Beth:

Congrats! After four years of hell, you made it through high school.  Much awaits you on this journey called adulthood.

You WILL make it through college: although your post-secondary academic career will take a detour.

Don't worry, your first three years of undergrad will NOT be a waste of time--- you'll meet some of your dearest friends { and your first true love} at Small College. Your faith in God will grow, and Campus Ministries will be instrumental in the development of both your social and spiritual life.  Embrace all the opportunities that your time at Small College offers, both the good & the not-so-good times. Take a variety of demanding courses and do not worry about graduating in four years--- so much more is ahead of you than you can ever imagine as a college freshman.

Cherish the friends you'll make at Small College, as these people will be an emotional " lifeline" later.

Regarding your very first true heartbreak: remember that " if you love something or someone, let him go. If he comes back to you, he's yours. If he doesn't, he was never "yours" in the first place.

Enjoy your time with Pap. Tell him that you love him every chance you see him. No one lives forever. Ditto for Granny Jeanne, she really does love you. Try to ignore her sharp tongue , or better yet---laugh at some of the inane things she says. She won't be around forever either.

Listen to your parents. They really do hold your best interests in mind. There are some things that parental units just * cannot* understand, but know that they love you & only wish for your happiness.

Be open-minded regarding the move to Florida { Yes, you will move to Florida} Embrace what the " Sunshine State" has to offer. It is OK to be homesick, as you are an Appalachian Girl forever, but just know that Florida will eventually endear itself to you.

Follow where the Holy Spirit leads...you'll come to a crisis in your faith life but know that God is always with you. You will be just fine & the existential faith crisis will be the vessel that God uses to bring you to a wonderful faith community. Be not afraid.

Do not worry about meeting the right guy. He is for sure worth the wait! You have so many good years ahead of you.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Sarah at age 37

' Burghing....on a summer's afternoon.

Two of my aunts and I took a short road trip from Hometown into Pittsburgh one day . We met Urbanne Cousin for lunch in the part of the city that was previously known as East Liberty. { now I've learned it goes by the trendier moniker of "Eastside".

O City Of Pittsburgh, please just leave well-enough alone! Its hard enough for me to get accustomed to the Penguins' home as " Mellon Arena" when all my life it has gone by the simpler name of " Pittsburgh Civic Arena".

I'm just sayin'....

Anyhow, we met Urbanne at her place of employment  & took a brief city walk to a very chic gourmet hamburger place known as BRGR. { Yes, I spelled that correctly: it is really BRGR}

 See? I told you it is really BRGR! 

We ate some tasty albeit expensive hamburgers and enjoyed some good conversation with Urbanne, whom I had not seen in two summers. She is ten years younger than me, but in many ways I look to her for inspiration. I only wish I possessed some of the chutzpah that my younger cousin shows.

I love Pittsburgh!

My Hometown

I concluded my trip with a visit to  Hometown, { western} Pa.

Usually this part of my trip is pleasant, but not traditionally " fun". My father's family have been hear since the 1800-something & most of them still live in that very county where our ancestors came to from Ireland.

There is not a lot to to in Hometown, PA. One of the traditions that is the most meaningful to me is the Supper At Grandma's House. My grandmother is an excellent cook & she makes a weekly meal for  the children & grandchildren. { not all of them show up, but there is always a crowd at the table.

Here is the set table before the meal.

 There is nothing as tasty as Pennsylvania sweet corn.

 Family members visting in Grandma's living room.

I also visited the campus Of Small Pennsylvania Public College, where my uncle teaches.

 This pretty bloom caught my attention as I walked aroudn the main part of campus.

 I miss the gently rolling Appalachian hills of western Pennsylvania

More Lake 2013 Photo Memories

It is pouring down rain this morning here in Florida. Best Dude & I hoped to go walk on the beach this morning, but it looks like we'll be housebound again today. I am weary of this wet, humid summer weather here on the Gulf Coast.  One of the best aspects of summers at the lake is how I can walk in the mornings & evenings wearing jeans & a t-shirt.

