Smokey Mountain Breakdown

Just an update.

Thank you so much, all of you who responded to my plea for help. I can't tell you how much it is appreciated.

I went and picked up a USB modem at the Newport Walmart, but it wouldn't work so I took it back.

Tomorrow I'll be in Morristown at the amazing First Friday Market. I've posted pictures from a past market in both Buzznet and here. All of the oldtimers come down from the hills to swap and sell small livestock, chickens, guineas, game chickens and tools and such. I'm hoping to pick up some stories while I'm there and maybe some photos of some of the characters that show up.

I'm meeting Don Dudenbostel, my photographer friend, early in the morning in M-town. I'm hoping he'll find some wonderful character studies there to photograph and some folks who can lead him even deeper into the Appalachian culture he is so beautifully documenting. He's also given me permission to share some of his work with you as soon as I'm able to. His Pastor Jimmy photos are heartbreakingly lovely. I feel so fortunate to have met someone who seems to see these people the way I do.

So, I'll be checking at the Staples there to see if they have a modem that will work. My computer is a Mac G3 Blue and White. It's old, but it works great and is good for all the graphics work I like to do. But they didn't put serial ports in these and that's why I'm having such a time. I think I found a ISDN modem made by Best Data that will do the trick if I don't find one at Staples. So that's where all this is.

I went to Pastor Jimmy's church today. There were no serpents but it was a really lovely time. Jimmy was in really good voice as always. Afterwards, we chatted and he told a tale of a man who stole his serpents and then offered him a bunch of water moccasins. He told him no, since he felt the man would just come back and steal them.

Then he said, "'Cause you know, a man who'll steal your serpents will just as soon steal your wife and your bible."

I'm going to be a writing fool once I get back to snuff. I have so many stories I wanted to tell during this down time. I'll probably just post them and backdate them, which will mess up the RSS feeds, but I really wanted to tell those stories! And some of them, like my Memorial Day story about my Dad, was tied to that day.

Also, I've been invited to guest blog on Feministe which is a huge honor. And I've been unable to keep up my commitment to Appalachian Savants with all this so I'll owe them a few stories.

Sad news...Miz Kay-reen, I hear, is fading fast. I'm going to try to get by and see her.

Pastor Jimmy's "Homecoming" is this next weekend and I plan to be there with Friend Scott, a big plate of fried chicken and a huge banana pudding or maybe a big cake. Maybe a wet coconut cake or maybe my chocolate picnic cake...that's the one with the boiled fudge frosting and chopped pecans.

I had an amazing Happy Sunday photo for you that I took while coming back from Mizz Busbee's today and four wheeling the jeep up the steep part of The Fifteenth on the backside of my property. All green and wet and dewy. Very restful.

Lets hope this post goes through.