This is a fine-looking vintage Airstream camper that I saw during one of my walks at the Lake.

This is the dock where G and I tanned ourselves. It floats , but is easily accessible from the bank of the lake. I love the nautical look of the lifesaver ring.

 I cooled my tired feet off in the creek The creek was high & gently babbling & the water felt so good on my feet. When I was younger I spent much time in the creeks.

This creek is the same creek that ran near the house in Ohio where I lived. There was an empty lot behind the house that was used as a hideout among the neighborhood young people.

  I've always liked this little red footbridge near my favorite wading place at the Lake.

Some campers decorated the site with painted rocks.

The sunsets over the Lake are amazing.

G & S's Great Glamping Adventure, 2013

My best gal pal and I went " Glamping" at the Lake over the Fourth Of July. She rented one of the cabins at the Lake & we stayed down there for two nights. It was fun , and I am glad we had this quality time together.

Here is the exterior of our little cabin. Isn't it pretty?

 I took some photos of the interior after we settled in. I apologize for the mess. The cabin has a set of bunk beds, one queen-sized lower bunk & one upper bunk { on which I slept} that is a twin bed. It also had a futon that can sleep two more people. We did not have a kitchen { nor plumbing} in this cabin, but we DID enjoy electricity.

Our front porch boasted a rocking chair & a porch swing. Since the cabin has no water, I had to brush my teeth on the porch in the mornings & evenings. Thankfully the " facilities" were located within a very short walking distance from this cabin.

We ate a lot of traditional " camp food", but one lunch had us eating Ramen noodles out of microwavable pots ! {College flashback, anyone? }

 Although we tried to have a fire , the rain was a challenge. Our meager fire was fun, however & we burned several sheets of old newspapers in our fire-building attempt.

One the Fourth, G and I were treated to a motorboat ride around the Lake. We were fortunate enough to see a juvenile eagle{ no I could not get a photo of it--as it was too far in the sky}

It was a wonderful experience & one that I shall treasure forever.

One especially nice day at the Lake

My vacation to the mountains this year was GREAT!  { other than the hideous flight experience home, I have absolutely no complaints about my time up North.

One day in particular will stay with me for a long time. Best Dude & I hike out coastal paradise & it is wonderful in its own{ very flat} way. Since I grew up in the Appalachian woodlands, coastal hiking is inferior to hiking in the mountains.

My friend CK, who is a botanist & a professor at a midsized university in the Southeast, came to the Lake to spend the day with me. Now it isn't unusual for some of my good friends to come visit with me when I'm at the Lake, but CK and I had not seen each other in person for 16 years!

Yup, we hadn't seen each other in person for  16 year yet we maintained our friendship. That fact in itself is , in my opinion, pretty darn awesome.

Anyhow, we spent a lot of time walking. CK, being a botanist, examined & identified many different plants we saw on our hikes.

This is a " Shag Bark Hickory" tree. Note the unusual bark. Don't ask me to recall the scientific names of any of the flora we saw on our hikes: I'm not *that*much into plants!

This is the view of the path up the hillside that we took. the " head" of this particular trail is located right behind " Granny's" house. I've walked this trail several times before, but had not done so in YEARS until this summer. Last year I got hurt whilst hiking solo , so I shall ALWAYS take another hiker with me on my excursions.

 This is known as a  Resurrection Fern. I think it is pretty, growing out of a seemingly barren rocky hillside.

Here is the phoebe bird nest that we found above the front door on Granny's porch. We could not tell if the nest had eggs or not, so we did not touch it.

Later that day, we took a pontoon boat ride around to the other end of the Lake.  I LOVE the view of the mountains surrounding the lake valley & captured several images with my Nikon camera.

There is a huge maple tree towards which I have always felt an affinity located in the park. When I came early to work there during summers of high school and my First College, I would often bring a book & sit under this tree reading until my shift started.  I found out later that the tree is a Black Maple tree, identified by its seed pods.

It is true that I belong on the Northern Gulf Coast of Florida now, but a part of my essence shall remain Appalachian.

Re-Creation

I'm leaving for my two-week vacation. My flight out of Pensacola is scheduled to leave at 11:05 A.M.. After a three-hour layover in Atlanta{ and providing that nothing goes wrong with my connecting flight to Pittsburgh} I'll arrive in Pittsburgh at 5:42 EST.

I NEED this break. While I' will miss Best Dude & Big Dog terribly when I am away, I know that I'll be home to the Gulf Coast .

Friends up North tell me that it is hot & humid there , too. However, I feel a need to escape the Deep South at least once per year . I need to remember my roots in order to rest & re-create .

there will be hiking, swimming, eating & late-night talks with friends.

On Sunday I am worshipping at the church where I was baptized.

I'll spend July 4 NOT WORKING at the Lake for once.

I'll see a friend  in person for the first time in 16 years.

Hopefully Grandma Anne will take me to Sunday Mass in Butler & I will enjoy Sunday supper at her house with kin.

It is already looking up to be a great time of Re-Creation for me.

Spring has Sprung on the Coast!

Best Dude had today off from work, so we spent the morning on the beach. he took a cobia rig for fishing, but did not see any cobia close enough to the shore. The boats were out fishing, but we could not see if they brought any in or not.

I wrote " Choot 'Em" in the sand. { If you do not watch "Swamp People" on TV, you will not understand the humour behind it. }

Best Dude did some casting. I tried to cast with his cobia rig, but it is still a wee bit too heavy for me. I cast much farther with light tackle.

He took this photo of me showing off my {hard-earned} slightly more muscular physique.

I NEVER tire of seeing this view...and it is located only 5 minutes from my home.

An act of congress passed...I GOT MY PLANE TICKETS!

It took a figurative Act of Congress, but I finally bought my plane tickets  for my trip up North this summer. FYI, I'll leave Florida via the Pensacola airport on June 27 & arrive home to the Florida Gulf Coast late  on 8 July.

The reason it was so difficult for me to procure my plane tickets is that my debit card { apparently} had the wrong address filed at the bank. When I entered my address for the debit card on Air Tran's web site , i kept getting an " error message" that the address I entered was " wrong". {WTH?}

Anyhow, after much frustration on my part & much patience on the part of Best Dude, I decided to call the bank  the next day.


The bank's manager with whom I dealt was wonderful & I was able to buy my plane tickets soon after I finished talking with her on the phone. the trip will cost quite a bit of my limited income, but I know darn well it is worth it. My annual trip to The Lake isn't just a vacation for me, its a spiritual/psychologial retreat for me.

Anyhow, as much as I love my coastal life, I will *never* consider myself a southern gal. Especially as summer gets closer , I yearn for my mountain Utopia that is The Lake. Many of my earlier memories  are NOT pleasant, but all my memories of my time at The Lake are pleasant.

I'm so not a "yuppie'. While I will admit to feeling a bit of discontent regarding Beach Community , I've grown to consider myself "Southern by Adoption".  Yet, since my " Adoption" came as an adult, my Northern roots still run deep in my psyche.

"Where I come frome/we rode in trucks"~ Luke Bryan.
"In my neck of the woods/I'm just the girl next door"~ Gretchen Wilson.
"Mountaineers are always free." ~West Virginia's state motto.

Shenendoah...O Shenendoah

I found some photos from a trip I took to Northern Virginia back in 2006. When we were there , we spent a day hiking part of Shenandoah National Park.

Sometimes I miss the mountains much more than I care to admit.

Homesickness sucks.

Check out this view!

Forget diamonds: HERE are some ROCKS!

Cloudy Beach Day Cobia Hunt

After early Mass today, Best Dude & I took a walk on the local beach. Although it wasn't sunny; the Gulf was still gorgeous today.  It is days such as today when I really do not miss the mountains nearly as much as I do at other times of the year.

The cobia boats were out fishing today. Best Dude had a rod & reel with him, but we didn't see any cobia close enough to shore to cast a line. Best Dude *did* let me cast once.:O)

ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHTED 2013 by COASTAL HILLBILLY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Mountain Roads versus white sand.

On Sunday evening I made the customary call to my grandmother in Pennsylvania to wish her a happy Easter. During our brief but pleasant conversation I learned that ALL my cousins were able to make it " home"  for the annual Family Easter Dinner. Grandma said that the family is all well.

My parental units are out-of-the-country, so no Easter Feast was had at their house.

Holidays can really " suck" when one is thousands of miles away from kith & kin. I had a wonderful Easter Morning with my parish family at church but when one grows up in a HUGE Irish-Roman Catholic family--holidays meant face-time with the aunts. uncles & cousins & the god family in Ohio.

I've made my own life here on the Florida Gulf Coast & * most* of the time I am content to be here & truly am " blooming where planted" But major holidays always leave me with a sense of sadness, as it is financially impossible for me to travel North to see my family on such days. Due to the increase of airline tickets, I can only afford to make one trip up north per calendar year.

Best Dude was working a 2-8 shift on Easter Sunday, so I ended up spending the afternoon of the Feast Of The Resurrection alone. My excitement was catching up on my newest TV addiction, "Duck Dynasty" and trying to forget how much I miss my extended family every major holiday. :O(

If I had access to a windfall of money, I'd plan trips up North for Best Dude & me to visit my " people" every Christmas & Easter week. But since I do not have said money , I am " stuck" in Florida for all major Christian & secular holidays.

Money controls the world.

Yuck.

Wisteria

I know some people thing that wisteria vines are " weeds" but I love them. I think they are SO PRETTY and  smell nice.

Of course , growing up in Appalachia, I loved walking around the rural area smelling the lilacs that grew naturally there.

Yet more photos....

I took these photos two days ago in our yard. Plants are starting to bloom here in Northwest Florida after what seems to have been a long " winter" season.

 This is a photo of our betta fish boy" Duncan". We got him almost one year ago after my first betta boy, " Argo" expired suddenly. His names comes from the his bright red crown tail: it reminds me of the chasuble that our bishop wears.

St Pauls' Episcopal Church, Selma, AL

On Sunday Best Dude & I woke very early in order to drive to Selma, Alabama to visit two of our favorite people{ who just happen to both be priests at St Pauls' Episcopal Church} Anyway, we arrived in plenty of time for the 10:30 Mass. Naturally, I took along my Nikon & got some great photos of the church & its stained-glass interior.

It was a lovely, albeit foggy drive north to Selma.We left home at 5:30 A.M. & saw the sun rise over a foggy sky. As we drove north, and then west, I saw many small elevations in the grade of the land. As a mountaineer, sometimes I miss life at a higher elevation, so riding along on a two-lane country road brought back many fine memories of rural life.  Most of the woodland critters who live in the Alabama woos were in hiding{ this IS hunting season  after all!} but we did notice a flock of birds-of-prey roosting on a power line.

Here is a photo of the gorgeous stained-glass window near the ceiling in the nave above the front door of the church.

 This is a view of the nave of St Paul's , Selma.

                 There is a side chapel located off to the left of the main seating area of the nave.

There is an original Tiffany stained-glass window upstairs in the Fellowship Hall. I could not capture the detail o this work with my " budget" software, but the scene depicted in the glass is "The Wedding at Cana"

I love the Gothic architecture of the St Pauls' Selma church building.

Pittsburgh, PA urban hike

Two years ago I spent the day with Cousin J in the City of Bridges: PITTSBURGH. We took a two-and-a-half-mile  urban hikes around The Golden Triangle.

Here is one of the suspension bridges that cross Pittsburgh's three rivers. Although I am not sure: I believe this bridge to be the very one that is featured on the movie _Flashdance_

 This is the view from Point State Park of Mount Washington.

 Our view of "Dahntahn" as seen from Point State Park.

Pittsburgh Plate Glass, also known as PPG Place.

We saw the huge statue of Fred Rogers { _Mr Roger's Neighborhood_}

I miss the old Three Rivers' Stadium. We walked by both the new Pirates' baseball stadium & Heinz Field.